I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.  I am going to be on vacation through August 10th.  I have prepared my daily Bible Studies for each day throughout that time in advance since I will have limited access to the Internet during this time.  The timing on when I publish these blogs may be erratic during this time.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Isaiah 64-66.

When I read today’s passage I was struck by comparisons to society today.  We are all sinners who continually sin (I want to note that there is an important distinction between “continually” and “continuously”).  We try to cover our sins with righteous actions which do less to cover our sins than a dirty loincloth.  Yet we spend our time calling out others for their sins.  As a result, we suffer and our land heads toward desolation.  For all of that, we rarely call out to God and plead for His mercy.  Why not? Because we know what He will demand of us and we are unwilling to do it.  

For all of that, God will save a small number, a remnant who will be called by His name.  God will create a new heaven and a new earth where His servants will live in peace.  Isaiah even tells us how to know who will be saved.  Only those with a humble and contrite heart will be saved.  Not long ago I came across a quote from Augustine of Hippo which carries much the same message.

“Let us never assume that if we live good lives we will be without sin; our lives should be praised only when we continue to beg for pardon. But men are hopeless creatures, and the less they concentrate on their own sins, the more interested they become in the sins of others. They seek to criticize, not to correct. Unable to excuse themselves, they are ready to accuse others.”

We need to focus on correcting the sin in our own lives more than the sins committed by others.  Of course, one needs to remember that Isaiah tells us this as part of his prophecy calling people out for their sins.  So it does not mean that we never confront others about the sins which they commit.  It just means that we must do so while humbly admitting that we also are sinners.