Come!

"Come now, let us reason together,"
       says the LORD.
       "Though your sins are like scarlet,
       they shall be as white as snow;
       though they are red as crimson,
       they shall be like wool."  Isaiah 1:18

I recently had a conversation with someone that left me so upset.  And from conversations they have had with others, I was able to piece together his philosophy on God:  God is judgment.  God hates sin.  Therefore, God hates sinners.

I urge you to read the entire first chapter of Isaiah here, because it gives much more of a total picture than one little verse.  (Just stop right now and go to biblegateway.com.)  At the beginning of the chapter, Isaiah - sometimes in his own words, and sometimes quoting God - calls the Israelites wicked, evil and sinful. But God doesn't just walk away, washing His hands of the nation, of those He loved.  No . . .


Can't you see this verse as a pleading?  First, "Come."  As I have written so many times, this great big God of the Universe begs us to come to Him, to accept Him, to accept His everlasting love.  Then He says, "let us reason together."  Synonyms for "reason" include words like "contemplate."  "Examine."  "Reflect."


If God hates sin so much that He hates the sinner, too, why would He invite sinners to the table?  It's almost like He's calling us to a treaty table, inviting us to examine Him and His offer of mercy, goodness and eternal life.  The only condition?  Complete surrender.  The result?  Eternal life!


This person I talked to has said, "You think that God just loves everybody!"  Oh yes!  Amen!  I truly do!!


But I don't think that because God loves everyone, there's no judgment.  No wrath.  No punishment.  In fact, that doesn't even make sense!  Because I love my son, there are times when He is punished.  That's what a good parent does.  And that's what my good God does.  Just because I think God loves us passionately, pursues us endlessly, and entreats us continuously . . . that doesn't mean that I don't understand that God's patience with the sinner will come to an end one day.


That will be a terrible day, and it should motivate us to join God in His invitation.  To my neighbor - Come!  To my friend - Come!  To my family - Come!


To the world!  Come!


And reader, if you haven't eaten at his table yet . . . come.