Isaiah 9:2 KJV
[2] The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
The verse above is taken from a chapter in Isaiah, which speaks expressly about the coming of the Messiah, who is to deal with the issue of sin and darkness, and usher in a perpetual season of God's mercy, forgiveness and the hope of eternal life. Like all things that God does, the present never really looks like the future. At the time the words of the verse above were spoken, there was really nothing that could provide any hope that things would be good. The people of Israel, including the separate kingdom of Judah, had rejected the Lord’s instructions about living in line with His instructions, and were now suffering the effects of their rebellion. Nations that were not even as strong as they were could come in, lay seige and if not for God's intervention, would have decimated the population. The early warning for us in this generation is that the God who dealt with Israel and Judah in this way has not changed, even with the passing of time. What He called sin under Adam is still sin in our own day.
God will not lower the standard for anyone, but for as many as would come to Him, He will not turn away. God would intervene in some instances, just as He did during the reign of king Hezekiah, when he killed 185,000 of the Assyrian army that had laid siege to Judah. How long do you think God condones constant disobedience? As we now know, both Israel and Judah eventually went into captivity. It is clear from God's Word that He cannot and will not lie. All who come to Him in sincere repentance will experience His grace. Sin establishes darkness and causes separation from God. The wages of sin is death. Influence, wealth and connections have no say here. All He wants from me is to come to Him as I am. God is Light; He wants to be and give light, and He will play His part as the faithful God that He is. He will not demand from me that which He has not first supplied sufficient grace for, but be sure that an account will be demanded from me for the grace He has shown.
As Light, He has revealed His plan for the salvation of the whole earth. All who dwell in the world are in darkness until they come to the saving knowledge of the One who has conquered sin. Until a man comes to Jesus, it does not matter how much impact he is making on earth; the end, outside of Christ, is eternal death. The Light has come to show the way back to God. The Light is not asking me to be perfect before I can come; He wants me to come as I am, and His Light will deal with the darkness in me, and replace it with Light and Life. As we read in the verse above, no matter what my reality is today, the Light is shining. I have the responsibility to respond to the Light. Those in darkness have seen it, and the light has shone on those who dwell in the land of the shadow of death, but God will not force Himself on anyone, or go against the exercise of my freewill. He is Light; He has come. He offers me Light and Life, free of charge. All He asks for is my total submission and surrender to Him, and He guarantees eternal life with Him. For this price, what is too much to give up? How do you respond? God's time of favour is here.
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