God’s Saving Vengeance • 06.29.25
God’s Saving Vengeance
Isaiah 63:1-19
Recognizing God must address sin to save
- Reality: God’s character and plan require the conquering and removal of sin
- Response: God’s people lament that sin has separated them from God
Manuscript:
Good morning, church family! (Welcome guests + introduce self)
Dismiss 4th + 5th graders
Ushers + Bibles (Isaiah 63; page 739)
For the last several weeks we have enjoyed prophesy from Isaiah about God’s plans of rescue and redemption for his people. We have heard of his intent to radiate his glory from the city of Zion as a light for all nations. Both Jews and Gentiles will come together in unity to rebuild the city and worship the Lord within it. It has been a beautiful reminder of the grand redemption plan of God, as well as his extravagant love for his people. Rightly, we have rejoiced and celebrated this each time we have been reminded of it. I hope that you’ve grown in eager anticipation for the return of the Lord to reign forevermore!
However, even as we have been riding the heights of these glorious revelations, there has also been a reminder here and there that not all will bow the knee to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Though many from all nations will repent and believe, others will remain defiant and rebellious. Our most recent reminder of this was back in chapter 60:
Isaiah 60:12 (ESV)
12 For the nation and kingdom
that will not serve you shall perish;
those nations shall be utterly laid waste.
And before chapter 60, it was much more common to hear the Lord rebuking both idolatrous Judah and the foreign nations for their lack of righteousness. I bring these sobering reminders up today because chapter 63 is going to break us out of our joyful reverie about what the future holds. God, through the prophet Isaiah, is going to remind us that in order for righteousness to prevail on the earth, sin must be addressed.
If you’ve been around Christianity for any length of time, you know that. God, in his perfect holiness/righteousness, does not dwell in the presence of sin. So, if we’re going to be with him for all eternity, then somehow the problem of sin must be resolved. We’ve heard of God’s solution to save sinners back in chapter 53 via the Suffering Servant the one who…
Isaiah 53:5–6 (ESV)
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
Since that chapter, we’ve spoken often of the need to trust in this Suffering Servant for the forgiveness of our sins and salvation of our souls. He is none other than Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God and Savior of the world. Faith in him is the way for sinners to be made righteous, as Jordan reminded us of last week. It is a glorious truth that we would all be wise to take part in.
However, Jesus’ death in our place does not address the problem of sin for those who continue to reject him. If God’s plan is to remove sin’s stain from creation, then those who are willingly remaining in sin must be addressed. This is not surprising news for those who have been studying Isaiah with us over the past two years. God has been very forthright, since the days of Adam and Eve, that the wages of sin is death and that he will address sin once and for all at some future point in history. Chapter 63 contains a glimpse of what that day will be like.
Before we read this chapter, I want to share with you a very extended quote from commentator Gary Smith. I don’t typically share quotes this lengthy, but I believe it beautifully ties together the past few chapters and sets the stage for our study today. Please pay attention to how he ties the teachings we’ve heard over the past weeks together:
Hearing the good news about the coming of God’s kingdom is always an encouragement to believers who live in a corrupt and sinful world that has little respect for God. Although many believers are overly concerned about the date of the second coming when God’s kingdom will come to earth in full force, the really important thing to know and be fully convinced of is that God has the power to accomplish what he has promised. God knows what must happen if he is going to dwell among his people (61:1–3), and he has a plan that will rid the world of sinners (60:12; 63:1–6). He does intend to transform Zion and give it a new name (61:4–62:12), changing its character forever.
He will accomplish all this through his powerful arm, through the Spirit (59:21), through his everlasting covenant (61:8), and through the Anointed One who will declare the good news of God’s coming (61:1–3). In the midst of this process, many foreigners in many nations will see the light of God’s glory over Zion and the righteousness of God’s holy people, and they will bring their wealth to Zion to worship and glorify God (60:3–14). This glorious news gives a brief glimpse at those eschatological events that (a) will precede the Day of the Lord, (b) an explanation of what will happen on the Day of the Lord when he tramples the nations, and (c) a preview of what Zion will be like after the Day of the Lord when God comes to dwell with his Hebrew people and many believers from the foreign nations.
These eschatological promises give assurance to all believers and provide a motivation for the people of God to proclaim the good news to the nations today. The people in the nations of the world will either see the light of God’s glory through the lives of his holy people, or they will perish without hope because they are blinded by the darkness of their own sins. Many will joyfully come proclaiming God’s praise (60:6) and honoring God with their wealth (60:9), but those who will not serve God will perish (60:12). After the judgment on the Day of the Lord, all people will know God as their Savior, Redeemer, and the Mighty One (60:16).
Zion and the nations that come to it will be known as the City of God, Zion of the Holy One (60:14), the holy people, and the redeemed (62:12). God will bring about a great spiritual and physical transformation of Zion, his Hebrew people, and the nations. These glorious changes are heavily dependent on the work of an Anointed One (61:1–3), a person whose roles seem to overlap with that of the Servant in earlier chapters. This is the person who seems to be the key individual that will enable God to accomplish and complete his plans. He is the one who can turn mourning into gladness and despair into praise. He is the key to the fulfillment of prophecy and the introduction of God’s kingdom among men…
But before this can happen God must trample the sinful nations that reject him in the winepress of his wrath (63:1–6; Rev 14:18–20; 19:15). Although the book of Revelation has much more to say about the severe persecution that will precede the establishment of God’s kingdom, Isaiah has much to say about the coming of the nation to worship and glorify God. From the time of Isaiah to the time of Revelation, God’s plans have not changed. God’s plans are sure, so it is vitally important that each person is ready for that glorious day. God will be vindicated in the end; his original plan of creating a holy people who glorify him will be accomplished. Why would anyone not want to be a part of the glorious celebrations that will happen when the light of God’s glory fills the earth? (Gary Smith, New American Commentary: Isaiah)
Why indeed? I hope I have your attention this morning as we turn our attention now to the study of God’s Word. Let’s read Isaiah 63:1-6.
Isaiah 63:1–6 (ESV)
Who is this who comes from Edom,
in crimsoned garments from Bozrah,
he who is splendid in his apparel,
marching in the greatness of his strength?
“It is I, speaking in righteousness,
mighty to save.”
2 Why is your apparel red,
and your garments like his who treads in the winepress?
3 “I have trodden the winepress alone,
and from the peoples no one was with me;
I trod them in my anger
and trampled them in my wrath;
their lifeblood spattered on my garments,
and stained all my apparel.
4 For the day of vengeance was in my heart,
and my year of redemption had come.
5 I looked, but there was no one to help;
I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold;
so my own arm brought me salvation,
and my wrath upheld me.
6 I trampled down the peoples in my anger;
I made them drunk in my wrath,
and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”
At first read, this is some shocking content! We have a quite graphic question and answer between the watchmen on the walls of Zion and a mysterious figure approaching in the distance. Notice the details that are highlighted in their first question:
- Who are you, coming from Edom/Bozrah (their enemies)?
I have a map up on the screen to help you picture this better. (Map) Edom was a nation to the Southeast of Judah who had been sworn enemies of the Jews for a long time, ever since refusing to give them passage when they were heading to the Promised Land. King David had conquered them, but they would later rebel against Judah under Jehoram’s reign. Bozrah was the capital city of Edom. Here they are representative of all who refuse to humble themselves before God and turn from their sin. This mysterious figure is coming from the direction of their enemies. Their question continued…
- Who are you, in crimsoned garments, splendid in apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength?
The watchmen notice this mysterious man’s clothing and stride. He portrays confidence and great strength, and his clothes are bright red, which caught their eye.
The response they receive is enigmatic. “It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.” Who is the only One worthy to claim such righteousness and saving might? Let me remind you of what we just heard in Isaiah 59:
Isaiah 59:15b–20 (ESV)
…The Lord saw it, and it displeased him
that there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no man,
and wondered that there was no one to intercede;
then his own arm brought him salvation,
and his righteousness upheld him.
17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
and a helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.
18 According to their deeds, so will he repay,
wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies;
to the coastlands he will render repayment.
19 So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west,
and his glory from the rising of the sun;
for he will come like a rushing stream,
which the wind of the Lord drives.
20 “And a Redeemer will come to Zion,
to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord.
This mysterious figure coming from the direction of God’s enemies is the LORD, whose arm brings salvation and whose righteousness upholds him. Let’s look at the details of the next question:
- Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress?
The first question was “Who?” now it is “Why?” They are keen observers and recognize that something is off about his clothing. It looks like he’s been stomping grapes all day long and the juices of the grapes have stained his clothing a dark red. The answer that returns to them is much more severe than that! He answers honestly and without shame that he has indeed trodden a winepress by himself, but it wasn’t grapes that he was crushing… it was his enemies. Their blood is what has spattered all over his garments and stained his apparel. This is the result of his day of vengeance against those who oppose him. They are destroyed in the Lord’s righteous wrath.
As we heard several weeks ago from Pastor Jack’s sermon on Isaiah 59, the LORD alone can intervene and redeem… and that is what he has done in Isaiah 63. Before we go any further in discussing this, I want to point out our goal for today is…
Recognizing God must address sin to save
We have an important reality to acknowledge and embrace this morning.
- Reality: God’s character and plan require the conquering and removal of sin
You heard it so powerfully in the passage I shared again from Isaiah 59, but truly it has been communicated throughout the book of Isaiah. God is perfectly holy, without flaw or fault, and his righteousness demands he must address sin. You may recall Isaiah’s vision of God’s utter holiness in chapter 6:
Isaiah 6:3–5 (ESV)
3 And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Holy, holy, holy – a way of communicating the complete holiness of God. There is no one more perfect, none purer, no one more morally upright/flawless. And Isaiah’s conviction upon witnessing this in this vision was to cry out in woe because he knew he was tainted by sin! He knew his uncleanness would lead to judgment/destruction in the presence of the Holy of Holies.
I am convinced that our society has lost its grasp on the reality of God’s holiness, as well as the severity of our sin. It’s not hard to see, everywhere you turn you hear people mocking God, making light of sin and hell, with no interest in holiness or fear of God’s judgment in their life. By and large there is no urgency to live a holy life in our society! Even in many so-called churches in our day and age there is more of a focus on entertainment than trembling in awe before a holy God.
I’ll be the first to admit that I still need to grow in my understanding of God’s holiness. It is far too easy to treat God casually in our daily lives. We can easily put him as one of the many priorities of our day without giving him the primary focus and reverence that he deserves! How easily we forget that God is the one who gives us each breath and heartbeat! How often do we stop and consider that God’s holiness and our sinfulness made it necessary for His Son to die on the Cross because there was no other way of salvation!?
Consider that we’ve heard recently that God’s holiness will be the LIGHT for the entire world. As bright as the daytime is now from the Sun, that will be needed no longer, because God’s holiness will illuminate the world. In fact, his holiness is so intense that night will be no more! That’s hard to imagine, isn’t it? Let these truths help you meditate on the utter holiness of our God!
God’s holiness is also so MORALLY PURE that it will eradicate sin. Just as there is no more night, there will be no more moral impurity or rebellion (sin). God’s holiness demands that it be removed, once and for all, from his creation. Sin is that big of a problem. Here’s what I mean when I say sin.
Sin is:
“any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God” (1 John 3:4; Rom. 4:15), in the inward state and habit of the soul, as well as in the outward conduct of the life, whether by omission or commission (Rom. 6:12–17; 7:5–24).
Easton, M. G. Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893.
Sin is both a stain on our inner man/woman, but also played out in our thoughts/speech/behavior. We are falling short and willingly transgressing against God’s standard. Sin is like a deadly virus that has infected every part of creation, and the only remedy is to avail yourself of the Suffering Servant’s sacrifice on your behalf. As we heard last week, God has provided a great exchange through His Son, Jesus:
2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Jesus is both the Suffering and the Anointed Servant of Isaiah who comes to save his people and to conquer and remove sin from the world. He alone can intervene and redeem, and Isaiah 63:1-6 reveals what that will look like… It is a hard reality to face, but it is one we must seek to understand and respond to!
The last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation contains similar imagery of that day when it says:
Revelation 19:11–16 (ESV)
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.
14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
These are truly “awe-ful” revelations. (Explain awe-full) There is a day of vengeance coming. God has been forthright about that. The Lord Jesus came to save at his first coming and he will come to judge at his second coming. The time in between the two, which we live in now, is our opportunity to respond to his salvation in faith and repentance so that we are prepared when he comes again in judgment. Those who repent and believe are spared, but those who persist in sin will be judged in vengeance.
It is also an opportunity for the rest of the world to respond in faith and repentance. And, as Christians, it should be our burden to take the message of salvation through faith in Jesus to as many people as possible…
What is your response to the reality that God’s character and plan require the conquering and removal of sin?
I wonder how our non-Christian friends who are here today think about this matter. If the Bible is true, and we certainly believe it is given all the evidence for its truthfulness, then it would be the height of folly to ignore what has been said here today. As we heard in the extended quote from Gary Smith earlier – Why would anyone not want to be a part of the glorious celebrations that will happen when the light of God’s glory fills the earth? Or put another way, why would anyone want to face the terrifying wrath of God instead?
For my Christian brothers and sisters, I wonder if you have grown squeamish at the thought of God’s wrath. I believe that is the direction our culture and the enemy want us to go.
“God’s wrath? Oh we don’t talk about that here!”
“A wrathful God? That was in the Old Testament era, we only know the God of grace!”
These are lies propagated by the Devil and those who have been deceived by him. God does not need you or anyone else to apologize for his perfect character. He is not apologetic for his wrath, and you shouldn’t be either. His wrath is his perfectly righteous response to sin/rebellion. And that is where I believe many have been led astray – they have forgotten the severity of sin/rebellion/treason against the King of Kings. And when you forget that, then you feel like you must apologize for God’s wrath.
Sin is serious! The wages of sin is death. In my daily Bible time, I am reading in the Gospel of Luke and John the Baptist had no qualms speaking of God’s wrath when he warned the people of his day to repent or perish!
Luke 3:7–9 (ESV)
7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
He’s not alone in this message. Jesus, in the Gospel of Matthew, right before his famous passage on coming to him for rest, pronounced woes to the unrepentant:
Matthew 11:20–24 (ESV)
20 Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades.
For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”
The contrast in Matthew 11 is clear. You can either come to Jesus in humble faith to receive righteousness and rest, OR you can remain stubborn and unrepentant in your sin and receive his just judgment and wrath. Sin is that big of a deal! And we should not downplay its severity nor feel apologetic for the wrath it incurs.
Rather we must be motivated to respond in a manner that is pleasing to God. And that is what we see next in Isaiah 63, all the way into 64, as the people respond in a communal lament. Let’s read the rest of our chapter today and discuss it, then we’ll continue this conversation in 64 next week. In response to the revelation of a coming day of vengeance, the people say:
Isaiah 63:7–19 (ESV)
7 I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord,
the praises of the Lord,
according to all that the Lord has granted us,
and the great goodness to the house of Israel
that he has granted them according to his compassion,
according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
8 For he said, “Surely they are my people,
children who will not deal falsely.”
And he became their Savior.
9 In all their affliction he was afflicted,
and the angel of his presence saved them;
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
10 But they rebelled
and grieved his Holy Spirit;
therefore he turned to be their enemy,
and himself fought against them.
11 Then he remembered the days of old,
of Moses and his people.
Where is he who brought them up out of the sea
with the shepherds of his flock?
Where is he who put in the midst of them
his Holy Spirit,
12 who caused his glorious arm
to go at the right hand of Moses,
who divided the waters before them
to make for himself an everlasting name,
13 who led them through the depths?
Like a horse in the desert,
they did not stumble.
14 Like livestock that go down into the valley,
the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
So you led your people,
to make for yourself a glorious name.
15 Look down from heaven and see,
from your holy and beautiful habitation.
Where are your zeal and your might?
The stirring of your inner parts and your compassion
are held back from me.
16 For you are our Father,
though Abraham does not know us,
and Israel does not acknowledge us;
you, O Lord, are our Father,
our Redeemer from of old is your name.
17 O Lord, why do you make us wander from your ways
and harden our heart, so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your heritage.
18 Your holy people held possession for a little while;
our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary.
19 We have become like those over whom you have never ruled,
like those who are not called by your name.
The people’s response is to first recount the steadfast love, goodness, and compassion of the Lord towards them, but then to recognize how their sin has separated them from God.
- Response: God’s people lament that sin has separated them from God
Their response helps us recognize that God must address sin to save.
The book of Isaiah is not going to let us move past the reality of sin. Ever since the fall of Adam and Eve, sin has been humanity’s primary problem. Sin is what separates us from God, and it is what invites his holy wrath, as we’ve heard today.
And in this section of Isaiah, the people respond to the reality of God’s wrath by first remembering his past mercies. They have tasted and seen of God’s steadfast love and goodness and compassion. The nation of Israel would not have existed if it had not been for these other character qualities of God lavished upon them!
Remember that God chose them. God created them as a nation. He said, “Surely they are my people… and he became their Savior.” That was his decision at his initiation. And truly that is how God has continued to operate with his people to this day. He initiates, not us.
God chose to identify himself with them and bear their afflictions. He cared about them and saved them from slavery in Egypt, redeeming them out as a nation whom he carried to the Promised Land. Verses 7-14 are full of callbacks to the Exodus account.
And even as God was with them, they rebelled against him and grieved his Holy Spirit. Their choice to sin made God their enemy and invited his just discipline into their lives. These are their own words recounting what happened in the past! They are admitting and lamenting it.
Then they ask a series of questions meant to express their distress that their relationship with God is not like it used to be… In the past they were led by God, and they did not stumble. The Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. They were led by God, and he received glory for it. Those were the good ole’ days! And boy do those days look and sound sweet now that Judah’s persistent idolatry has led to exile and they have a clearer understanding of what receiving God’s wrath will be like.
So, they cry out in verses 15-19 for present mercies. “God, look down from heaven and see!” They recognize that God is not present with them like he used to be… They can perceive his absence! They recognize him as their Father, even though they have been rebuked as a false people earlier in the book:
Isaiah 48:1 (ESV)
Hear this, O house of Jacob,
who are called by the name of Israel,
and who came from the waters of Judah,
who swear by the name of the Lord
and confess the God of Israel,
but not in truth or right.
Now they own their sin by admitting that Abraham and Israel may not recognize or acknowledge them, but they still claim God as Father. There is an expressesd desire to be known as God’s people.
They are essentially asking, “Where is your love?” and “why are you far off?”
The questions that are posed in verse 17 are intriguing. They come across as though the people are blaming God for their situation. Which is one possible interpretation, or it may be that they are simply wrestling honestly with the sovereignty of God in their situation. Their sin meant that the Lord had to drive them out of the land. Their hardness of heart is the result of their own choices first, and God chose to harden them further as a result. This is the pattern we observe with Pharoah in the Exodus account. Man begins the hardening and God accelerates it. Either way, the resulting plea to God is the same: “Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage!”
Their only hope is in God returning to them, convicting them, and softening their hearts so they would return to him. The chapter ends with more lamenting of the miserable state of their nation given the fruit of their sin. Without God’s intervention, sin appears to have ruined the nation of Israel/Judah and brought disrepute on the God who identified himself with them. *pause*
In the way we’ve chosen to structure this sermon series, we are ending our sermon at a bit of an unfortunate break in the text. This lament does not end in 63:19, but continues through chapter 64, until we finally get God’s response in chapters 65-66. However, there is still a clear takeaway demonstrated here that we can latch onto – lamenting the effects of our sin. And, I’ll go a step further, turning away from sin to draw near to God!
To lament means to express grief or sorrow.
Pastor Mark Vroegop elaborates further to say that biblical lament…
“is an expression of faith in God who hears our cries and responds with mercy and grace.” Or further as “…the honest cry of a hurting heart wrestling with the paradox of pain and the promise of God’s goodness.” (Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament, 25)
Lament turns us to God as we wrestle with brokenness – in us, in our world, in our loved ones, and so on. We are turning to God in desperate prayer, asking God to hear and respond! Could there be any better response to the reality of sin and the brokenness it has brought into our lives? As Peter so eloquently said to Jesus in John 6:68-69, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
There is no better person to turn to in our brokenness than the Holy One of God. The Suffering Servant who died for the forgiveness of our sins. The Savior of the world.
When you recognize that God must address sin to save, then you ought to be driven to the Savior from sin. He is our ONLY hope for righteousness. And he is the hope for the rest of the world too.
What the world needs most from Christians and churches is not entertainment, nor kind platitudes, nor the repackaged lies of our culture – what the world needs (and what we all need) is Christ Crucified and Risen Again. What we need is the truth, delivered boldly and in love and as often as necessary to convict hearts and lead to repentance and faith. What we need is fervent prayer, like the watchmen on the walls we heard about last week, that God would change hearts and establish his holy kingdom on earth, beginning with us.
The reality of God’s saving vengeance ought to drive us, as the church, to first look inwards and make sure we are living by faith and in the righteousness of the Lord. Brother or sister, if you see sin in your life, do something about it. Confess it to the Lord in prayer. Invite accountability from your small group. Identify a plan to live out repentance – how will you change to please God in that area of life? This is how we fight the good fight of the faith! This is how we persevere to the end! Daily confession and repentance. In community. Bearing one another’s burdens in love.
Hebrews 3:12–14 (ESV)
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.
It is my prayer and hope that every person who calls themselves a Christian at Harvest would be actively living out this kind of faith. May we not be spiritually apathetic or asleep. As you’ve heard me quote from John Owen many times before, “Be killing sin, lest it be killing you!”
At the same time, the reality of God’s saving vengeance ought to drive us, as the church, to also look outwards in compassion on a dying world. All around us men and women are perishing apart from the hope of Christ. Their souls ought to matter to us! May we open our mouths and engage them in Gospel-centered conversations. Let’s talk to them about Jesus and the necessity of believing in him for the forgiveness of sins and hope of eternal life. They need to be warned about the wrath to come. The day of vengeance isn’t a figure of speech; it is a real thing. May we devote ourselves to sharing the Good News of Jesus far and wide in our lifetime. Starting in our homes but radiating outwards in concentric circles of influence.
This will only happen as we take sin seriously and understand the eternal significance of remaining dead in it. So church, let’s close our time together in prayer, asking God to give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand.
Let’s pray.
Pray