Work In Progress

“For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp [that] burneth.” (Isa 62:1 AV)

This is the best news the child of God can hear.  Israel disappointed the LORD more than can be imagined.  The LORD sent them into captivity because they failed to observe the most sacred of all commandments.  The keeping of the Sabbath.  When their Messiah came to save them from their sins and the rule of Rome, they choose Rome.  This sent the Nation into diaspora for 2,000 years.  Yet, the Father never forgot His covenant with His people.  What a gracious and loving God we serve.  He made that covenant with His people thousands of years ago.  He will not go back on His word.  Part of that covenant was to transform these people into a people of righteousness.  A people who would follow the law and live according to the glory of the God who rescued and saved them.  God desires for the righteousness of the Israeli people to be as the brightness of the stars above!  The same is true of the New Testament saint!

God did not save us so that we could live in a state of perpetual and destructive sin.  It is often charged that salvation has to be by some sort of works based system because if it was not, then those who are saved by grace will continue in presumptuous sin.  Those who make the charge really do not understand salvation by grace.   For someone to accept the pure grace of God takes humility.  Humility to admit one’s condition, position, and need.  It takes humility to admit one’s utterly wicked condition; that one is condemned before a holy God; and there is nothing one can do to save his own soul.  If he gets that low, then when Jesus saves him, his desire for sin wanes.  It was is that caused him to get that low.  He doesn’t want to get that low ever again.  His desire changes from sin to righteousness.  He has a passion to live perfect in the law of God.

That is why this passage is such an encouragement.  For those who desire complete conversion from a wicked sinner to a purely righteous saint, God will not cease to labor to that end!  Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!