January 14: WILLING COOPERATION
Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. Isaiah 60:1-2
Isaiah’s writings swirl with contrasting imagery, effectively portraying the personal choices that people make. God can help every individual who is willing to give up the sins that separate him or her from the LORD (see 59:2). I may not have the fortitude to give them up by myself; but a willingness to part ways with anything that is incongruous with a law-abiding citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20) means that I will voluntarily cooperate with Him as He removes those things from my life. To grow in the knowledge of God* is to gain understanding of His eternal kingdom. The darkness [that] shall cover the earth is not only a statement of fact but a loving warning to the people of God. Those who cherish their sins cannot expect the LORD to respond to their prayers. The Psalmist wrote: If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear (Psalm 66:18).
The development of a person’s character is rightly called “a work in progress.” But the notion that God will miraculously remove sins that are cherished by that person is a whimsical one, and one that is not Biblical. This false gospel presents another Jesus, a different gospel (2 Corinthians 11:4), for God does not violate free will by removing sins from an individual against his or her will. Jesus came to save people from their sins (Matthew 1:21), not in their sins (John 8:24).
Those who abandon their pride and kneel humbly at the feet of Jesus to confess their past sins and relinquish their former ways (see 1 Corinthians 6:10-11) learn first-hand the narrow and bumpy road of sanctification, complete with occasional stumbling. But walking with the Holy Spirit assures a “memo” for every slip-up to enable confession (see Proverbs 24:16; 1 John 1:9). The all-knowing One who sees into every heart knows what kind of person each individual has chosen to become. Those who will be taken to heaven when the Lord Jesus returns (John 14:1-3) have chosen to believe all of His word, including acceptance of the transforming power of His Holy Spirit. This belief and acceptance is the essence of willing cooperation with Him. The one who is being transformed—made fit for heaven—seeks to cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Each day that passes brings more fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy of darkness [that] cover[s] the earth, And deep darkness the people. This reality squarely contradicts the human philosophy that humanity is improving itself and lifting itself out of the disastrous conditions of this fallen earth. God has given us the freedom to choose His way over the failing human groupthink that continues to deteriorate. Arise, shine; For your light has come!
*Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises…having escaped the corruption in the world… 2 Peter 1:2-4
Dig deeper: Judges 10:9-16; Hosea 4:6; John 16:13-14; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Colossians 1:10; 2:6