Let's Reason Together

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 like crimson, they shall become like wool.
(Isaiah 1:18)

Meditation

To reason with an unbeliever doesn’t mean I’m supposed to point out their sins, it means I’m supposed to point out the One who forgives. I don’t have to tell them how much the Lord hates sin, I do have to tell them how much the Lord loves them. I don’t condemn them for following an unrighteous path, I encourage them to follow the path laid out by Jesus! My sins are no less worthy of punishment than anyone else. My little white lie carries the same sentence of death as the violent act of a rapist or murderer. God is no respecter of persons. That means I am no more or less important to him than anyone else. It means, no matter what anyone has done, Jesus will cleanse them. As imperfect as I am, my sins are forgiven.
I wish I was better at reasoning that point than I am at arguing. I start out by trying to reason, but I seem to inevitably devolve into being more argumentative than compassionate. I never want to appear judgmental, but as I look back, I know that’s the way I’ve come across. My “superpower” is the dismissive wave of my hand, or how I roll my eyes at what you just said. I can follow those up with a snide remark, if not an outright verbal slam. I know I have to work on what it means to reason with someone. The first key is to treat them the way I like to be treated. I know I like it very much when someone treats me like I don’t know anything. Even if they are right, I will not be persuaded to their point of view. It may be stubbornness, but it’s human nature, I think.
To start, I shouldn’t be patting myself on the back because I’m saved and they’re not. For me to act self-righteous about my salvation, is like a drowning man saying the life-guard wouldn’t be a hero if he hadn’t been drowning in the first place. I am a sinner in need of a Savior, just like the person I’m trying to reason with. I owe everything to the redemptive work done by Jesus on the cross. I know I was on a headlong rush to hell before the Holy Spirit kicked in the door to my heart. As good as I may have been compared to some people, my sins were definitely tarnishing any halo I might have tried to give myself. Without Jesus, our sins will eventually lead us to hell.




Prayer Time

Lord God, you are the father of logic and reason. We thank you for giving us the common sense to figure out your plan for our salvation. Thank you for being a Creator who wants us to converse with you in prayer. We don’t have to have some priest or preacher do our praying for us. You’ve made it possible for us to come directly to you, through Jesus. We are sinners, Father, but you have reconciled us to you by the shed blood of Jesus. We are washed clean and our righteousness rests with Christ. Lord, we don’t always want what you want for us because we are still headstrong, at times. Help us to always look for your guidance by listening for the whispers of the Holy Spirit or finding your wisdom in the words of scripture. Father, we bow our wills to yours and submit our lives to the lordship of Jesus Christ. It’s in his name, we pray. Amen!

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