Does Doing Good Matter?

Today’s Through the Bible Reading: Isaiah 55 – 59

“This is what the Lord says: Maintain justice and do what is right…Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast…” Isaiah 56:1 NIV

The prophet Isaiah boldly proclaims that our God is good and that He cares about doing what is right! This is really good news! Our defender, the One who sees everything, desires justice and rightness. Think back with me to what we read in January - God created a perfect environment in the Garden of Eden. It wasn’t until sin entered the picture that things got ugly. And that is just as true for me and for you, here and now, as it was for Adam and Eve way back then. Godliness brings peace and joy, but sin ushers in decay and sadness. And always keep in mind that it’s this decay and sadness that God desperately wants to keep us from – and THAT is why He implores us to stay away from sin. It’s His love that beckons us to obey His way because ours alone only leads to decay.

This is why God cares about sin in our lives my friends. He IS most certainly patient with us as we learn to walk with Him but this is not license to live in sin. Rather, we are to live like we’ve been bought with His blood and made NEW again (Rom. 6:1-4).

As Christians we can live like Christ - distinctly different than we were before we were Christians (2 Cor. 5:17). We might still live in this world, but we no longer belong to it! Instead, we belong to the Lord and are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds because of the blood He shed (Rom. 12:2). This sort of separation and transformation clears the way for the Lord’s blessings (Luke 11:28; James 1:22, 25; 1 John 5:3; Rev. 22:14).

Realize that the God of the Old Testament, who cared about justice and rightness way back in the day, is the same God – He’s YOUR God here today. And He’s calling you to live in His ways and walk according to His Word because He wants you to be blessed!