“THE PLAN GOD HAS FOR HIS PEOPLE”

Isaiah                                                                                      Chapter 53

Of all the things that characterize the human race, one of the most personal and intense is an individual’s opinion on things. Built into the fabric of God’s creation of people “in His image” is the ability He gives them to have their own opinion on things. We see the dilemma this presents to people everyday of their lives. Most folk discover “early on” in life that they have an opinion on everything. But trouble occurs when their opinion differs drastically from someone else’s!

This factor in society is even more pronounced because when someone has an opinion; MOST OFTEN, their opinion is the one that counts. There are as many  different ideas: on “fairness”, on “what’s right”, on “what’s important” and on “what’s my take”. It is amazing to find any agreement at all amongst people.     People are vehement about their opinion. People argue continually for their opinion. People pride themselves, often, that they see things clearly as compared to    how others see things.

If someone presents reality differently than how an individual expects, it is usually placed in the trash can of their thinking. But the truth of human thinking (as I    have just described it) comes up against a major obstacle that causes people fits. That obstacle is a living, personal, creative, “in control” God who made people.  The great majority of human beings don’t know what to do with such an Eternal Being who made them! Add to that, He has communicated with the   human race by  giving His viewpoint concerning truth! God has established ABSOLUTE truth! When God puts in place such absolute truth, He does it without consulting people. He establishes it and says it is so! Do you see the obstacle? The great majority of humans either have an opinion therefore they refuse to      accept such absolute truth, or     they nod their head politely while buying into the popular opinion that everything is relative to circumstances, situations or how   they see it. I WELCOME YOU TO THE CONFUSING WORLD OF POPULAR OPINION, IN CONTRAST TO GOD’S CONTROLLING SYSTEM OF REALITY!

The source of God’s viewpoint of reality is a written “revelation” of His Word. IT IS CALLED THE BIBLE! And wouldn’t you know it; every human being    on the face of the Earth has an opinion of that fact as well. The great majority don’t buy into that either!!! Most people today think that there is no such thing as “Absolute Truth”! Welcome to the human world in the 21^st Century A.D.

Not only does the Bible tell us “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths     beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord! Or who has been His counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?      For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen” (Romans 11:33) In Isaiah 55:8-9 we read, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher      than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

All this focus on personal opinion contrasted with God’s opinion brings us back to the presentation from Isaiah who penned the verses I just quoted for you. In Isaiah 53 we discover an overwhelming perspective that frankly blows most peoples’ minds. Contrary to the human way of viewing things, God communicates  with the human race that something sinister has taken place. This amazing story (which we just celebrated on Christmas) is three-dimensional. A.) The first dimension of Godly, absolute truth is that all mankind are flawed, sinful and tainted morally! The Bible calls this sin! And as I share this message with     you today, it is obvious to any perceptive person that MOST human beings do have an opinion on that fact! THEY REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT. For the society    we live in (in the good old USA), most people believe human beings are born innocent and pure. For the vast majority of people the Bible’s presentation of     original sin is ludicrous! They have the opinion that it is foolish to believe such nonsense. Yet, look at the chapter of Isaiah 53 and what do you see?

God clearly speaks of our infirmities, our sorrows, our transgressions, our iniquities, or the iniquity of us ALL (verses 4-6). This was the message Isaiah brought to the people of his era. Romans 3:23 puts it this way; “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. There you have it! The majority of folk have the opinion that they are sinless, innocent or at least they started that way. But, the God of the universe says differently! His opinion is that every single person alive today or at any time was born sinful, corrupted and contaminated by a sinful nature.

B.) The second dimension of Godly, absolute truth is that God sent His Son to earth (as a human being) in order to bear the penalty of people’s sin Himself! We read in Isaiah 53:6, “We ALL, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the     iniquity of us ALL”! Did you notice something? God’s way of doing ministry is totally different than the way we, people would do things. The Christmas  message, the ABSOLUTE truth coming from heaven is that mankind has been mutated by sin, along with all of creation. That contamination has smudged every single part of God’s creation. So God sent His only Son into the world to take on Himself the sin of each person. He did this to provide for the reclamation of human beings. Jesus is described in Isaiah 53:7-10 as oppressed and afflicted, not opening up His mouth, taken away, cut off from the land of the      living, stricken for the transgressions of people, assigned a grave with the wicked…It was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer and  the Lord will make His life a guilt offering! You and I would certainly plan things that way wouldn’t we; if we were in control? This is not a human solution       to the sin problem of this world. And I need to tell you something else. The great majority of people in this world consider what I just shared with you utter foolishness. A great number have heard this slant on things, from the Bible. They just prefer to have another opinion. And, if I were God (BE THRILLED I AM NOT), I wouldn’t give humans that choice. The Bible even goes so far as to tell us that God knew before He made the world that people would not opt for His absolute truth but invent their own opinion instead. Listen to what He says in Ephesians 1:4-5, “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to      be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and       will--”

To say the least, God’s way of thinking: His opinion (if you please) does not square with peoples’ views. And many will argue, mock or outright reject any      notion such as we’ve just mentioned! But with such relative thinking (as opposed to believing in absolute, objective truth) there is still a major obstacle that    prevents most folk from accepting God’s way of doing things.

C.) The third dimension of Godly, absolute truth is that, in order to receive cleansing from the taint of sin, it is essential for a person (individually) to place their faith in God’s way! The Bible tells us an amazing fact. It says in Ephesians 2:8-9 that there is nothing anyone can do to solve the sin crisis by their own efforts. “For it is by grace you have been saved, THROUGH FAITH -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no   one can boast.”  Salvation from the moral mess people are in requires faith. It is through faith! Faith means placing one’s total confidence and total trust in what Jesus did for him/her. That demands humility.

Just as paramount as people have their own opinion on everything, people have a complete abhorrence to being humble. To actually assume a position of dependence on what someone else does for them is below their dignity. Humility grates at the core of their thoughts. Sin in all its corruption has brought people      to a place where they are fiercely independent! They need no one! They can do things themselves! They will be good enough on their own to earn God’s      gratitude and forgiveness. They adamantly demand God to accept them! And if He doesn’t, then why believe in such a God anyhow? He isn’t very fair if He    rejects them!

Welcome to the morass humans find themselves in! Listen (finally) to what God’s absolute truth says in 1 Corinthians 1:18, 21: “For the message of the cross     is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God... For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe”! There you have it! Every single  person living in this world has a decision to make. They can just hold on to their own self-dependency for the answer to life. Or they can swallow their pride, as  ALL Christians must, and place their faith in God’s foolish plan of salvation. And: guess what? Each person’s eternal life depends on that choice. Unfortunately,   for many “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall”. (Proverbs 16:18) Often after Christians swallow their pride and accept God’s free     gift of Christ they begin to live life with the old pride that tainted them before. But that’s for another day.

It really doesn’t matter what your opinion is concerning God’s slant on life. He created life. One would think He had the inside track on how it is to be lived. Disagree with Him if you choose. He has given you that choice. Just know; there are no exceptions! Only His way works. It’s not a matter of our personal      opinion at all! I hope you have opted for the Lord’s opinion. Your life depends on it! God’s way of ministry AND LIFE is totally different from the way people would do things.