We know that the world around us is fallen. We know that things around us are broken and need fixed. But who can fix it all?
Can you? Me? Are we going to be gluing everything back together?
Christian, you with all your brokenness, can you bring everything back to a place of wholeness? Will you make all things right? Make all things new? Will your showing off of the goodness and greatness of God make his righteousness and justice flow everywhere in fullness, completeness? Will your work and personal holiness represent him in an honorable and beautiful way that causes immeasurable change in the world?
As we look at the world around we see everyone trying to will themselves to make change. Some of that change which turns to good. Some of that change which only continually shows that we are turned in on ourselves. Whatever change takes place in our world though and no matter what mix of good and bad it is there is brokenness.
People march. People struggle. People give speeches. They speak and are never heard. Voiceless people are spoken for but never to. And People suffer.
We wait and are excited for great change and it come and yet it is not all that it should have been. It is a joy that is incomplete and mixed with sadness. Or it is a change that never comes. It is equality that is never felt. It is a house that is never built. Pay that is never received and promises that are never kept.
Our world has a sickness whose symptoms are seen clearly when our eyes are opened by God's word, and the mouth of his Prophet, his law, his truth.
Isaiah does just that. He holds up the mirror of God's Justice and righteousness and holiness and shows us that we fall short. He has shown us our need and shown us what part we play in correcting the course. Learn to do good. Seek Justice, Correct Oppression.
But work as we may to wash ourselves clean and to bandage all our wounds and make right the wrongs of our world...we are without something. Ability.
We know from Isaiah what we should do what God requires of us. But we cannot do it. Not perfectly anyway. Not the way it needs to be done.
We need something more. SALVATION. And we cannot do it for ourselves. God does that. Sinners do not and cannot save themselves. God does that.