Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.
Select a thought to read by choosing a collection, the month, and then the day:
From these few words God said through Isaiah, and from what He did not say, we can learn valuable spiritual lessons. There is a reason that God did not say, "Learn to cease from evil, and do well." Do you see the difference between what God said and what He did not say? God commanded us to do what He knew we could do (if we want to do what is right), and He refrained from commanding us to do the impossible.
"Ceasing from sin" can be done right now, immediately, and is done immediately by everyone who is sincere in faith and repentance. Sin is not something that one has to learn to stop doing; a sinner can cease from sin this moment if he hears the word of God and believes it. That is why God commanded the sinners from among His people to "cease from sin!" He knew they could quit sinning if they wanted to. When God commands a man to stop doing evil, He is revealing to that man that he has the power to do it.
The next part of God's command was "Learn to do well." This teaches us that godly living must be learned, and that is why it is so important that young believers be taught the truth of Christ instead of doctrines voted on by some Christian sect. Nobody knows God when he or she is first born of the Spirit. The Spirit enters into us so that we can come to know God, not because we already know Him. It enters into our hearts to guide us into all truth, not to reward us for our knowledge of the truth. New believers must grow in the knowledge of God, and they will grow in that knowledge if they are taught the truth; otherwise, they will only grow in the knowledge of the leaders of that particular sect.
So, the words of God through Isaiah reveal two simple truths. First, when a person hears God's word and believes it, he can cease from sin immediately. "Ceasing from sin" is what true repentance is, and that is what God commands all sinners everywhere to do (Acts 17:30). Secondly, righteousness must be learned. The knowledge of what is good and what is evil is attained to only by those who have matured in Christ (Heb. 5:13-14). New converts to Christ know only to a small extent what is good and what is evil because they do not yet know their heavenly Father.
In sum, these are the two simple commandments God gave us through Isaiah:
A. If you are doing evil, stop doing it-now! Don't make excuses. You can quit doing evil any time you want to.
B. If you would live righteously, you will have to make an effort to learn how, and you will have to pray for wisdom. Nobody starts out with the knowledge of God.
These are the commandments of God. Do not trust any man or any spirit that tells you that you cannot keep them both, with joy.