Isaiah 56 OBEDIENCE OR SELFISHNESS In the previous chapters dealing with the Servant of God providing redemption at the high cost of giving Himself for us, it is clear that salvation is by grace alone. Beginning with this chapter, there are four chapters that emphasize obedient living is a real mark of salvation. If there is the claim of new life by faith, but there is no change in life or in attitude toward God and toward His word, salvation is a false claim. Salvation is “not of works,” but faith is shown by works. If there is no desire to follow the Lord, and there is no motivation to obey Him because of a grateful heart, any profession of faith is counterfeit salvation.
Believers are admonished at the beginning of this chapter to maintain a godly life. Justice and righteousness of life reflect the character of God in those who believe on Him. A “new creature in Christ Jesus,” is a “new creation.” Life in Christ begins and there is an inner drive and desire to be like our Lord and Savior. “We love Him because He has first loved us.” The time will come when those who live for the Lord will reap the rewards and benefits of a consistent testimony to the grace of God at work in their lives. We don’t live for the Lord in order to be saved, but we do because He has saved us. It is a part of the new nature to express and show our appreciation to Him and for Him.
Gentile converts were accepted and included into the family of people who come to God by faith. Those who were looked down on, and the childless believers, have a better life and greater blessing, than if they had a long line of descendants that follow them, but have no salvation. Salvation is offered to all, even those who have made a mess of their lives before they came to the place of repentance toward God, and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Nominal Christians and insincere people may keep the Sabbath and even insist that only those who keep the Sabbath are truly saved. They may even outwardly show adherence to the Lord and His word, but that does not make them accepted by God. External works and law-keeping has nothing to do with salvation by the grace of God alone. Those who rely on the outward show of Christianity are not any closer to salvation than those who trusted in carrying out the forms of law to make them acceptable to God. Sabbath keeping was the sign of God’s covenant with the Jews after they left Egypt. Now, because of God’s deliverance provided for all who will come to Christ, we have the opportunity to obey Him without reservation, and come together with fellow-believers to express publicly our gratitude to Him. We follow the teaching of the New Testament in relation to the acceptance of believers on the terms of grace, not law-keeping.
The Lord’s Day and the Lord’s house are important to our Lord Jesus Christ and they should be to us. Our Lord rose from the dead on the first day of the week, and appeared to some of His own followers. The disciples came together in fellowship on the first day of the week, and the Lord appeared in the midst of them. New Testament believers partook of the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week and were told to set aside that with which God had prospered them to give to Him on the first day of the week. Teaching of the Lord’s people was given when they were gathered together on the first day of the week. The apostle John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day and wrote the book of Revelation. This indicates that the Lord’s Day is a day of resurrection, of remembrance, of responsibility, of review and of revelation.
There was another attitude revealed in this chapter that is very different from that of grateful believers. The Lord Jesus quoted verse seven when He cleansed the temple of money-changers and those who used His Father’s house for business and self-centered interests. The sinful Jewish leaders didn’t care for their own people. They were looking out for themselves, their leisure time and the profit they could make out of being professional prophets. They were supposed to be like watchmen for the people of God but were instead they were like watch-dogs that wouldn’t bark. Isaiah describes them as shepherds who don’t care for the sheep but are looking out for a way to enrich themselves, and use their leisure time to get drunk on wine.
Those who lead others in the way they should as true shepherds, will sacrifice their own time, efforts and much of themselves for the benefit of those over whom they have been given responsibility. The opposite kind of leaders, sacrifice the people for their own greed and gain. True leaders are not apathetic regarding what the Lord’s people need, but are sympathetic and empathetic when needed to come along side to assist those who need their help.