Isaiah 3:8-9

 



Isaiah 3:8-9

For ​​​Jerusalem​ is ruined, and Judah is ​​​fallen​: because their tongue and their doings ​are​ against the ​​Lord​​, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

​​​9 ​​¶ ​The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their ​​​sin​ as ​​​Sodom​, they hide ​it​ not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.


...they declare their sin and hide it not...


What does that sound like? Here are some examples I have heard recently or maybe even said or thought myself. 😬


"I'm just a bad kid."

"I know I treat people poorly but that's because of my personality."

"Everybody does this."

"It's not a big deal."

"God won't send you to Hell for this, come on."

"She totally deserves this anyway."

"Well at least I'm not doing what he does"



Or my favorite: "Wow.  That's a rude scripture."  


No, that's a true scripture. 


Elder Marion D Hanks taught, "Paul wrote to the Romans that nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  I am sure this is true. I bear testimony that this is true. But it is also true that we can separate ourselves from his spirit. In Isaiah it is written: “… your iniquities have separated between you and your God. …”   Again, “… they have rewarded evil unto themselves.”  Through Helaman we learn that “whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself …”   and from Benjamin, “… ye do withdraw yourselves from the Spirit of the Lord. …”  In every case of sin this is true. Envy, arrogance, unrighteous dominion—these canker the soul of one who is guilty of them. It is true also if we fail to forgive. Even if it appears that another may be deserving of our resentment or hatred, none of us can afford to pay the price of resenting or hating, because of what it does to us. If we have felt the gnawing, mordant inroads of these emotions, we know the harm we suffer."


Owning our sins and working on repentance is very different than wearing them as some kind of badge of honor and then complaining about the result.


I have some more reflecting and repenting to do! 


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