Psalm 66:16-19, Isaiah 1:1-28, 1 Peter 1:1-12 - Lectionary for 11/27/11

Today's readings are Psalm 66:16-19, Isaiah 1:1-28, and 1 Peter 1:1-12. Isaiah's message, God's message really, should effectively stop all our boasting. What sacrifices does God require of his people? What do we bring before him that will make him take pleasure in us? Do all our offerings, all our finances, all our acts of service add up to righteousness before God? No, they don't. In fact, they are not acceptable offerings to God. They do not make us righteous. They will never cleanse us from sin and shame. The things we do as service to God are a foul smell in his nostrils. They are fit only to be rejected. Only true faithfulness and justice are acceptable to God. And where will we find those? Surely not in the check we can write to the church. Surely not in our work with Sunday school or with the choir. Surely not our activities of sitting on committee after committee. No, the true faithfulness and justice are found in Jesus' righteousness being placed upon us by the grace of God, received by us in faith. This and this alone is acceptable before God. Thanks be to God that he has sent a savior whose perfect faith and obedience can be credited to us by faith in the name of Jesus.