I. THE WONDERS OF DIVINE CONDESCENSION. 1. How marvellous that God
should condescend to "reason" with sinful men! Not thus do human
governments deal with rebels against their authority. The stern
proclamation goes forth, "Submit, or die." To admit helpless rebels
to a conference on equal terms (such as "reasoning" implies) is an
idea that never occurs to earthly sovereigns; but (ch. lv. 8,
9)--2. How marvellous that God should invite sinful men to reason
with Him, with a view to reconciliation with them! The result of such
an investigation of their conduct could only be their condemnation;
but this is not God's ultimate design. He does not desire to
humiliate sinners, but to bring them to repentance and confession, in
order that it may be possible for Him to pardon them. According to
human standards, it would have been a great thing had God been
willing to be reconciled to those who have offended Him so
grievously; but how astonishing is this, that He, the offended party,
should seek to reconcile the offenders to Himself. (2 Cor. v. 18, 19;
John iii. 19).
II. THE POSSIBILITIES OF HUMAN SIN. "Though your sins be as
scarlet . . . though they be red like crimson." Sins that take
complete possession of a man, and that are conspicuous to the public
eye, may be described as crimson and scarlet sins. How common such
sins are! What a spectacle the human race must present to angelic
eyes! Scarlet and crimson sins are more common than we are apt to
suppose, because responsibility is in proportion to privilege. In
proportion to the sinner's light is the sinner's guilt. Consequently
that which is a trivial fault in one man may be a crimson sin in
another. When an offence is contrary to a man's whole training,
though it may be a small matter in the sight of man, it may be as
scarlet and crimson sin in the sight of God. In these possibilities
of human sin we have--+1. A reason for universal watchfulness.+ Taken
even in its most obvious sense, the possibility of which our text
speaks is the possibility of every man. There is no human being who
may not fall into crime. Many men, after living half a century
blamelessly in the sight of men, suddenly yield to temptation, and
are consigned to felons' cells. David was no stripling when he
committed his great transgression. Said Hazael, "Is thy servant a
dog, that he should do this thing?" Yet he did it! (2 Kings viii. 13,
&c.) Peter rejected Christ's warning as incredible. Therefore (Rom.
xi. 20; 1 Cor. x. 12).[2] +2. A reason for universal humiliation and
prayer.+ Just because our privileges have been so great, God may put
a very different estimate upon our transgressions than we are
disposed to do. Therefore let us humbly seek pardon for the past, and
preventing grace for the future (Ps. xix. 12, 13).
III. THE CERTAINTIES OF DIVINE GRACE. "They shall be as white as
snow." Where sin abounds, grace shall more abound. In God there is
mercy to pardon every sin,[3] and grace to cleanse from every form
and degree of moral pollution. Here, then, we have--+1. A reason for
repentance.+ There is no argument so powerful as this: God is ready
to forgive. Many a prodigal has been deterred from saying, "I will
arise and go to my father," by a remembrance of his father's
sternness, and by a doubt as to whether his father would receive him.
But no such doubt need deter _us._ We are not called to the exercises
of a sorrow that will be unavailing. Our Father waits to be
gracious.[4] Hear His solemn and touching message (ch. lv. 6, 7;
TEXT). +2. An encouragement for those who are striving after moral
purity.+ Many who try to live a Christian life grow discouraged.
There are discouragements that come from _without:_ the unfavourable
spiritual atmosphere in which they live, the glaring inconsistencies
of some of the professing Christians by whom they are surrounded, the
low tone of the spiritual life of those whose conduct is not so open
to censure. Still sorer discouragements come from _within:_ the
faults that will not be shaken off; the evil tendencies that will
manifest themselves; the evil thoughts that will keep welling up from
the fountain of the heart, revealing its intense depravity. These
things are carefully hidden from men, but God knows them, and the
believer knows them, and because of them is apt to grow discouraged.
It seems to him that he can never be "made meet for the inheritance
of the saints in light." But God has declared that he shall be: God
has undertaken to perfect him in purity. "Be of good courage, all ye
that hope in the Lord." God is able to make all grace abound toward
you, and He is faithful to all His promises. See what He has promised
in our text. He has already fulfilled this promise in innumerable
cases (Rev. vii. 9), and He will fulfil it in yours. Be not
discouraged because your moral progress is so slow. How long does the
sun shine on the fruit seemingly in vain! All the summer the peach
remains hard as a stone. But the sun is _not_ shining in vain. Some
week in the autumn this is seen. All at once it softens and becomes
ripe; not as a result of that one week's sun, but of all the sunlight
and warmth of the preceding weeks. The chestnut opens in a night; but
for months the opening process is going on. In a moment many
chemicals seem to crystallise, but the process of crystallisation
goes on long before it becomes apparent. So there is a ripening, a
crystallising, a cleansing process going on in the heart of the
believer: though we see it not now, yet we shall have ample proof of
it by and by. In this matter walk by faith, not by sight. Be of good
courage! We shall yet be "white as snow."