What do God’s people look like? What characterizes one who belongs to God? This is a question that many may indeed be asking across our nation. And it seems that many are getting it wrong. The world might think of Christians as being those who rally to defend and uphold the sanctity of life, such as those who labored for the life of Terri Shiavo (on the national stage) or those who will give money to the pro-life cause for which Birth Choice will be hosting a gathering this coming week (on the local stage). For the world Christians may be thought of simply as conservative republicans, or those who are against sex before marriage, or those who choose to speak of their “faith” as something precious to them.

Even in the church, however, the question, “What characterizes one who belongs to God?” can be met with an assortment of answers as well. One might argue that one belongs to God who professes his hatred for the Lord because he had a moving experience as a child in a revival service or deny that one belongs to God who seems quite godly because he cannot remember a time and a place when a radical change took place in his life. From within and without the church it seems there is simply much confusion when it comes to answering the question, “What do God’s people look like?” or “What characterizes one who belongs to God?”

Thus, as we encounter a myriad of answers, we know that we can find a solution by turning to the Scripture, God’s very Word, his revelation of himself and his purposes to his people. But what does the Bible say in answer to such questions? Who does the Bible say are or are not God’s children?

If one knows his Bible well, he might turn to 1 John, a book written to assure those who were God’s people that they indeed were God’s people by reminding them what characterizes one who belongs to God. However, one might be surprised to find that years before 1 John was written, Isaiah proclaimed much the same message. Thus, as we turn to Isaiah 56-57 this morning we can find a large part of our answer to the question, “What characterizes those who belong to God?”

Those who are pleasing to God are those who reflect his righteousness (56:1-8)

This chapter begins with a call for those hearing these words to do righteousness. And this makes sense, for one might be wondering at this point if righteous living is really an expectation of God or some dream that he’s given up on, realizing his people were hopeless to achieve it. After all, in the first thirty-nine chapters of Isaiah much is said about the people failing in a call to righteous living. However, by the time we get to chapter 55 it is clear that God has provided righteousness as a gift for those who trust in his Son. Thus, one might wonder if this gift of righteousness means righteous living is no longer an expectation.

Luther, it seems, struggled with the realization that God’s gift of righteousness did not mean that living righteously was unimportant or forgotten. In July of 1530, Luther wrote a letter to Jerome Weller, a person friend of Luther and tutor of his children. Jerome struggled with depression, and so Luther wrote to him to strengthen him against the attacks of the enemy. Luther wrote:

“Whenever the devil pesters you with these thoughts, at once seek out the company of men, drink more, joke and jest, or engage in some other form of merriment. Sometimes it is necessary to drink a little more, play, jest, or even commit some sin in defiance and contempt of the devil in order not to give him an opportunity to make us scrupulous about trifles. … Accordingly if the devil should say, ‘Do not drink,’ you should reply to him, ‘On this very account, because you forbid it, I shall drink, and what is more, I shall drink a generous amount.’”¹

Luther’s advice to sin in defiance of the devil, displaying God’s gift of righteousness is not advice I would give or advice the Bible prescribes. But it does serve us well in giving an example of the struggle of understanding righteousness in our lives. For if we cannot live righteously enough to please God and God has credited to us the righteousness of Christ, should we then strive to live in righteousness? Again, from Isaiah 56:1ff. the answer is clearly, “Yes.”

Isaiah begins the section saying, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance will be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing evil’” (56:1-2).

God is clearly pleased with those who are characterized by reflecting his righteousness. In fact, in 563-8 God declares that those who join themselves to him and reflect their connection with him through reflecting his righteousness will indeed be his people, no matter their birthright or condition in life. Specifically, he speaks to the foreigner and the eunuch.

In verse 3 God declares that the foreigner and the eunuch should not think they cannot be among God’s people, and in verses 4-5 he gives the reason why. He tells the eunuch who lives in righteousness, holding to the covenant, that he (who had no chance at continuing his name) will have his name preserved eternally, something greater than sons and daughters could provide him.

And to the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, love his name, minister to him, and holds fast to the covenant, Isaiah declares in verses 6-8 that they will be welcome to come into the house of the Lord, and their offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on the Lord’s altar.

Then, finally, in this first section God makes clear that welcoming the eunuch and the foreigner is not some concession in his plan but the fulfillment of it, declaring that his house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples and that he will gather many who are not already gathered.

We clearly see that it matters not what ones birthright is, God’s people can be all those who are characterized by the righteousness of the Lord. That is how the eunuch and the foreigner would be known as God’s people, by their love for him and obedience to him.

This should serve as a gracious word to us. Do not think that there is something fundamental about you that keeps you from being pleasing to the Lord, whether your intelligence, nationality, skin color, athletic ability, other abilities, or whatever. There may be much that keeps you from having the abilities that we see in one like the apostle Paul but there is nothing that prohibits you from serving the Lord with similar diligence and reflecting the righteousness with which he is pleased. God is pleased with those who join themselves to him and thus reflect his righteous character.

In 56:9-57:13 we see the counter to this, namely …

Those who are not characterized by God’s righteousness do not belong to him and are in need of his saving and enabling grace (56:9-57:13)

In 56:9-57:13 we find an ironic twist. In 56:1-8 we find that those who are not privileged are reflecting the Lord’s righteousness and held up as belonging to him while in this next section we find Israel (those who have been privileged) not characterized by righteousness but wickedness, and they are not called children of God but children of the adulterer, of transgression, and of deceit (57:3-4).

First, God speaks to their leaders in 56:9-12. He points out that they are blind, seeking their own pleasure and gain, and caring not for those over whom they are to be caring. He pictures them simply saying, “Come, let me get wine, and let us fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be like this day, great beyond measure.” Meanwhile, however, righteous men in the city (for whom they are to be caring) are dying. In 57:1-2, God paints this picture of the righteous dying and entering peace, but it’s as if those around him are oblivious.

Then, in 57:3-13 God turns to the population of Israel at large. Again, in verses 3-4 he points out that they are not children of God, children of righteousness, but they are children of the adulterer, transgression, and deceit. In verse 5 he points out that they care more for fulfilling their lusts than caring for the next generation in that they burn with lust and slaughter their children in the valley. Again, this is a reminder, as we live in a society where sexual promiscuity and abortion are common, that the wickedness of mankind did not begin in our generation. In verse 6 he holds up the reality that they worship the creation rather than the Creator, and asks, “Shall I relent for these things?” In verses 9-10 he highlights their dilemma. They have aroused their lust to such a degree that they are seeking other far off to please them. They have aroused their lusts, denied their Lord, and cannot find satisfaction. Thus, though the work to sin can be exhausting and wearying (v. 10), they find greater strength, for they have a sinful addiction to feed. Finally, in verses 11-13 we find their basic problem. They have lied, failed to remember God, and failed to hold close to their heart who he is and what he has done. Thus, as God holds up what they feel are their righteous deeds they will be seen to profit them nothing. They will be seen as idolaters. Therefore, God can tell them that they have sought their idols, and they can let their idols care for them.

Again, this is not a new phenomenon as these words in verse 13 parallel those heard in a Lloyd-Jones sermon in July of 1927 in which he declared: “People complain about the dwindling congregations and how the churches are going down. Why are people ceasing to attend places of worship? Why is it, that last Sunday night I noticed that, while the places of worship in Cardiff were only sparsely attended, the trains coming from Porthcawl and other sea-side places were packed out. Why did these people spend their day at the seaside and in other places rather than in the House of God worshipping? Well, the answer is perfectly plain. They obviously prefer to be at the sea-side and feel that they get more benefit there than they do in their chapels and churches. … What I feel like saying to these trippers is this: If you honestly believe … that you derive greater benefit by spending your day in the country than you do by attending a place of worship, well then, go to the country. Don’t come here if you honestly feel that you could do better elsewhere. Unless you feel that something is being offered and given to you here which no other institution can offer or equal, well then, in the name of Heaven, go out into the country or to the sea-side. The church of Christ is a church of believers, an association of people banded together by a common belief and a common love. … go to the country and the sea-side. All I ask of you is, be consistent. When someone dies in your family, do not come to ask the church in which you do not believe to come to bury him. Go to the sea-side for consolation.”²

The conclusion of Lloyd-Jones is exactly what we see in Isaiah. The people want nothing to do with the Lord. They have denied him and sought after their own lusts. God’s judgment is simply that that which they have sought after – their idols – will be their refuge. But he knows they will provide no refuge whatsoever against his judgment. Though they might claim to belong to the Lord, their reflect his righteousness in no way, and therefore God calls them children of transgression.

Again, this is a reminder that Christians are those characterized by righteousness, so no matter what experience one claims or date or time he remembers, if he has no desire for righteousness and his life is characterized by unrepentant rebellion against the Lord, he does not know God but is a child of sin. That reality is clear in Isaiah, 1 John, and throughout all of Scripture. Where there is no fruit there is simply no life. Ignoring this reality is why so many of our churches have their membership roles filled with members who are a disgrace to our Lord’s name and his church. They claim his name and deny him with their lives.

But Isaiah ends on a note of hope as he reminds his readers …

God will give grace to those who are contrite and lowly so that they, as his people, might reflect his righteousness (57:14-21)

This is the message that begins in the end of 57:13 and continues on through verse 19. God does not point out Israel’s sin as if there is no hope for them. Rather, just like he had shown how he would save those who would believe through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ so he declares to him now that his anger will not be forever (57:16), but he will life up the contrite and lowly (57:16), revive them (57:16), heal them (57:18), lead and comfort them (57:18), and bring to them a healing that can be described as nothing short of a transformation (57:19).

In short, God says that he is going to grant the grace which will enable them to live righteously, for (as he reminds us in verses 20-21), he is not pleased with wickedness and grants the wicked no peace. Thus, for those who are to be his children, he must save them and grant them the ability to live in righteousness.

This is indeed something promised throughout the Old Testament. We see it quite clearly in Ezekiel 36:22-27 as God declares, “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”

And he did this at Pentecost, pouring out his Spirit on his people, a reality for all Christians who now live on this side of Pentecost. That is to say, if you have believed in Christ, God has not left you to yourself but has given you his Spirit as a means by which you might practice righteousness. His Spirit within you longs for holiness and hates sin, which is why sinning is a different reality after one has been converted. The pleasure is different, for there is conviction. That is the work of the Spirit. And he is the reality of this gracious healing and transforming work Isaiah makes general reference to in Isaiah 57:14-21. It is a reality we know.

Therefore, what then shall we do in response to what we have seen in this text?

Though I could no doubt mention many things, let me simply note a few:

1) Realizing that God has given you the grace not simply to declare you righteous but to live in righteousness, repent of arousing our sinful lusts.

It is a sad reality that, as Christians, we often find ourselves pursuing those things from which the Lord has freed us. For us, I imagine, it hits far too close to home to hear a description of Israel arousing lusts, finding themselves unsatisfied, and laboring (though weary) so as to fulfill their sinful desires, for we have been there. However, that must not characterize us, therefore, I urge you today, if you have hidden sin to repent, recognizing that God has given you the grace to live in righteousness.

2) Recover those things which aid us in our fight against sin.

By this I am referring to 57:11. Israel had failed, God says, because they did not behold the truth, forgot God, and did not hold close to their hearts who he was and what he did. May we, this morning, as we repent of sin, find ourselves recovering these things we may have forgotten and ignored or not held close to our heart, as we come to the table.
3) Finally, pursue holiness in every aspect of life, in honor to a God who has given you the grace by which you are saved and by which you can walk in holiness.

As we repent and remember what God has done so that we might be saved, may we leave this place this morning resolved to walk in holiness and obey the Lord in every detail of life.

His grace will be with us. Amen.

¹ Martin Luther, Luther: Letters of Spiritual Counsel, Vol. 18 of Library of Christian Classics, ed. Theodore G. Trappert (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1955), 86.
² Iain H. Murray, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The First Forty Years, 1899-1939 (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1982), 138.

GOD'S RIGHTEOUS GIFT AND HIS CALL TO RIGHTEOUSNESS