Isaiah 55 The reason why Christians should want to change is to enjoy the freedom from sin and delight in God that God gives to us through Jesus. I want to highlight four things from this definition. First, growing in holiness is not a sad, dutiful drudge. It’s about joy. It’s discovering true joy—the joy of knowing and serving God. There is self-denial, which is sometimes hard and painful, but true self-denial leads to gaining life. There will be times when we act out of duty, but we do this believing that duty leads to joy, as denying leads to gaining life (Mark 8:34–38). How often have we reluctantly dragged ourselves out on a cold night to pray with others only to find ourselves energized and blessed? Second, change is about living in freedom. We refuse to go back to the chains and filth of our sin. We live in the wonderful freedom that God’s given us. We’re free to be the people we should be. Third, change is about discovering the delight of knowing and serving God. Our job is to stop grubbing around in the dirt and to start to enjoy knowing God. We give up our cheap imitations and enjoy the real thing. All too often we think of holiness as giving up the pleasures of sin for some worthy but drab life. But holiness is recognizing that the pleasures of sin are empty and temporary while what God is inviting us to is magnificent, true, full, and rich pleasures that last forever. Holiness is its own reward. Or, better still, God is his own reward. Enjoying God is the motive for obeying God. Fourth, becoming like Jesus is something that God gives to us. It’s not an achievement that we offer to God. It’s enjoying the new identity that he has given us in Christ. It begins with his work for us. He has set us free from sin and offers a relationship with himself. Sanctification is the gift of an enabled will. It is not so much a task that we must perform as an ability we’re given to live a glorious new life. Justification counters our condemnation by acquitting us; sanctification counters our deadness by giving us life—a life to be lived in holiness in the same way that a child enjoys playing with a delightful present. It’s as though there are two feasts: the feast of God and the feast of sin. We’re invited to both. God invites us to find satisfaction in him while temptation entices us with its lies to look for satisfaction in sin. So we’re double-booked! We’re continually having to choose which feast we attend. This is God’s invitation to us: Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. (Isa. 55:1–2) Sin promises so much; but it doesn’t satisfy, and its price is high. That price is broken lives, broken relationships, and broken hopes. Ultimately, “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). But God offers us a feast that satisfies. He offers delight for our souls. The motivation for change and holiness is this: God’s feast is so much better! And the price tag reads, “No charge.” It’s his gift. Whose feast are you going to attend today? #BibleStudy #VerseByVerse #Gospel #dagoodnews #follow #share #LikeFollowShare #JesusCentered #GodFirst #WordOfGod #PreachTheWord #ChristianLiving #Scripture #Faith #JesusIsLord #DaGoodNews #YouTube #Grow #LordsBook #ChristianLordsbook #ChristianFacebook #DailyDevotional #Jesus #God