Isaiah 55:6-9 records the wonderful blessedness to which God graciously invites every sinner to come:
Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Comparing these verses with Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him,” points to the following truths:
—Unrighteous people must forsake their thoughts either that there is no God (cf. Ps. 14:1), or that He is unable to be found, or that He is hopelessly far away (cf. Acts 17:27-28).
—Unrighteous people must stop thinking of God merely, solely, or primarily as the One who punishes people for their sins.
—Unrighteous people must turn from false thinking that everyone will receive mercy and be pardoned in the end regardless of whether they seek after God and return to Him or not.
—Unrighteous people must forsake thinking that they will be able to find God whenever they see fit to do so—they must seek Him while He may be found and call on Him while He is near.
—The wicked must forsake their ways of not seeking after God and calling on Him
Let us all by faith seek now after the God who is and who rewards those who diligently seek Him by having mercy on and abundantly pardoning those who call on Him!
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