Prepare for Destruction

Isaiah 43:25-28
(25) "I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.
(26) Put me in remembrance; let us argue together; set forth your case, that you may be proved right.
(27) Your first father sinned, and your mediators transgressed against me.
(28) Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary, and deliver Jacob to utter destruction and Israel to reviling.

It's hard to pick just one passage out of this incredible chapter. I like this one because it really explains how God saves us.

First, He blots out our transgressions for His sake. It's not all about us, despite what many appeals to salvation may sound like. It is for His sake. That is why He saved Israel. I believe that is also why He saves us. Of course, we should enjoy the blessings that come from salvation, but ultimately it is for His glory.

The rest of this passage shows us our complete inability to save ourselves. Israel's first father sinned. The ESV Study Bible thinks this is either Abraham or Jacob. My initial reading is to take this as Adam, but I can see where they're coming from. This passage certainly does address Israel head-on.

Israel's sin led to their destruction. Our sin leads to our own personal destruction. The good news is that, like Israel, we are to get rebuilt after that destruction. There can be no salvation without personal spiritual destruction. I've had to go through that with habitual sins in my life and I feel like I'm going through some of that now with how I've treated my wife. It's not a lot of fun to go through, but at least there is hope on the other side!