除罪的良方
以赛亚书一章11至18节
11耶和华说：你们所献的许多祭物与我何益呢？公绵羊的燔祭和肥畜的脂油，我已经够了；公牛的血，羊羔的血，公山羊的血，我都不喜悦。
12你们来朝见我，谁向你们讨这些，使你们践踏我的院宇呢？
13你们不要再献虚浮的供物。香品是我所憎恶的；月朔和安息日，并宣召的大会，也是我所憎恶的；作罪孽，又守严肃会，我也不能容忍。
14你们的月朔和节期，我心里恨恶，我都以为麻烦；我担当，便不耐烦。
15你们举手祷告，我必遮眼不看；就是你们多多地祈祷，我也不听。你们的手都满了杀人的血。
16你们要洗濯、自洁，从我眼前除掉你们的恶行，要止住作恶，
17学习行善，寻求公平，解救受欺压的；给孤儿伸冤，为寡妇辨屈。
18耶和华说：你们来，我们彼此辩论。你们的罪虽像朱红，必变成雪白；虽红如丹颜，必白如羊毛。
信息分享
对于这种辩解，以赛亚作出激烈的驳斥。他代表神对百姓说：「你们献祭物有甚么用呢？只有外表虚饰的虔诚，却没有真正对神的信心，只会令敬拜变质。你们的所谓敬拜，只是虚伪的表现！」
英文的引伸版圣经将这段经文发挥得很精彩：「主说：『[除非你们是真心奉献]，否则，你们向我献大量祭物有甚么作用呢？；你们[没有听从我]，却只懂献上公绵羊的燔祭和肥畜的脂油，这种奉献已经够了！[你们如果没有公义]，我无论如何也不会喜悦你们所献的公牛、羊羔和公山羊的血。』」
神憎恶虚伪。基督在世的时候，也经常痛斥法利赛人假冒为善。神不会悦纳虚饰的敬拜。我们的敬拜和祷告若不是发乎内心，神绝不会接受。
第18节用了两个强烈的措辞来形容罪。经文说罪仿如「朱红」和「丹颜」。红色是很难清除的颜色。任何力量都无法除去罪，但神却已借着基督为我们提供了除罪的良方。
要除去罪的捆绑，第一步是要悔改(16-17节)。我们能够洁净自己的罪吗？不能够，但我们却可以让神为我们除罪。因此，第一步是向神表示痛悔，和祈求祂的赦免。
接着，神便会以祂的慈爱和祂所提供的唯一「配方」来清除我们的罪。留意这里提出了两个应许：雪可以遮盖一切，神的恩典也可以赦免我们一切的罪。羊毛是可以清洗和漂白的，我们也可以在神的恩典下重新做人。因此，只要我们愿意归向神，神便会以这两种方法来除去我们的罪。
我们要记着，这是神的应许，它与约翰壹书一章9节的应许是同样重要的：「我们若认自己的罪，神是信实的，是公义的，必要赦免我们的罪，洗净我们一切的不义。」
THE CURE FOR SIN
Isaiah 1:11-18
11 “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?”
Says the Lord.
“I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fed cattle.
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
Or of lambs or goats.
12 “When you come to appear before Me,
Who has required this from your hand,
To trample My courts?
13 Bring no more futile sacrifices;
Incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
14 Your New Moons and your appointed feasts
My soul hates;
They are a trouble to Me,
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you;
Even though you make many prayers,
I will not hear.
Your hands are full of blood.
16 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
Cease to do evil,
17 Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor;
Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow.
18 “Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.
Message
Isaiah's reply is tremendous. He speaks on behalf of God. 'What is the use of all the sacrifices? Ourward show without true faith only makes things worse. Your worship is nothing but hypocrisy.'
The Amplified version puts this passage very well. 'To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me [unless they are the offerings of your heart], says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts [without obedience], and I do not delight in the blood of bulls I or Iambs or he-goats [without righteousness].'
God hates hypocrisy. Christ spoke more against it than against anything else. God will not accept the worship of insincere hearts. If worship and prayer doesn't come from the heart, God doesn't want it.
In verse 18 two strong words describe sin. It is spoken of as I being red like crimson or scarlet. Red is the hardest colour to remove. No earthly power can take away sin, but God has provided a way through Christ.
The first step in the removal of the barrier of sin is repentance (v. 16-17). Can we cleanse ourselves? No, but we must be willing for God to do it. The first step then is to show our sorrow for sin and to ask for forgiveness.
God then moves towards us with all his love and with the cleansing that he alone can give. Notice the double promise. Snow covers everything-so does the forgiveness of God. Wool is washed and so made white again. So God deals in these two ways with the heart that has turned towards him.
Remember, this is the promise of God. It is as great a promise as 1 John 1:9 - 'If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness'.