“You Welcome Those Who Cheerfully Do Good, Who Follow Godly Ways. But We Are Not Godly; We Are Constant Sinners and Have Been All Our Lives. Therefore, Your Wrath Is Heavy on Us. How Can Such as We Be Saved?”

The Great Cry for Deliverance

The cry of God’s people for deliverance was great. But as is often the case, Isaiah’s writings are applicable to all generations of believers. There has never been nor will there ever be a generation that does not need to cry out the appeals of these verses. Note that a fourfold cry was lifted up to the Lord:

 

¹⁵ O Lord, look down from Heaven and see us from your holy, glorious home; where is the love for us you used to show—your power, your mercy, and your compassion? Where are they now? ¹⁶ Surely you are still our Father! Even if Abraham and Jacob would disown us, still you would be our Father, our Redeemer from ages past. ¹⁷ O Lord, why have you hardened our hearts and made us sin and turn against you? Return and help us, for we who belong to you need you so.^{b 18} How briefly we possessed Jerusalem! And now our enemies have destroyed her. ¹⁹ O God, why do you treat us as though we weren’t your people, as though we were a heathen nation that never called you “Lord”? 

¹ Oh, that you would burst forth from the skies and come down! How the mountains would quake in your presence! ² The consuming fire of your glory would burn down the forests and boil the oceans dry. The nations would tremble before you; then your enemies would learn the reason for your fame! ³ So it was before when you came down, for you did awesome things beyond our highest expectations, and how the mountains quaked! ⁴ For since the world began no one has seen or heard of such a God as ours, who works for those who wait for him! ⁵ You welcome those who cheerfully do good, who follow godly ways.

But we are not godly; we are constant sinners and have been all our lives. Therefore, your wrath is heavy on us. How can such as we be saved? ⁶ We are all infected and impure with sin. When we put on our prized robes of righteousness, we find they are but filthy rags.^a Like autumn leaves we fade, wither, and fall. And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away. ⁷ Yet no one calls upon your name or pleads with you for mercy. Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins.

⁸ And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the Potter. We are all formed by your hand. ⁹ Oh, be not so angry with us, Lord, nor forever remember our sins. Oh, look and see that we are all your people.

¹⁰ Your holy cities are destroyed; Jerusalem is a desolate wilderness. ¹¹ Our holy, beautiful Temple where our fathers praised you is burned down, and all the things of beauty are destroyed. ¹² After all of this, must you still refuse to help us, Lord? Will you stand silent and still punish us? (Isaiah63:15–64:12)^[2] 

A.    There Was a Cry for God to Look Down, To Hear and Help His People (Vv. 15–19).

They needed His help as much as their forefathers had. Therefore, they were begging the Lord to look down, to remember their hardships and distress in the same way He had remembered their forefathers. Appealing to the Lord, Isaiah listed six reasons why the people needed God’s help:

1)      The people needed God’s help because His zeal and strength seemed to be withheld from them as well as His mercy and compassion (v. 15). Simply stated, God seemed to be far away, off in the distance, and untouchable. There was no evidence or sense of His presence among them. No acts of God’s love, miracles, or works were taking place in their midst.

2)      The people confessed they needed God’s help because He was still their Father and Redeemer (v. 16). Note the acknowledgment of the people: they knew that Abraham and Jacob (Israel) would disown them, the present generation, due to their sins. Acknowledging this fact is a clear indication that a true confession was being made.

3)      The people cried out for help because they had turned away from God. In fact, their hearts had become so hardened they no longer feared the Lord (v. 17). None of the people seemed to reverence the Lord, to esteem Him as the Creator, the sovereign Lord, and Majesty of the universe. Neither did they fear the judgment, the holy wrath, and vengeance of God.

4)      The people cried out for God’s help because they knew there were still some servants, that is, true believers, among them (v. 17b). Not all Israelites were genuine and righteous followers of the Lord. But there were always a few sincere disciples who trusted the Lord with all their hearts and obeyed His holy commandments. Thus, the cry is for God to help His people for the sake of these few. Moreover, in considering the cry for deliverance, the Lord needed to take into account His promise to true believers that He would always deliver them.

5)      The people cried for God’s help because their enemies had destroyed the Lord’s holy temple (v. 18). Of course, this refers to the future destruction of the temple by the Babylonians and then centuries later by the Romans. With the temple destroyed, it was as though the Lord was powerless to stop the nation’s hostility against His people and their worship of the Lord. Therefore, the Lord needed to arise to prove His power, for His very honor was at stake.

6)      The people cried out to the Lord because of their own appalling sinfulness. It was as if they had never belonged to God (v. 19). Their sins had separated them from God, alienated and cut them off from His presence, guidance, and blessings. All because they had broken the covenant between the Lord and themselves.

V  “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mt. 6:33).

V  “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened” (Lu. 11:9–10).

V  “But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul” (De. 4:29).

V  “Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore” (Ps. 105:4).

V  “I love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me” (Pr. 8:17).

V  “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” (Is. 55:6).

V  “And ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Je. 29:13).

V  “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he comes and rain righteousness upon you” (Ho. 10:12).

V  “For thus saith, the Lord unto the house of Israel, seek ye me, and ye shall live” (Am. 5:4).

V  “Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger” (Zep. 2:3).

B.     There Was a Cry for God to Come Down, To Display His Power on Behalf of The People (64:1–5a).

1)      The people cried for the Lord to come down to execute judgment (vv. 1–3). To the people, the Lord seemed far away, far out beyond the heavens, completely out of reach. Thus, they cried for Him to burst forth from the heavens to come to their aid. They desperately needed a demonstration of His awesome power, the kind of power that had been so evident on Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:16–19). They needed the Lord to forcefully make His Name known to those who defied and opposed Him. The secular, godless nations needed to tremble before the Lord, just as the mountains had quaked when He appeared on Mount Sinai. A similar appearance—a dramatic, flaming, visible intervention by the Lord—is urgently needed today.

2)      The Lord needed to come down because He alone had proven He was God (v. 4). Since the beginning of the world, no ear had ever heard, nor eye had ever seen, any God other than the Lord Himself. There is only one true and living God, the Lord Himself (Jehovah, Yahweh).

3)      The Lord needed to come down to help those who had waited on Him. In other words, those who had waited truly believed in God and His promises and obeyed His holy commandments. It is a known fact that God helps those who willingly do what is right (Vv. 4b–5a). A righteous individual is one who follows the teachings of the Lord, His holy Word. In addition, the righteous know the promise of God that He will help or rescue those who truly wait on Him.

V  “And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me” (Ac. 1:4).

V  “I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord” (Ge. 49:18).

V  “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass” (Ps. 37:7).

V  “I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me and heard my cry” (Ps. 40:1).

V  “I prevented [preceded] the dawning of the morning and cried: I hoped in thy word” (Ps. 119:147).

V  “My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning” (Ps. 130:6).

V  “And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation” (Is. 25:9).

V  “Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee” (Is. 26:8).

V  “O Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee, be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble” (Is. 33:2).

C.    There Was the Cry of Confession (Vv. 5b–8).

God can rescue His people anytime, no matter how difficult the trial or hardship. But God will not save His people if they are continuing in sin, denying, and rebelling against Him, disobeying His commandments, and living wicked lives. Isaiah, as well as the other righteous believers down through the centuries, knew this fact. Thus, Isaiah made a confession of sin on behalf of the people, a confession that stands as a model for believers of all generations. Identifying himself with the people, Isaiah made six confessions:

1)      Isaiah confessed that they were habitual sinners, which is a people who sinned over and over again. The idea is that sin had become a habit, ingrained in the very nature of the people. Sadly, when they needed to repent of their sins, they continued right on sinning, disobeying God’s commandments. As a result, they did not deserve to be saved, and neither could they expect to be rescued by God. The thought being conveyed is that of total depravity, being totally undeserving of God’s salvation.

2)      Isaiah confessed that they were infected with sin and were unclean and impure (v. 6). In fact, their righteousness was no better than filthy rags. Filthy rags refer to dirty, contaminated cloth that has been wrapped on a cancerous or contagious sore on a person’s body. It could also refer to a cloth used during a woman’s menstrual period, which meant that she was ceremonially unclean under the law (Le. 15:19–24; Eze. 36:17). When measured against God’s holy righteousness, a person’s righteous acts are no better than filthy rags in God’s sight. All human beings are infected with sin; therefore, they are all unclean, impure, and corrupted in the sight of God. This image may be distasteful to some readers; nevertheless, it is the picture painted by Holy Scripture. A person’s dislike of the description is nothing compared to the repulsion and loathing God feels toward sin.

3)      Isaiah confessed that the people were weak and unstable (v. 6). Like leaves that are blighted by disease or shriveled with age, so people are blighted by the disease of sin. As diseased leaves shrivel up and are driven by the wind to the ground, where they rot and return to the dust of the earth, people shrivel up due to the disease of sin. They, too, fall to the ground where they decay and return to the dust of the earth. Human beings are so weak that they can expect to live for only a few decades.

4)      Isaiah confessed that no one sought God’s mercy and forgiveness (v. 7). People were enjoying the pleasures of sin too much to be overly concerned about the Lord and His cause. Little if any thought was even given to the Lord and His demand for righteousness. For many people, sin and evil were outdated concepts and beliefs that belonged to the religion of antiquity or to their forefathers. They felt that sin and righteousness—what is right and what is wrong—were subjective issues, issues determined by each person for him or herself. What may be a sin to one person is acceptable behavior to another. It was such rationalizing, such explaining away of the truth, that people used to justify their sinful behavior. Due to their flawed reasoning, the people were able to participate in the wicked behavior of idolatry practiced by their neighbors. Thus, bad behavior was called good, and sin was called righteousness in Isaiah’s day. Regrettably, this same perverted thinking has only grown stronger down through the ages. As Isaiah confessed, no one sought God’s mercy and forgiveness, for sin was no longer sin in the eyes of many. Immorality, covetousness, greed, and a plurality of religions were acceptable to the majority of the population.

5)      Isaiah confessed that God was forced to turn His face away from the people (v. 7b). God was left with no choice due to His holiness and the people’s terrible sins. Sin separated and alienated the people from God. Giving them up to their sins, the people became more and more corrupted (see Ro. 1:22–32). Hence their alienation was not due to the Lord but rather to their horrible, detestable sins.

6)      Isaiah confessed that God was their Father. He was the Potter; they were the clay, the work of His hand (v. 8). For this reason, they owed Him their very lives. All they were and had was owed to the Lord. He was the Father, and they were the children. As children, they were duty-bound to obey their Father. His instructions were for their own good, to protect them and keep them safe. He longed to give them sound guidelines for living victorious lives and conquering all the trials that confronted them.

V  “Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven” (Mt. 10:32–33).

V  “Whosoever, therefore, shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mk. 8:38).

V  “Also, I say unto you, whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God” (Lu. 12:8–9).

V  “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Ro. 10:9–10).

V  “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Ph. 2:5–11).

V  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9).

V  “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is an antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also” (1 Jn. 2:22–23).

V  “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God” (1 Jn. 4:15).

V  “Now, therefore, make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives” (Ezr. 10:11).

V  “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Pr. 28:13).

V  “Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord” (Je. 3:13).

D.    There Was the Cry for Forgiveness. Isaiah Knew That Many People Would Fear God’s Anger, That He Would Remember Their Sins Forever (Vv. 9–12).

Obviously, when this realization strikes a person, the person needs to go before the Lord, praying and seeking His forgiveness. Isaiah’s prayer for Israel is a pattern for all believers of every generation.

1)      Isaiah pleaded for forgiveness because the Israelites were God’s people (v. 9). Apparently, Isaiah was pleading for the whole nation, realizing that this was the longing of God’s heart. God is longsuffering, not wanting any person to perish but rather for all to be saved. Therefore, Isaiah cried out for God not to remember their sins forever. They were the descendants of Abraham, the very people whom God had chosen to be His true followers.

2)      Isaiah cried for forgiveness because the cities of Israel, including the Holy City of Jerusalem, had been destroyed by their enemies (v. 10). Keep in mind that this is a prophecy, that the Babylonian invasion and destruction had not yet taken place when Isaiah wrote this. But through the inspiration of God’s Spirit, God’s prophet foresaw the coming destruction of the nation by the Babylonians. Thus, the prophet offered up this prayer on behalf of the future exiles in Babylon, asking God to forgive their sins. He wanted God to forgive their sins and return them to the promised land so they could rebuild the nation.

3)      Isaiah prayed for forgiveness because the holy, beautiful temple of God had been burned and ruined (v. 11a). In the future, all that Israel treasured would lay in ruins due to the destruction carried out by their enemies. Again, the prophet wanted God to forgive the people’s future sins so they could return to rebuild the temple and the other treasured sites of the nation.

4)      Isaiah prayed for forgiveness because the people would desperately need the Lord’s deliverance (v. 12). In light of these four great cries, cries that included a genuine confession of sin and a request for forgiveness, how could God keep silent? Would He refuse to help His people in the future, punishing them beyond measure?

V  “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Lu. 13:3).

V  “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him” (Ac. 5:30–32).

V  “Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee” (Ac. 8:22).

V  “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ep. 1:7).

V  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9).

V  “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 Jn. 2:1–2).

V  “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chr. 7:14).

V  “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit” (Ps. 51:12).

V  “But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared” (Ps. 130:4).

V  “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins” (Is. 43:25).

V  “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee” (Is. 44:22).

V  “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” (Is. 55:7).

V  “Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God” (Je. 3:22).

V  “Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” (Eze. 18:31).

V  “I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely: for mine, anger is turned away from him” (Ho. 14:4).

V  “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy” (Mi. 7:18).^[3] 

God’s Anger at and Judgment of Sin

God will not save His people if they are continuing in sin, denying, and rebelling against Him, disobeying His commandments, and living wicked lives (See C notes again. Vv. 5b–8). 

⁵ “But we are not godly; we are constant sinners and have been all our lives. Therefore, your wrath is heavy on us. How can such as we be saved?”^[4] 

“But God shows his anger from Heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So, they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

So, God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So, they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.

That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.

Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things.”^[5]

“Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you (us) were once like that. But you (we) were cleansed; you (we) were made holy; you (we) were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”^[6]

How Can Such as We Be Saved Because of God’s Anger and Judgment of Sin? 

V  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”^[7]

V  As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one.”^[8]

V  “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because all sinned.”^[9]

V  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”^[10]

V  “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”^[11]

V  “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”^[12]

V  “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”^[13]

V  “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”^[14]

V  “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.”^[15]

V  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”^[16] 

Prayer: Lord, I admit I am a sinner. I admit that the deeds that I have practiced have been darkness. Lord, I believe that you came to earth and died for me on the cross to take away the penalty of my sins. Please forgive me of my sins, Jesus; please come into my heart and be my savior. Help me to walk in your truth so that my life now will be clearly seen by others as a life of righteousness walking in the light. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for saving me. I pray this prayer of repentance in your precious name, Amen. 

Praise God; you are now a child of the light. Now walk as a child of the light. Find a church and share with them what you did. Begin to study the Word of God. Download the BibleApp at YouVersion.com. Use the New King James Version or the New Living Translation. Start in the Gospel of John. After you read John, start over at Matthew and read through to Revelation. If you have any further questions, write back to this writer.

Again, praise God, I look forward to seeing you in Heaven. 

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 ⁵ “You Welcome Those Who Cheerfully Do Good, Who Follow Godly Ways. But We Are Not Godly; We Are Constant Sinners and Have Been All Our Lives. Therefore, Your Wrath Is Heavy on Us. How Can Such as We Be Saved?”^[1]

^[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

^b 63:17  for we who belong to you need you so, literally, “for your servants’ sake.”

^a 64:6  filthy rags, literally, “filthy as a menstruating woman’s rags.”

^[2] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

^[3] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters 36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.

^[4] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

^[5] Romans 1:18-2:1 NLT; Tyndale House Publishers. 2015. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

^[6] 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NLT; Tyndale House Publishers. 2015. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

^[7] Romans 3: 23 The New King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^[8] Romans 3: 10  The New King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^[9] Romans 5:12 The New King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^[10] Romans 6:23 The New King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^[11] Romans 5:8 The New King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^[12] Romans 10:9 The New King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^[13] Ephesians 2:8-9 The New King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^[14] John 3:3 The New King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^[15] John 3;5-7 The New King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^[16] John 3:16-21 The New King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.