Do you remember hearing Bing Crosby sing, “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas”? Many think it just wouldn’t be Christmas without a few inches of snow. Even if you do not see snow, you can still have a white Christmas. Isaiah 1:18 reads, “‘Come now, 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.’” There are three things to note in this great verse.

First, notice the gravity of the charge being issued. Isaiah 1:18a reads, “‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the LORD...” Several years ago, a stock brokerage firm used the following advertising line: “When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen.” When the LORD talks it is always in your best interest to listen and obey. The Lord issues a charge for you to reason with Him. Remember He is the Creator of the universe and the King of kings and Lord of lords. This is an opportunity to dialogue with deity!

Second, notice the reality of the challenge being identified. Isaiah 1:18b reads, “‘... your sins...’” Dealing with sin is the greatest challenge you will face. Many choose to ignore it or deny it. Adrian Rogers said, “Your sin will either be pardoned in Christ, or punished in Hell, but it will never be overlooked.” Habakkuk 1:13 reads, “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness.” This means the Lord does not look on your sin with favor. The Lord presents a challenge for you to repent of your sins by confessing and forsaking them to enjoy a personal relationship with Him.

Third, notice the possibility of the change being illustrated. Isaiah 1:18c reads, “‘Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.’” If you haven’t been changed you haven’t been saved. Revelation 21:8 reads, “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” After a similar list of sins, we read in 1 Corinthians 6:11, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” The Lord invites you to receive His great salvation. The good news is that Jesus Christ died on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins and rose again the third day to justify you before a holy God. Elvina M. Hall makes the following confession in the Refrain of her great hymn:

Jesus paid it all,

Whether you see snow or not, may you enjoy a white Christmas!

Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey, of Robertsdale, is the author of "Don't Miss the Revival! Messages for Revival and Spiritual Awakening from Isaiah.