Come, Let Us Reason Together: A Biblical Reflection on Freedom, Sovereignty, and Redemption

A Call to Reason

“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 become like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18, ESV)

In one of the most profound invitations in Scripture, God calls humanity not to blind submission but to thoughtful engagement: “Come now, let us reason together.” This verse reflects God’s justice, mercy, and respect for human freedom. It is a divine appeal to reflect on our sin, recognize our need for redemption, and respond freely to His offer of forgiveness, made possible by Christ’s eternal choice.

In honoring this command, let us reason together and explore the relationship between human freedom, God’s sovereign authority, and the redemption secured through Jesus Christ.

The Foundational Insight: God’s Desire for Free Communion with Humanity

• God sovereignly desired to have a people to freely commune with Him, which is good and loving.
• God, in His full foreknowledge, knew no human would choose His authority over their autonomy, rendering communion impossible without divine action.
• In eternity past, the Father gave the Son the decisive choice to redeem humanity, and Jesus freely accepted, satisfying God’s justice and love.
• All 3 Persons of the Trinity are necessary to accomplish this sovereign will.

Reasoning:

God, in His perfect goodness and love, desired a people for His Son to freely commune with (John 17:24). Creating humanity in His image with moral autonomy (Genesis 1:26-27), He foreknew their universal rejection of His authority (Romans 3:11). Before creation, the Father entrusted the Son with the choice to redeem this rebellious race (Ephesians 1:4). Astonishingly, Jesus accepted, freely submitting to the Father’s will to bear their sin (John 10:18). This freedom required the possibility of rejection, but humanity’s inevitable “no” made Christ’s “yes” the sole basis for communion, glorifying God’s just and loving nature (Romans 9:22-23).

The Human Condition: Freedom Misused in Universal Rebellion

Humanity, made in God’s image with the autonomy of our original parents, inevitably misuses this freedom to reject God’s authority for self-rule (Romans 3:10-12). “Just as sin entered the world through one man” (Romans 5:12) marks the beginning of this rebellion—Adam’s act set the pattern, but death spread “because all sinned,” with no possibility of any choosing otherwise. This isn’t a genetic corruption but the foreknown certainty of free will’s misuse, known to God from eternity (Romans 8:29). Thus, the Father’s plan rested not on human choice but on the Son’s, predestining some to redemption through His acceptance (Romans 9:16).

Scriptural Support:

• Romans 3:11 – “No one understands; no one seeks for God.”
• Romans 5:12 – “Sin entered the world through one man… because all sinned.”

The Consequences of Rebellion: The Fall and Its Effects on Creation

The Fall (Genesis 3) was the direct consequence of humanity’s free, inevitable rejection of God’s authority—not the cause of a corrupted nature. Humanity remains intact as bearers of the imago Dei, with the same capacities as Adam and Eve, but our moral orientation universally follows their pattern of rebellion. This misuse of freedom introduced disorder into creation and the human experience:

• Creation itself became subject to futility and decay (Romans 8:20-22).
• Our relationship with God, others, and creation was broken, resulting in suffering, death, and alienation (Genesis 3:17-19).

Key Insight: The imago Dei endures—our essence and faculties mirror our original parents’—but our free choices inevitably align with self-rule until redeemed by Christ’s choice.

God’s Justice and Mercy: Respecting Freedom While Enacting Sovereignty

In His perfect justice, God respects human freedom while holding all accountable for their foreknown rebellion (Romans 2:5-6). In His mercy, He predestined redemption through His Son’s eternal acceptance, restoring communion for those He foreknew, while justly leaving others to reprobation (Ephesians 1:4-6; Romans 9:22). This balance exemplifies His nature—loving in redemption, just in judgment—as revealed in Christ (Romans 3:26).

The Father’s Sovereign Role:

• God’s sovereignty and foreknowledge ensured His purposes, predestining some to redemption through Christ’s choice while respecting their freedom (Ephesians 1:11; Romans 8:29).
• His justice demands sin be addressed, His mercy flows through the Son’s acceptance, and His love redeems those He foreknew (Romans 3:25-26; 1 Peter 1:2).

The Son’s Free Submission: Christ’s Voluntary Acceptance of Redemption’s Cost

At the heart of God’s plan is Jesus Christ’s free obedience:

• In eternity past, Christ, fully divine and free, accepted the Father’s will to redeem a humanity incapable of choosing Him (Philippians 2:6-8; Ephesians 1:4).
• His sacrificial death satisfied divine justice and mercy, securing redemption for those predestined through His choice (Romans 5:8-10).

Scriptural Support:

• John 10:18 – “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.”
• Hebrews 10:7 – “Behold, I have come to do your will, O God.”

Christ’s eternal “yes” contrasts humanity’s universal “no,” showing true freedom in submission and enabling communion for the elect.

The Holy Spirit’s Dual Role: Universal Conviction and Sovereign Mercy

The Holy Spirit operates on two levels in the redemptive process:

1. General Conviction:
   • The Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11), reflecting humanity’s innate awareness of God’s law (sensus divinitatis) (Romans 1:19-20).
   • This universal call aligns with God’s foreknowledge, ensuring all are without excuse (Romans 1:20).
2. Specific Sovereign Mercy:
   • The Spirit applies mercy to those predestined through Christ’s choice, transforming their hearts to freely submit (John 6:44; Romans 8:29-30).
   • This restoration of moral orientation is not coercion but the fruit of Jesus’ acceptance (Ezekiel 36:26-27), while others remain in foreknown rebellion (Romans 9:18).

Redemption: Restoring Humanity’s Proper Moral Orientation

Christ’s atonement, accepted in eternity past, restores the capacity to submit to God’s authority for those predestined to redemption (Romans 8:1-4).

• The Holy Spirit empowers the elect to walk in obedience and resist the flesh (Galatians 5:16-17).
• This restored freedom aligns the redeemed with God’s will, fulfilling their purpose as image-bearers (Philippians 2:12-13).

The Invitation of Isaiah 1:18: A Call to Reason and Respond

God’s invitation in Isaiah 1:18 captures the fullness of His redemptive plan:

• “Come now, let us reason together” – A call to reflect on humanity’s rebellion and God’s justice.
• “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” – A promise of forgiveness through Christ’s eternal choice.
• “Though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” – A promise of transformation for the elect through the Spirit.

This invitation is personal and moral, a call to respond within the redemption secured by Jesus’ “yes.”

Conclusion: A Call to Choose Christ in Alignment with God’s Sovereign Plan

God foreknew humanity’s inevitable rejection, yet in His sovereign mercy, the Father gave the Son the choice to redeem us, and Jesus accepted (Ephesians 1:4-5). Through His sacrifice and the Spirit’s transforming power, some are predestined to redemption, others justly left to reprobation (Romans 9:21-23). Isaiah 1:18 invites all, but only those enabled by Christ’s eternal choice respond, reflecting God’s justice and love.

The ultimate question is this:

Will you demonstrate the power of Christ’s astonishing “yes" through incomprehesible sacrifice, the fruit of the Spirit’s work, and the Father’s sovereign will by choosing Him as Lord and Savior?

This choice, enabled solely by Jesus, is true freedom within God’s foreordained plan, beginning restored communion with Him.

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