The document discusses the distinction between true and false religion, emphasizing that ritualistic practices without corresponding good deeds are deemed worthless by God. It references scriptures from Isaiah and the New Testament, highlighting the importance of genuine faith, mercy, and obedience over mere ritualistic works. The text invites reflection on the nature of spiritual practice and the call to live out one's faith through actions that align with God's will.

1. “Come now, and let’s reason
together” says Lord Yahweh
True v/s False religion & Works v/s Good deeds

2. False religion v/s True religion
 “Bring no more vain offerings. Incense is an abomination to me; new moons,
Sabbaths, and convocations:
 I can’t stand evil assemblies.
 My soul hates your New Moons and your appointed feasts.
 They are a burden to me. I am weary of bearing them.
 When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. Yes, when
you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.”
 Isa 1:13-15
Are are lives compartmentalised?
Do we live different lives on Sunday from the rest of the week?

3. False religion v/s True
religion
 Jas 1:26 If anyone among you thinks
himself to be religious while he
doesn’t bridle his tongue, but
deceives his heart, this
man’s religion is worthless.
 Jas 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled
before our God and Father is this:
 to visit the fatherless and widows in their
affliction, and
 to keep oneself unstained by the world.

4. False religion v/s True religion
Isa 1:16 Wash yourselves, make yourself clean.
Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes.
Cease to do evil.
Isa 1:17 Learn to do well.
Seek justice.
Relieve the oppressed.
Judge the fatherless.
Plead for the widow.
Everyone loves bribes, and follows after rewards.They don’t judge the fatherless,
neither does the cause of the widow come to them. (Isa 1:23)

6. Let us reason: Sacrifices and Forgiveness
There were no sacrifices prescribed
for murder,
 Num 35:30-31 “‘Whoever kills any person, the
murderer shall be slain based on the
testimony of witnesses; but one witness shall not
testify alone against any person so that he
dies. “‘Moreover you shall take no
ransom for the life of a murderer who is
guilty of death. He shall surely be
put to death.

7. Case Study: David
 The appeal is to change and not to
offer 1000s of rams.
 David knew there was no sacrifice
for his sins
 David said to Nathan,
“I have sinned against
Yahweh.”
 Nathan said to David,
 “Yahweh also has put away
your sin. You will not die. (2Sa
12:13)

8. Reasoning:
Obedient – The salvation word
Isa 1:19 If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
Isa 1:20 but if you refuse and rebel, you shall
be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of
Yahweh has spoken it.

9. Hypocrisy in Fasting

10. Works v/s Good
deeds
‘Why have we
fasted,’ say they,
‘and you don’t
see? Why have
we afflicted our
soul, and you
don’t notice?’
Isa 58:3

11. True Fasting
 Is this the fast that I have chosen?
 A day for a man to humble his soul? Is it to bow
down his head like a reed, and to spread
sackcloth and ashes under himself?
 Will you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to
Yahweh?” Isa 58:3-5
 Physical Fasting to be accompanied with good deeds
 to release the bonds of wickedness, to undo the
straps of the yoke,
 to let the oppressed go free, and that you break
every yoke?
 Isn’t it to distribute your bread to the
hungry, and that you bring the poor who are
cast out to your house? When you see the
naked, that you cover him; and that
you not hide yourself from your
own flesh? (Isa 58:6,7)

12. Isaiah was not preaching Against
Fasting – but how to Fast
 Jesus himself fasted
 Mat 4:2 When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was
hungry afterward.
 Jesus like Isaiah taught how to fast
 Don’t do
 Mat 6:16 “Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the
hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that
they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you,
they have received their reward.
 Do
 Mat 6:17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and
wash your face;
 Mat 6:18 so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by
your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in
secret, will reward you.

13. Works v/s Good Deeds v/s Grace
Referencing Isaiah (foundation) with the epistles

14. Works v/s Good Deeds v/s Grace
 Rom 4:1 What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to
the flesh?
 Rom 4:2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast
about, but not toward God.
 Rom 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was
accounted to him for righteousness.”
 Rom 4:4 Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace,
but as something owed.
…
 Rom 4:9 Is this blessing then pronounced on the circumcised, or on the
uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for
righteousness.
 Rom 4:10 How then was it counted? When he was in circumcision, or in
uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
 Rom 4:11 He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of
the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision, that he might be the father of
all those who believe, though they might be in uncircumcision, that righteousness
might also be accounted to them.
 Rom 4:12 He is the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the
circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our
father Abraham, which he had in uncircumcision.

15. Jas 2:21 Was not Abraham our father
justified by workswhen he
offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
Justified by Faith
Justified by good deeds
(Works)
Never justified by
(Works)
Ritualized worship
Compartmented living

16. Works v/s Good Deeds
 Works in NT scriptures could be both (One Greek word ergon)
 Ritual fulfilment of the law
 Good deeds.
 (The context for “works” in the previous passages (Rom 4) is that
of circumcision.)
 In Isaiah’s day people
 Offered the prescribed sacrifices,
 Kept fasts
 Were circumcised
 Ritualistically ‘worked’
But was an abomination to the Lord because good deeds did not follow by faith.

17. “By grace you have been saved through
faith”
Eph 2:8 for by grace you have been saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Eph 2:9 not of works, that no one would boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus for good works, which God prepared before
that we would walk in them.
 Eph 2:11 Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called
“uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision”, (in the flesh, made by
hands);…`

18. Ritual (works) v/s Good Deeds (Works)
 Forgiveness is not through a ritual of sacrifice, but concerns the heart:
 Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his
thoughts. Let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him; and
to our God, for he will freely pardon.
Does God really require blood to forgive?
 Good deeds – Right approach
 Let the wicked forsake his way
 The unrighteous man his thoughts
 Return to Yahweh
 Lord Yahweh will have mercy on him
 Lord Yahweh will freely pardon.

19. Jesus taught
 Mat 12:7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I
desire mercy, and not sacrifice,‘ you
would not have condemned the guiltless.
Rituals were instituted as a guide
(process to recover and restart, to
show respect etc.)
A sacrifice helped one recognise and
come to terms with his or her error,
but the sacrifice itself did not take
away sins.

20. Getting less confused about works and
works
 Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.
 Tit 2:7 in all things showing yourself an example of good works; in
your teaching showing integrity, seriousness, incorruptibility,
 Rev 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the
dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they
may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”
 Rev 3:2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have
not found your works complete in the sight of my God.

21. 1Pe 2:12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles
honorable, so that when they speak against you as
evildoers, they may see your good deeds and
glorify God on the day of visitation.
Baptisms, emblems, etc are
rituals to strengthen our faith.
They none the less remain as
rituals if our hearts are not
changed to produce good
deeds/works through faith.

22. Come, buy wine and milk without
money and without price
Let us Reason!!

23. An invitation – Let us reason / Listen diligently
 Isa 55:1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who
has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without
money and without price.
 Isa 55:2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and
your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to
me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
 Isa 55:3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul
may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my
steadfast, sure love for David.
Buy … without money — A paradox
We buy by listening and taking in the word of God that
transforms us to good deeds

24. Waters
 Rev 22:17 The Spirit and the Bride
say, “Come.” And let the one who
hears say, “Come.” And let the one
who is thirsty come; let the one
who desires take the water of
life without price.
 Isa 12:2,3 Behold, God is my
salvation. I will trust, and will not be
afraid; for Yah, Yahweh, is my
strength and song; and he has
become my salvation.” Therefore
with joy you will draw water
out of the wells of salvation.

25. Reason: Unexpected blessings

26. Reason: Unexpected blessings
 Isa 57:1 The righteous perish, and no one lays it to heart. Merciful
men are taken away, and no one considers that the righteous is
taken away from the evil.
 Isa 57:2 He enters into peace. They rest in their beds, each one
who walks in his uprightness.
 When tragedy strikes we are all taken aback and try to explain the
situation. The above passage is about righteous men (in the eyes
of God and men) who perish untimely.
 From Lord Yahweh’s perspective they:
 Rest in their bed
 Enters into peace
 The righteous is taken away from the evil
Man’s perspective:
“Struck by God”