From these few words from God through Isaiah, and from what He did not say, we can learn a valuable spiritual lesson. There is a reason that God did not say, “Learn to cease from evil, and do well.” Ceasing from sin can be done right now, immediately, and is done immediately, by everyone who is sincere in faith and repentance. Sin is not something you must learn to stop doing; you can cease from sin this moment if you truly believe the word of God when you hear it. That is why God commanded His people to “cease from sin”; He knew they could quit sinning if they truly wanted to.

The next part of God’s command was “Learn to do well.” Godly living must be learned, and that is why it is so important that young believers be taught the truth of Christ instead of a doctrine voted on by some Christian sect. Nobody knows God when he or she is first born of the Spirit. The Spirit is given to us so that we can come to know God, not because we already do. It comes to guide us into all truth, not to reward us for possessing it. New believers grow in knowledge of the will of God if they are taught the truth; otherwise, they only grow in knowledge of the leaders of their particular sect.

So, these words of God through Isaiah reveal two simple truths. First, when a person hears God’s word and believes it, he can cease from sin immediately. That is what true repentance is, and that is what God commands all sinners everywhere to do (Acts 17:30). Second, righteousness is a way of life that must be learned. Knowing what is truly right from what is truly wrong is something that is attained to only by those who have matured in Christ (Heb. 5:13-14).

If you are doing wrong, stop doing it. And if you want to know how to live, pray for wisdom. These are the commandments of God, and you can keep them both with joy.