“And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’” – Isaiah 6:5
When the prophet Isaiah saw a vision of God the Father on His throne, he responded the way we all should. He became deeply aware of his own sins and shortcomings. He knew he had no business being in the presence of a God so perfectly holy, holy, holy. He took no satisfaction in being a generally good person living among God’s people. Instead, Isaiah saw God’s perfect holiness and it overwhelmed him as he fully understood the wrath and doom he deserved for his rebellious words spoken against His creator’s will.
That really is how God truly is. Almighty. Holy. Supreme. Overwhelmingly pure. He is the almighty creator of the universe. He rules from heaven in absolute power and stunning, overwhelming, absolute sinless perfection. He is supreme over all things and utterly without hint of sin or shadow of darkness. If we could see Him as He is, we would all be like Isaiah with a deep sense of our own sinfulness. We would never again ask for what we deserve because we would know that we deserve God’s judgment. Think about how God truly is. Try to picture His overwhelming holiness and presence, surrounded by angels praising Him. Let yourself be in awe of Him.
Then realize that what God did for Isaiah, He’s done for you. The prophet was completely overwhelmed by the sinful words that had flowed out of his mouth throughout his life. In his vision, an angel touched his lips with a burning coal to atone for his sin and purify his tongue. In His great mercy, God has made that atonement and purification available to everyone through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the burning coal made flesh! He entered our world, lived a sinless life, died an atoning death on a cross, and rose from the dead so that all our sin would be utterly destroyed when we put our faith in Lord Jesus. Faith in Jesus transforms you from a person of unclean lips to a holy vessel prepared to serve a holy God.
However, Jesus is far more than just the burning coal. He is the person and presence of God come to the earth and made flesh so that we can embrace and enjoy God’s presence among us. The eternal Son of God took on a human body and nature so that we could gaze upon God without being doomed for our sin. God has lived, walked, taught, and worked among us so that we can love and fellowship with Him without disaster. Marvel at what God did to make Himself approachable by unclean people like us and rejoice that you’re invited into God’s throne room without fear. #FollowJesus