Seeing God

Isaiah was completely undone, ruined like Humpty Dumpty. So what does he do? He confesses! That's the second thing that happens:

2. We confess our sin

Isaiah knew he was ruined because he was “a man of unclean lips.” Having just heard the golden tones of the seraphim, Isaiah knows that his lips, having been used to praise himself, to put others down, and generally serve his own ends, could never be used in such holy service. And what’s more, he lived among an entire culture of sinful people with unclean lips. And he saw nothing even remotely unclean about the Lord.

This is a sign that you’ve seen God for who He is. Not only have you said, “uh oh,” but your heart grieves for those around you, people you know who haven’t seen God, and who are immersed in their unclean practices and unclean culture.

Angie was out of town last week and as the week progressed, there was something in our refrigerator that started to smell not quite right. She came home and opened the fridge, pulled out some chicken she’d been thawing and WHOA! Culprit found. I put it in Ziploc and took it out to the garbage can so it wouldn’t stink up our kitchen or our garage. If you don’t rid yourself of spoiled, rotten garbage, it will stink up everything. Stop hiding your garbage and take it out! Confess your sin, and be rid of it.

• James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”

• 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

And having confessed, Isaiah discovers that this pure & holy God is able to purify & make holy [READ vv. 6-7]

3. We are cleansed of our sin

Isaiah underestimates the grace of God. God has not given him this vision in order to annihilate him, and He does not bring the fire in order to destroy the offending lips. The seraphim places the coal on Isaiah’s unclean lips. God touches Isaiah right at his point of need. But we cannot enjoy God’s cleansing without confession.

The NT equivalent of the coal from the altar is the Cross of Jesus Christ. Those who have been branded by the cross have been touched by the seraphim’s coal. People who come to the cross are people who have seen God. Some have an “uh oh” experience and run away; others run to the cross and cling to Christ, because they knew they were ruined, undone, in need of help. Christ’s cross has cleansed us!

And then and only then, having been convicted, having confessed, and having been cleansed of our sin …

WHEN WE SEE GOD FOR WHO HE IS, WE REALIZE WHAT WE MUST DO (8)

[READ v.8]

I referenced Humpty Dumpty earlier. Isaiah was not Humpty Dumpty. Humpty Dumpty’s fall was tragic because no one in the entire kingdom could be found who had the power to put him together again. Yet he was no more fragile than Isaiah—Isaiah was shattered into as many pieces, but God put him together again.

God was able to take a shattered man and send him into ministry.

God was able to take a sinful man and turn him into a prophet.