Isaiah Unclean Lips

Blog Post: Self Confidence & The Cross (by Matt Lynn)

For a long time I really believed that the holiest of Christ-followers should view themselves as little more than worm fodder trembling before a holy and righteous Father . After all, we serve a God that is glorious and powerful beyond all comprehension in whose presence we would be compelled to exclaim, “Woe is me, I am ruined!” as did the prophet Isaiah. Yet God in His abundance of mercy does not deal with us as we deserve. Instead, He calls us sons and daughters, purifying us for good works. As Isaiah shakes before the throne of the LORD, he cannot bear the thought of his broken condition. He cries out, “I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” In spite of Isaiah’s shortcomings and the judgment he deserves, God chooses to act in mercy. He declares the prophet righteous in His eyes. Isaiah recounts the scene:

At this point Isaiah is equipped to do the work of the LORD. He boldly declares, “Here I am, send me.” No longer is he bemoaning his broken state. Instead, having received atonement from the Lord, he moves forward confidently to speak on behalf of God to the nation of Israel.

Sometimes I find myself identifying more with the “woe is me” Isaiah and less so with the “Here I am, send me” Isaiah . In some ways it’s easy for me to approach God with a sense of worthlessness and regret. Sometimes I even make the mistake of thinking this attitude is proper in the face of such a holy God. Why should I view myself as anything more than a worthless sinner? Who am I to stand in confidence before the magnificent God of the universe? When I get caught in these patterns of thinking, I am robbed of joy. My personality becomes muted and muddled in shades of grey. In this state, I do not possess the confidence to answer the call of the Lord, “whom shall I send?”

Everything changed when Jesus was nailed to a Roman cross and resurrected from the grave to declare us righteous in the sight of God. Through Him and because of Him, we may now “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence” [Heb. 4:16].  The implications of this are truly staggering.  The undeserved love of our Savior frees us from an attitude of self-loathing and guilt, and opens the door to loving ourselves as created beings who are deeply loved by God. For me, having lived the bulk of my life with a deficit of self-confidence and self-worth, this kind of thinking is foreign territory. My default mode of operating seems to be one of minimal self-esteem that feeds on trickling streams of affirmation and the applause of others. In Christ, however, I am free from this imprisonment. Author Brennan Manning puts it like this: “Real freedom is freedom from the opinions of others. Above all, freedom from your opinions about yourself.

The gospel in Isaiah, illustrated in a series of expositions, topical and practical founded upon the sixth chapter

Isaiah 1-39

Isaiah

The bridling of the tongue and the opening of the mouth in biblical prophecy

Isaiah, God Saves Sinners