Seeing ourselves compared to God’s holiness makes us suddenly aware of our sinfulness. In life, we compare ourselves to others and think we are not too bad and better than most. The problem in comparing ourselves is that we can develop a false image of ourselves as we try to elevate ourselves.
As God gave Isaiah a vision of His majesty, he immediately began to see himself in a different light. When we see ourselves in the light of God’s holiness, we become aware of how far we have fallen into sin. Seeing his depravity, Isaiah cries, I am a man of unclean lips. God’s word, in many places, uses lips, the tongue, or the mouth to reveal what is in our hearts.
Isaiah Examined Himself
Isaiah 6:5 Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” [1] Isaiah does not say that he is worthless, for he prophesied of the Messiah who would redeem us from our sins. Isaiah saw himself as lost, ruined, and defiled compared to a Holy God and could never measure up. He realized he was at God’s mercy.
In the same way, we also do not measure up to God’s standard. Romans 3:23For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.[2] As we realize the depth of our sinfulness, we also recognize our need for a Savior.
Jesus Makes a Way for Us to be Made Clean
If you feel like Isaiah, you are in good company. God always makes us aware of our sinfulness and weaknesses before He can use us. Paul clarifies that as sinners, our only hope is Jesus, who paid the price for sins on the cross. Only through faith in Jesus can our sins be wiped away so God can accept us
Romans 6:24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.[3] When we are dirty, we need to be cleaned and washed up. When we place our faith in Jesus, He washes our sins away. What an amazing God we have!
To learn more about seeing ourselves compared to God’s holiness, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/journey-prophets
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.