Connect Isaiah 6:5 with Romans 3:23 on the universality of sin. Seeing Ourselves in Isaiah’s Cry • Isaiah 6:5 – “Then I said: ‘Woe to me, for I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.’” • Isaiah stands in the radiant presence of God’s throne room. • His immediate reaction is not curiosity or excitement, but a deep awareness of personal failure: – “Unclean lips” points not only to speech but to the heart behind it (Matthew 12:34). – “I am ruined” communicates utter hopelessness apart from divine intervention. • Isaiah also recognizes corporate guilt: “I live among a people of unclean lips.” Sin is both individual and communal. Paul’s Echo in Romans • Romans 3:23 – “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” • The apostle’s sweeping “all” leaves no exceptions—Jew, Gentile, moral striver, or blatant rebel. • Falling short isn’t a near-miss; it’s a gulf between human effort and God’s perfect glory. A Consistent Biblical Witness Scripture repeatedly affirms what Isaiah felt and Paul declared: • 1 Kings 8:46 – “There is no one who does not sin.” • Psalm 14:3 – “There is no one who does good, not even one.” (quoted in Romans 3:10-12) • Ecclesiastes 7:20 – “Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” • 1 John 1:8 – “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Tracing the Thread Back to Eden • Genesis 3 recounts humanity’s first act of rebellion, shattering perfect fellowship. • Romans 5:12 explains the fallout: “Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned.” • Isaiah’s personal confession and Paul’s universal indictment both trace back to that original fracture. Why Holiness Exposes Us • God’s throne room (Isaiah 6) and God’s glory (Romans 3) act like flawless mirrors. • The closer a person comes to that blazing purity, the clearer every blemish becomes. • Awareness of sin isn’t morbid—it’s the necessary first step toward rescue (John 16:8). Good News in the Same Chapters • Isaiah 6:6-7 – A seraph touches Isaiah’s lips with a coal from the altar: “Your iniquity is removed and your sin atoned for.” • Romans 3:24-25 – “and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice, through faith in His blood…” • Both scenes feature cleansing that originates with God, not human effort. Key Takeaways • Universal Sin: Isaiah’s “I am undone” and Paul’s “all have sinned” proclaim the same truth from different angles. • Personal Ownership: It is never enough to note society’s sin; each person must say, “I am a sinner.” • Holiness as Standard: God’s glory, not human comparison, defines righteousness. • Gracious Provision: The God who exposes sin also provides atonement—prophetically in Isaiah, fully in Christ. Living in Light of These Truths • Embrace honest self-assessment before God’s Word. • Rest in the sufficient atonement He has provided. • Walk humbly, recognizing every person you meet shares the same need of grace (Ephesians 2:1-5). |
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