Connect Isaiah 6:7 with New Testament teachings on purification and forgiveness. A Stunning Scene in Isaiah 6 “And with it he touched my mouth and said: ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is removed and your sin is atoned for.’” (Isaiah 6:7) Isaiah, overwhelmed by God’s holiness, confesses, “I am a man of unclean lips!” (v. 5). One burning coal from the altar purges the prophet’s impurity in a moment. This dramatic touch foreshadows the fuller cleansing God would later provide through Christ. The Burning Coal: Symbol of Holy Cleansing • Comes from the altar—the place of sacrifice. • Applies fire—a picture of both judgment and purification. • Touches Isaiah’s lips—the very area of confessed sin. • Results: “guilt is removed… sin is atoned for.” In a single act, God makes the unclean clean and qualifies Isaiah for service (v. 8). Jesus, the True Altar and Sacrifice • Hebrews 13:10-12 points to Jesus suffering “outside the gate” to sanctify the people. • John 12:41 links Isaiah’s vision to the glory of Christ. • At Calvary, the sacrifice is no longer a coal but the Lamb Himself (John 1:29). Christ’s cross is where holy fire meets human sin once for all. New Testament Echoes of Cleansing • Hebrews 9:13-14 – animal sacrifices cleansed outwardly; “how much more will the blood of Christ… cleanse our consciences.” • 1 John 1:7 – “the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” • Revelation 1:5 – He “has released us from our sins by His blood.” • 1 Corinthians 6:11 – “you were washed… sanctified… justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” • Titus 3:5 – salvation is “through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” • Hebrews 10:19-22 – hearts are “sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience.” Each passage takes Isaiah’s moment and applies it universally through the finished work of Jesus. Permanent Forgiveness and Ongoing Purification • One decisive act: “We have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10) • Yet continual application: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive… and to cleanse.” (1 John 1:9) • Like Isaiah, we live between an accomplished atonement and a daily walk of cleansing (John 13:10). Living Out Our Cleansed Identity Because guilt is gone and sin is covered: • Draw near confidently—Hebrews 10:19-22. • Walk in the light—1 John 1:7. • Serve with purified lips and lives—Ephesians 2:10; Revelation 7:14. • Proclaim the same cleansing to others—Isaiah 6:8 fulfilled in gospel witness (Acts 1:8). Key Takeaways • Isaiah’s coal prefigures Christ’s cross. • God Himself provides the cleansing He requires. • The blood of Jesus secures both our pardon and our purity. • Forgiven people become willing servants, just as Isaiah moved from “Woe is me” to “Here am I; send me.” |
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