Passage: Isaiah 6:1-5
Confession
Isaiah 6:1-5
6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:
'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!'
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: 'Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!'
As we continue to pray and reflect this Lenten season, we will naturally be drawn to consider and reflect upon our sin. When confronted with the holiness of God, Isaiah responded saying “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
As sinners in the presence of God, we immediately feel the guilt and shame of sin. Just as Adam and Eve discovered their nakedness following their transgressing God’s instructions, we find ourselves naked, exposed in our sinfulness before God. The angels announce God’s holiness, and we try to hide.
It is interesting that when you read the creation account in Genesis 1, God created light days before He created the sun. Turns out that in the presence of God, we have all the light that we ever could need. Similarly, when the light of God’s Word is present in our lives, the darkness of sin is driven out. It is only when we resist and hide from the light of God, that we nurture our unconfessed sin.
Thus, we are called to confess, to bring our sin out into the light, to face the embarrassment, in order that God can forgive us of our sin and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Sin can hide in the dark, but in the light of Christ, our sins are exposed as we confess and seek forgiveness from our heavenly Father. Isaiah continues to record his encounter with God stating in Isaiah 6:6-7 that “Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Through confession, we are made clean. It is not without its pain, but the reward is far greater.
Thoughts for Reflection
How can you make confession a healing part of your walk with Christ?