All Dead in Trespasses

Our Text :

Isaiah 6:5
So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because 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."

A beloved sister asked this question the other day "what did Isaiah see that made him cry out that he was a man of unclean lips?" That question prompted this posting.

Isaiah was a prophet of God in the midst of God's chosen people, appointed by God to steer the erring people back to the Almighty Jehovah. Prophets show up amongst the people when they are in error and need to be reminded of their covenant with God, need to be reminded of who God is, need to be reminded of His ways. They show up when the people cry to God on account of the unbearable conditions they're in, usually as a result of erring from "The Way, the Truth, and the Life."

We have no record in the Bible or in extant materials that Isaiah was immoral, unscrupulous, unethical, or any such thing. He was not a thief or an adulterer. He was not an extortioner or given to lasciviousness. We know nothing of Him that would impugn his integrity.

Yet he cried. "I am a man of unclean lips!" We wouldn't place Isaiah beside the thief who on the cross jeered at Jesus Christ and told him to save himself if indeed He was the Christ. We would think Isaiah too good for that, we would say they do not belong in the same class by any means. We would call Isaiah holy and the thief we would call unworthy.

In the days of Jesus Christ distinction of class was very marked. The Pharisee went as far as to think to educate God Himself on this matter for he said "God I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even a this publican. " (Luke 18:11)
Jesus Christ was accused of fraternizing with unworthy people,  "... and they say, 'look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children."

Let's not be too quick to turn up our noses at them, that we wouldn't do that, because we would and indeed, we do! We form class distinctions everyday, all day long. We think we're too good to be with certain kinds of people, or we think we're not good enough. We classify and separate ourselves by education and/or wealth.

Even within the church we do that. I have heard people tell me they cannot fellowship at certain churches because they cannot dress to meet the standard required there. I have been told that I wouldn't fit in well at certain places if I don't dress a certain way. We want to be seen with popular or famous people, with intellectuals or people with certain titles. We won't show respect to someone unless they have a title, and so on and so forth.

And so we will not place Isaiah with a common thief, but he himself it was who cried "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;" Not only did he see himself like that, he recognized that he lived in a community of same kind, unworthy people. He did not think himself better than them.

We are warned in Romans 12 : 3 thus "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."

Outside of the redeeming, saving, atoning work of Christ, we are all "dead in trespasses and sins."
All of us, preacher and commoner, royalty and plebeian, we are all dead until quickened by God. The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 2 : 1 "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins." In Colossians 2 : 13, he said "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses."

Oh that we would cry like Isaiah, so that like was done to and for him, an angel of God will bring from the altar, a live coal, and will touch our lips so that we will have assurance that our iniquity is taken away, and our sin purged. See Isaiah 6 : 6-7.

#momomily2014