Friday, July 16, 2004
Before the Throne: The Nature of Salvation
Last blog I looked at how Isaiah's experience before the throne of God communicates our falleness and wretchedness. In the light of God's holiness our sinfulness is completely exposed and laid bear. We are helpless and doomed to destruction. Isaiah not only felt guilt and shame for his own sin, "I am a man of unclean lips," but also for his nation, "and I dwell in the midst of a people with unclean lips." Could you imagine bearing the sins of America? Considering our current lack of morality, particular in the judicial system, how could we? What about just our state? Could I bear the sins of California? Los Angeles County? The city of Lakewood? All of these are burdens to great for me.
My problem isn't bearing the sins of my community, though, no matter how large I take it to be. My problem is my own sin. I don't need anyone else's sin to condemn me, I have enough of my own to do so. When we are held accountable at the Great White Throne on judgment day we will not be judged by anyone else's acts but our own. And when you take an honest look at yourself and what you have done in light of God's holiness you will realize that you cannot bear this burden either. Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death. Every sin is an act of suicide, and once it is committed we are helpless to its consequences.
Helpless, that is, on our own because there is nothing we can do to alleviate an offense against a completely holy and eternal God. This is the situation Isaiah was in where I left off in verse 5. He saw his own destruction because of his sin and he realized how ruined and helpless he was. Verse 6 continues, "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."
In the midst of Isaiah's brokenness and foreseeable doom salvation comes. The atonement of Isaiah's sin was through burning coal touching his lips, the very place that he acknowledge he was unclean. In the Old Testament sacrificial system a coal was taken into the Most Holy place (the Holy of Holies) on the Day of Atonement. Throughout the year they offered various sacrifices, but on the Day of Atonement they offered sacrifices for their sins.
Our sacrifice is Jesus of Nazareth. His death tore the curtain of the temple so that we ourselves could enter the Holy of Holies. His blood and body are the coal that touches our mouths, touches our uncleanness, so that we may be pure before the throne of God. The act of communion is to remember His sacrifice and what it means for our lives.
I'd like to draw a few more points regarding Isaiah's experience with the seraphim. 1) Isaiah never asked to be saved. When he saw his doom he also saw that his punishment was just because of what he had done. He had no case to argue before the judge that he should receive grace. He simply accepted his fate. Such it is with Jesus Christ. Romans 5:8 says that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Before we appealed unto God, He sent the means for salvation. God loved us before we loved Him.
2) The seraphim demanded nothing of Isaiah. It didn't ask him for an indulgence, to be baptized, to give alms to the poor, etc. There was no trade, no bargain, no payment. It was a free gift. And such is Christ's sacrifice unto us. In fact, there is nothing we could give that could merit such a gift. The only way it could be imparted to us is that it is given freely.
3) With the touching of the coal on Isaiah's lips, the seraphim said that his sin was atoned for. The punishment was lifted. The debt paid. It was complete. There were no additional steps for Isaiah to be saved and able to stand before God. The placement of the coal on his uncleanness was sufficient for redemption. Such it is with Christ, since his blood covers us and there is nothing more we need to do in order to be saved. As is said in 2 Corinthians 12:9, His grace is sufficient for us.
Salvation is a free gift, we do not and cannot give anything for it, and there is nothing more we need to do to have it other than accept it. We needed to do nothing to receive it, and there is nothing we could do to repay it.
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My problem isn't bearing the sins of my community, though, no matter how large I take it to be. My problem is my own sin. I don't need anyone else's sin to condemn me, I have enough of my own to do so. When we are held accountable at the Great White Throne on judgment day we will not be judged by anyone else's acts but our own. And when you take an honest look at yourself and what you have done in light of God's holiness you will realize that you cannot bear this burden either. Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death. Every sin is an act of suicide, and once it is committed we are helpless to its consequences.
Helpless, that is, on our own because there is nothing we can do to alleviate an offense against a completely holy and eternal God. This is the situation Isaiah was in where I left off in verse 5. He saw his own destruction because of his sin and he realized how ruined and helpless he was. Verse 6 continues, "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."
In the midst of Isaiah's brokenness and foreseeable doom salvation comes. The atonement of Isaiah's sin was through burning coal touching his lips, the very place that he acknowledge he was unclean. In the Old Testament sacrificial system a coal was taken into the Most Holy place (the Holy of Holies) on the Day of Atonement. Throughout the year they offered various sacrifices, but on the Day of Atonement they offered sacrifices for their sins.
Our sacrifice is Jesus of Nazareth. His death tore the curtain of the temple so that we ourselves could enter the Holy of Holies. His blood and body are the coal that touches our mouths, touches our uncleanness, so that we may be pure before the throne of God. The act of communion is to remember His sacrifice and what it means for our lives.
I'd like to draw a few more points regarding Isaiah's experience with the seraphim. 1) Isaiah never asked to be saved. When he saw his doom he also saw that his punishment was just because of what he had done. He had no case to argue before the judge that he should receive grace. He simply accepted his fate. Such it is with Jesus Christ. Romans 5:8 says that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Before we appealed unto God, He sent the means for salvation. God loved us before we loved Him.
2) The seraphim demanded nothing of Isaiah. It didn't ask him for an indulgence, to be baptized, to give alms to the poor, etc. There was no trade, no bargain, no payment. It was a free gift. And such is Christ's sacrifice unto us. In fact, there is nothing we could give that could merit such a gift. The only way it could be imparted to us is that it is given freely.
3) With the touching of the coal on Isaiah's lips, the seraphim said that his sin was atoned for. The punishment was lifted. The debt paid. It was complete. There were no additional steps for Isaiah to be saved and able to stand before God. The placement of the coal on his uncleanness was sufficient for redemption. Such it is with Christ, since his blood covers us and there is nothing more we need to do in order to be saved. As is said in 2 Corinthians 12:9, His grace is sufficient for us.
Salvation is a free gift, we do not and cannot give anything for it, and there is nothing more we need to do to have it other than accept it. We needed to do nothing to receive it, and there is nothing we could do to repay it.
