Second Look: Guilt Removed, Sin Atoned

photo by Laura Evans

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​…your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.

Isaiah 6:7 NIV

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Dear ICB family,

In Isaiah 59 the prophet swings from judgment to salvation, from the bad news to the good news of the gospel, from accusation to redemption.
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… your iniquities have separated you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt.
Your lips have spoken falsely, and your tongue mutters wicked things.
…Their feet rush into sin; …Like the blind we grope along the wall,

'The Redeemer will come to Zion,
to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,' declares the Lord.
'As for me, this is my covenant with them,' says the Lord. 'My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,' says the Lord.

​​This is Isaiah’s constant theme:

God is pure holiness
Humans are unclean
Judgment is coming
Let us repent of our sin
And God will save, cleanse, heal, restore, redeem

Once we see the pattern, we can see where we are in Isaiah’s repeated sermon and we can recognise God’s holiness, repent of our sin and rejoice in his salvation. But before Isaiah could preach it too many times, it had to be enacted in the prophet’s own life. He had to see God’s holiness. He had to realise his own sin. He had to recognise that he stood under judgment. He had to repent. He had to experience God’s cleansing. Then he could preach it again and again and again.
 
Oh, how we all need to hear these words, “…your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” The unclean lips (swearing, sarcastic, lying, gossiping, slandering, seductive, selfish, cynical) are burned clean by the fire of God and “…my Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever” (Isaiah 59:21)
 
Whatever it is with us - lips or hands, ears or eyes, fingers or feet, heart or mind - the Holy One longs to purify us and with his holy fire to touch us and declare, “…your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” As Pastor Pasha said, “Jesus is that live coal who takes away the sin of the world.” Let us all allow the Holy One, who sits on the eternal throne, to touch us, burn us with his purity and allow him to declare, “…your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
 
Before we can preach the gospel too many times, it has to be enacted in our own lives. We have to see God’s holiness. We have to realise our own sin. We have to recognise that we stand under judgment. We have to repent. We have to experience God’s cleansing. Then we can preach it again and again and again.
 
“…your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

Grace and peace,

​Pastor Neil