5 "Woe to me!" I cried.
"I
am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of
unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." 6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me
with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said,
"See,
this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned
for."
Perhaps Isaiah was most convicted concerning his speech because as
a prophet that was his primary area of service to God. Keeping a clear
conscience is of utmost importance and takes precedence over service. But
while the world tries to maintain a clear conscience by eliminating feelings
of guilt, the Christian maintains a clear conscience through justification
through the atoning work of Christ who takes away not simply the feeling
of guilt but the guilt itself, and through sanctification of the Spirit
as represented here through the live coal touching his lips. This reminds
us of the empowerment given to the Christians on the day of Pentecost where
it says, "They saw what seemed to be tongues of
fire that separated and came to rest on each of them."Acts
2:3 After which they went out speaking boldly the gospel.