Overview:
Most people prefer a God who is a little holier than they are—manageable, predictable, and unlikely to make demands. But that is not the God of the Bible. When Isaiah saw the real God—high and lifted up, attended by seraphim—his only response was, “Woe is me!”
Pastor Chuck Swindoll opens Isaiah 6:1–8 to reveal a God whose holiness is utterly beyond our comfort zones. Far from paralyzing Isaiah, this vision broke him, cleansed him, and sent him on mission.
Discover what a true vision of God’s holiness can do in your life.
Message Summary:
In this message centering on Isaiah 6, Chuck Swindoll explores the terrifying yet transforming nature of God's holiness. Delivered on the first Sunday in a new sanctuary, the sermon invites believers to see God not just as a "God of glory" (heavy with significance), but as a God who is completely separate from the corruption of the world [10–12]. The narrative takes place in the year King Uzziah died—a tragic figure who reigned successfully for over 50 years but died a leper because he arrogantly intruded into the temple [13–14]. Swindoll vividly reconstructs Isaiah’s vision in the temple, where the prophet sees the Lord on a lofty throne surrounded by seraphim (angelic "burning ones"). These beings cry out, "Holy, Holy, Holy," shaking the foundations of the threshold. Swindoll notes that Isaiah’s immediate reaction is not joy, but devastation: "Woe is me, for I am ruined." Isaiah recognizes his own "unclean lips" in the presence of absolute purity [18–20, 28–29]. The message moves from confession to cleansing and commissioning. A seraph touches Isaiah’s lips with a burning coal from the altar, symbolizing the painful but necessary removal of iniquity. Once cleansed, Isaiah hears God’s question, "Whom shall I send?" and immediately responds, "Here am I. Send me." Swindoll concludes by challenging listeners to invite God to cleanse their minds, mouths, and morals, arguing that God leaves believers in a corrupt world specifically to live incorruptible lives [35, 41, 49–51].
Message Key Facts:
- Defining Holiness: Swindoll clarifies that holiness is not about external appearance, robes, or religious chants. It is an internal state of being "separate from a world system that has long since lost its way" [11–12].
- The Seraphim: This is one of the only places in the Bible where "seraphim" are mentioned. The Hebrew word saraph means "to burn." These are white-hot, brilliant angelic creatures filling the throne room [20–21].
- Antiphonal Praise: The seraphim called out to one another. Swindoll explains this as "antiphonal singing," where one part of a choir answers another, proclaiming the whole earth is full of God's glory [23–25].
- "Unclean Lips": Swindoll interprets Isaiah's confession of "unclean lips" as a struggle with the tongue—profanity, lying, exaggeration, or gossip. He notes that standing before a holy God instantly reveals our specific areas of verbal compromise.
- The 99.9% Statistic: To illustrate why God must be perfectly holy, Swindoll shares research showing that if accuracy were only 99.9%, the IRS would lose 2 million documents annually, and 12 babies would be given to the wrong parents every day. God cannot be 99.9% holy; He must be altogether perfect [38–39].
- The Burning Coal: The coal touched Isaiah’s mouth specifically because that was the point of his sin. Swindoll notes the beauty of the promise: "Your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven".
- The "Heart Attack" Illustration: Swindoll shares a personal story of having a minor heart attack and seeing his blocked artery on a monitor, asking, "Is that me?" He uses this to illustrate the solitude of Isaiah answering God's call ("Whom shall I send?")—Isaiah was the only one in the room to answer [42–45].
- Three Areas of Application: The sermon concludes with a prayer for three specific areas:
- Mind: To counteract depravity with godly thoughts.
- Mouth: To be free from unwholesome words and exaggeration.
- Morals: To be cleansed from sexual temptation and compromise [51–52].
Message References:
- Isaiah 6:1–8: The primary text detailing Isaiah's vision, confession, and commissioning.
- Isaiah 6:3: The cry of the seraphim: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts."
- Isaiah 6:5: Isaiah's response: "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips."
- Psalm 51:17: "A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise" (Referenced regarding the posture of confession).
- Isaiah 6:8: The commission: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?"
- 1 Peter 1:16 (Implied): "You are to be holy even as the Savior is holy".
