A Coal From the Altar

"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.'" — Isaiah 6:6–7
 
How many of you have ever used a word of profanity? I'm not going to make you raise your hand. Well, maybe I will. How many of you have ever used one in church? Gotcha.
 
Profanity keeps getting darker in our culture. Words that never would have been said out loud are now acceptable everywhere. You can't turn on the television or scroll social media without hearing it. We've become so desensitized to sin that we don't even flinch anymore.
 
When Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up, he cried out that he was a man of unclean lips. There's your first cussing preacher right there. But I want you to notice what God did next. He didn't leave Isaiah undone. He sent a seraph with a burning coal from the altar, touched his mouth, and took his guilt away. And right after that, Isaiah heard God say, "Whom shall I send?" and he answered, "Here I am! Send me."
 
God cleanses the mouth He intends to use.
 
Here's what excites me. If you belong to Christ, the Holy Spirit lives inside of you, and wherever you go, He goes. When you walk into your office, your job site, or your classroom, His presence walks in with you. And His job is to bring conviction of sin.
 
I believe one reason we haven't seen real revival in our country, like the great awakenings, is that believers haven't taken their presence in business seriously. When coworkers notice you don't talk the way everyone else talks, they're noticing Him. That difference draws people to Jesus.
 
It doesn't take a crowd. All it takes is one man or one woman totally committed to Christ.
 
So, if your words need cleansing today, don't hide it. Take it to the altar. He'll touch your lips, take your guilt away, and send you back into your workplace carrying His presence.