Dear Church Family, Have you ever heard the saying, “When you point a finger at someone else, you have three fingers pointing back at you?” We would much rather point out problems with others than look at our own problems, but the reality is, if we really look closely, there are plenty of problems of our own to look at. In chapter 5 of Isaiah, Isaiah correctly points out the sin of the nation. God use the prophet to pronounce six woes upon the nation for their sin. A woe declares God’s displeasure of and judgment against sin. In the following chapter, Isaiah describes a vision of the throne room of God. In the vision Isaiah is overcome with the holiness of God. This also causes Isaiah to realize the greatness of his own sin. Isaiah 6:5 (ESV)
And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
There’s nothing like gazing upon the holiness of God to bring awareness of our own sin. By gazing upon the glory of God, Isaiah correctly understood that, not only did the nation need God’s forgiveness, but Isaiah himself needed God’s cleansing. The very grace of God that he declared to the people in chapter one was now available to him. Isaiah 6:6-7 (ESV)
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
When our gaze is upon others it tends to puff us up on a pedestal. When we gaze upon the holiness of God it tends to hold a mirror up to our own selves and we can correctly see our own need for a Savior. Where has your focus been? There is a time to point the finger at sin in others, but there’s also a time to look at the three fingers pointing back at ourselves. What’s Happening at Gospel Life:Outreach Meeting: One of our core values as a church is reaching out. Let’s be praying about how God would have us reach the community around us with the Gospel. An outreach meeting will be scheduled within the next few weeks to share ideas. | 
