In Isaiah 6:8, God asked, “Whom shall I send, who shall go for us?” Isaiah took advantage of this job opening in the office of the King of Kings, even before knowing the job description. As soon as he heard of the opening, he quickly and immediately applied to fill the position because he had a sense of qualification – since his resume was just rewritten by having his sins purged.

Brethren, naturally our normal response to the question of “whom shall I send” would probably be (1)”send to where?” (2) “What’s the salary or what’s in it for me?” (3) ”Isn’t the pastor already doing that job?” etc.

However, I think the reasons why Isaiah did not raise those types of questions or hesitate to apply for that type of a risky job were (a) experience / acceptance of forgiveness and (b) application of the forgiveness experience.

In other words, he first experienced and accepted the forgiveness of God, then he had the confidence to take on a job that only the forgiven could do.

1. Only those who by faith have truly discovered the forgiving God, experienced His forgiveness and accept the forgiveness personally can take on such risky job of warning other people on behalf of God.

• To discover forgiveness, you have to expose yourself to God the Holy One in humility through confession of your sins. In Isaiah 6:5, Isaiah 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!”
• When you confess your sins, you will be forgiven and cleansed. See 6:6-7 which says, “Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs.He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.””  Ps. 32:1 says, “blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven …”

Pray now a prayer of confession

Song – In 1878, Elisha A. Hoffman wrote a hymn:

“Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

• Refrain:
  Are you washed in the blood,
  In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?
  Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
  Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?”

Humble yourself now and confess your sin in order to discover God’s forgiving power. Ps. 32:9 says we should not be like an animal that has no understanding. Now is the time to confess you sins unto the Lord.

To God be the glory, immediately after forgiveness, your resume is updated from the unqualified sinner to a qualified person who can stand before God and say, “here am, I send me.” Isaiah applied his forgiveness experience immediately.

Once forgiveness takes place:

• Your prayers will be answered – Ps. 32:6
• You will be able to sing songs of deliverance – Ps. 32:7
• You will be able to sing Ps. 32:11 which says, “be glad in Lord and rejoice, all ye that are upright in heart.”
• You will know within yourself that God will instruct and guide you in the assignment and in every way, though the job may be dangerous, like that of Isaiah – Ps. 32:8.

God is looking for who to deposit His power and grace into, that they may work for Him. Will you surrender to Him today? It begins with confession of your sins. The Lord shall grant you grace today.