He touched my lips with it and said, “See? The burning coal from the altar has touched your lips. Your guilt is taken away; your sin is blotted out.”
Isaiah 6:7 TPT
When Isaiah glimpsed God’s glory in the temple, he confronted a sobering truth: sanctification before service is non-negotiable. Divine assignments demand more than titles or talents—they require hearts refined by God’s holiness. Whether we lead worship, preach, or serve quietly, positions of ministry mean little if our lives lack the transformative touch of His purity.
Consider Judas Iscariot. Chosen by Jesus as a disciple, he walked alongside the Saviour, witnessed miracles, and even proclaimed the Gospel (Luke 6:13-16; Matthew 10:1-4). Yet Judas’s story ended in betrayal (Matthew 26:14-16). His proximity to Christ never bridged the gap between outward service and inward corruption. Jesus’ warning in Matthew 7:21-23 echoes through time: “Not everyone who says, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.” Miracles, prophecies, and busyness in God’s name cannot replace surrendered hearts.
Isaiah’s journey mirrors this tension. Though already a prophet, his temple vision exposed unaddressed sin: “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). Here lies a pivotal lesson: sanctification before service is a continual process, not a one-time event. Isaiah’s “unclean lips” symbolised deeper flaws—gossip, pride, or complacency. Like him, many today serve in churches while harbouring secret sins, assuming activity masks impurity.
But God’s response to Isaiah’s confession offers hope. A seraphim touched his lips with a live coal, declaring, “Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for”. This fiery cleansing embodies the sanctification before service every believer needs. It’s not about earning God’s favour but yielding to His refining grace. Only then did Isaiah respond, “Here am I. Send me!” (v.8).
Judas’s tragedy and Isaiah’s transformation reveal two paths. One clung to religious duty; the other embraced brokenness. Both challenge us: Does our service flow from a heart purified by God, or is it a hollow performance? The apostle Paul urges, “Cleanse yourself… and be a vessel for honour, sanctified, useful to the Master” (2 Timothy 2:21).
Sanctification before service is not a barrier but a gateway. It prepares us to steward God’s power without pride, to lead without hypocrisy, and to love without agenda. Whether you lead a congregation or arrange chairs, let your first cry be Isaiah’s: “Woe to me!” For in surrender, God ignites our lips, our hands, and our lives—equipping us not just to serve, but to glorify Him.
Are there areas where ministry activity has overshadowed your inner purity? How might you invite God’s refining fire into your heart today?
True ministry begins not with a title, but with a heart aflame for holiness. Let us pursue sanctification before service—and watch God transform duty into devotion.