Those who recognize their spiritual poverty are grieved by their lack of righteousness. They mourn their sin against a holy God. They know they don't deserve to live in his presence and abide in his joy.
Mourning our sin is an important part of repentance.
It is our recognition of our spiritual poverty and mourning our sin that leads us to humility and repentance; it prepares us for God's kingdom. But not every type of mourning leads to repentance. The apostle Paul had to severely rebuke the members of the Corinthian church in a letter he wrote to them. When he learned of their repentance, he responded in another letter.
Worldly grief or sorrow brings death. Worldly sorrow can take different forms. We may be sorry that we got caught, sorry that we will suffer punishment or sorry that we look bad in front of others. We may even feel sorry for ourselves, as though we are helpless victims of our sin. None of these leads to repentance. Worldly sorrow doesn't change our heart's posture toward God. Worldly sorrow doesn't change our lives.
Godly sorrow, on the other hand, leads to repentance. We see how our sin hurts God and other people and damages relationships. We feel the guilt and mourn the pain we have caused. We take responsibility for what we have done. We want to make things right again. We want a clear conscience. We turn back to God and want to live God's way, seeking his mercy and grace.
After his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband Uriah, King David mourned his sin before God. He knew how to repent.
Sin is an affront to our holy God. How do you respond to your sin? Do you mourn your sin? Do you have Godly sorrow? Do you accept the guilt and responsibility? Without Godly sorrow, have you truly repented? Do you really desire to live in God's kingdom? Does God reign in your life?
When you mourn your sin and repent, comfort immediately follows. You are forgiven and your relationship with God is repaired. You have a clear conscience. You are at peace with God. You experience God's comfort.
Ultimately, God will comfort us in heaven.
Though we mourn now, God has planned comfort and joy for those who repent and come to him. We are comforted as we look forward to perfect, eternal comfort from God in heaven.
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org
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