Providence

The Two Sides of Providence

The evidence of the providence of God abounds.

The evidence of the providence of God abounds.

It might seem strange to learn that the word providence occurs only one time in the Bible, and there it is not referring to the providence of God (Acts 24:2). In fact, this word is not found in most translations. Yet, the truth is that the concept of God’s providence is found throughout the Scriptures. One cannot read the Bible without knowing that God provides.

There are questions about His providence He has chosen to not reveal to us. We should be content to speak where the Bible speaks but also must remember to stop where the Bible stops. Moses’ words say so much about this.  “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deut. 29:29). There is no way we can know that our idle speculations are what God thinks and we must learn to be silent.

Providence Seen By Looking Backward

Because we know that every good and perfect gift comes from above (James 1:17), it is not wrong for us to look at the past and see the hand of God in our lives. Young David found strength and courage to fight Goliath because of His past experiences. “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Sam. 17:37). He knew of providence because he had seen it. The book of Psalms is filled with encouragement based on all that God had done in the past for Israel. Our Lord reminded His followers about providence, which they had seen in the rain, the sun, the birds and the lily of the valley. Because every good gift is from above, it is not wrong for us to look backwards to see providence.

Providence Seen When Looking Forward

The words of Abraham to Isaac show us that we can see His coming providence by faith. Isaac was concerned and asked his father about the animal for the sacrifice. The patriarch’s answer was simple. “God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering” (Gen. 22:8). He had no idea how God would provide it, He just knew that He who had always provided in the past would do so in the future. David also looked forward with the eyes of faith and saw himself walking with his Shepherd through the valley of death.

Providence Seen in Your Life

So when troubles surround you and you are overwhelmed, stop and mediate of these two sides of providence. Look at how God has always helped His people. Look and see this truth in your past life. Then look to the adversity ahead and with the eye of faith march onward because you confidently know that your God will provide!

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A Sanctified People

A Pillar of Cloud by Day and a Pillar of Fire by Night

After over 400 years of bondage, 9 great plagues, and the death of the firstborn of the Egyptians, God lead the children of Israel out of Egypt with a high hand under the leadership of Moses: “And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.” (Exodus 14:8).

Are you sanctified from the world?

Are you sanctified from the world?

As they left that land, God made his presence visible to the people: “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people” (Exodus 13:21, 22). What a comfort it must have been for this nation to know that God was with them after having been in bondage to the Egyptians for over 400 years.

And God continued to be with them. We read in Exodus 40:36-37 that God continued to appear in this form with the people. “And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.”. When God’s presence was with the tabernacle, the children of Israel stayed put and camped in that location. When God’s presence moved away from the tabernacle, the people packed up and followed.

God presence with the children of Israel was deliberate. God wanted to dwell with His people. Exodus 25:8 records God saying, “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” The purpose for God’s desiring to dwell among the children of Israel was so that they would know that God was their God. He states in Exodus 29:45-46 “And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.”

However, God’s dwelling with the children of Israel came with a stipulation. They would have to be sanctified in order for God to continue to dwell with them.

Sanctification of God’s people was of great concern at Sinai when God audibly delivered the Ten Commandments to the nation of Israel. In preparation for that day, Moses was told by God to sanctify the people when they came before the holy Mount: “And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,” (Exodus 19:10). We see that Moses did as the Lord instructed: “And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.” (Exodus 19:14). Finally, on the day that God was to speak, God instructed Moses to make sure that the priests who came up on the mountain had sanctified themselves “And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.” (Exodus 19:22). God then told Moses not to let the children of Israel come up to Him, “lest he break forth upon them.” Exodus 19:24 says, “And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them.” Failure to be sanctified in the presence of God meant death.

God wanted to dwell with His people and so God continued to require the children of Israel to be sanctified as a condition of His dwelling in the tabernacle. The priests were always required to be sanctified as they ministered to God: “And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.” (Exodus 28:41). The sacrificial instruments with which they were to worship God were also to be sanctified: “And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil. And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony, and the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense, And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot. And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.” (Exodus 30:25-29). God also required of the people to be sanctified through the commands that he gave them (Exodus 31:13 – Sabbath, Leviticus 11:44 – Diet) and when they were properly observed, it was God who sanctified them through their obedience to His will. Leviticus 20:8 declares, “And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.”

However, God himself would have the finishing work in that He said that He Himself would sanctify the tabernacle so that He could dwell among the children of Israel there: “And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory. And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest’s office. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.” (Exodus 29:43-46).

The consequences for their failure to be sanctified were severe. One of two things would follow: death, or God’s abandonment of His people. Of this first consequence, God made an object lesson of Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10:1-2. Moses properly understood this and said to Aaron immediately after their deaths, “This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified” (Leviticus 10:3). God also stated in Leviticus 22:9, “They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the LORD do sanctify them.” Moreover, Israel’s history is replete with examples of God’s punishing the people for their failure to be sanctified (Numbers 14:37 for the evil report, 16:49 for presumption in priesthood, 21:6 fiery serpents for murmuring, 25:9 fornication with the Moabites).

Of the second consequence, (God’s abandonment of His people) after the people’s sin with the Aaron’s calf of gold, God told Moses that he was going to leave them. Exodus 33 records this story. God made it clear that He could not dwell with the people while they were not sanctified because if He did, He would consume them: “for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way. For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee” (Exodus 33:3, 5). The rest of this chapter concerns Moses’ pleas with the Lord not to abandon His people. In fact, Moses tells the Lord that if He would only dwell with them then they would separate (sanctify) themselves from the other nations. Moses says, “For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? Is it not in that thou goest with us? So shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth” (Exodus 33:16). So, upon this commitment from Moses that he and the people would sanctify themselves, God agreed to continue to dwell with them, “And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name” (Exodus 33:17).

In this way God continued to dwell with the children of Israel in the tabernacle until the time of Solomon. When the people sinned, God abandoned them to their enemies. When the people repented, God returned and dwelt among them. It was not until the time of David that David conceived that God should have a permanent structure of His own in which to dwell. God’s response to David, through Nathan the prophet is recorded in 2 Samuel 7 and 1 Chronicles 17. After David told Nathan what he wanted to do, God told Nathan that he never desired a permanent structure ” Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?” (2 Samuel 7:5-7). Instead, God told Nathan that David would NOT build a house for God, but that God was going to build a house for David and all of Israel and that this house would no longer be plagued by the wicked nor by Israel’s enemies: “Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth. Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house.” (2 Samuel 7:8-11).

In fact, God said that this house was going to be built by His own Son; Says God, “He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son.” (2 Samuel 7:13-14). And this house would be a kingdom that would last forever: “And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” (2 Samuel 7:16).

Therefore, in light of the fact that God said that His Son was going to build a house, let us consider Hebrews 3:1-6: “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”

We see then that just as Moses built a house for God in which God dwelt among His people, Jesus has also built a house for God in which God dwells among His people. What is that house today? Those who belong to Christ are Christ’s house today. And Just as God dwelt in the house that Moses built, even more so does God dwell in the house that His Son, Jesus built! In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 we read, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” John tells us about a great voice he heard out of heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God” (Revelation 21:3). Yes, we are the house of God today, but we are only that house as said the Hebrew writer “if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”

Must we not therefore sanctify ourselves as did the children of Israel so that the Lord God may dwell among and within us today? Can there be any doubt that we must? Just as God consumed and destroyed those who failed to sanctify themselves under the Mosaic Law, so also today he will destroy us as we read in 1 Corinthians 3:17, “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”

This means we must be sanctified. But how are we sanctified today? Just as God sanctified the children of Israel through His commands, so also are we sanctified through God’s words today. In this regard, Jesus says, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Indeed, Jesus gave Himself for God’s house that it might be cleansed and sanctified, by Him and His words. The Holy Spirit tells us this in Ephesians 5:25-26 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.”

Yes, we are sanctified by the word of God, but we must continue in this sanctification if we expect to be a vessel of honor suitable for the master’s use: “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:19-21).

Like the children of Israel, we need to separate ourselves from the things of the world and live holy lives so that God may indeed dwell among us as Paul exhorts: “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:16-7:1).

We find then, that living pure and sanctified lives is the will of God and that when we despise God’s sanctification we aren’t despising men, but God and His Holy Spirit: “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8).

If we so live, then shall God continue to dwell with us, but if we forsake His ways and turn back upon His will, then we ought not to expect Him to dwell among us, but recompense us with that end that is due for those who practice error and live in sin: “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:16-31).

But God is merciful as well as Nehemiah writes: “Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go. Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst” (Nehemiah 9:19-20).

Let us not then fall into His hands as those fit for destruction, but let us live so as to afford the comfort of the Spirit as God dwells among His people to bring us into the eternal land of Cannan by His guidance as our pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night through all the wilderness of life.

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The Right Worship

The Right Way and Wrong Way to Worship

Most of us have felt the feeling when we are tired, concerned, or stressed that, while we may be present “physically,” we are not there mentally. I suspect most of us have even said something in the past like: “I’m here physically, but not mentally.”

Is your Worship given right?

Is your Worship given right?

But what happens when this attitude infects our worship? How many times have Christians entered an auditorium for worship, only to check their brains at the door? It is no secret that individuals today can sing and take part in the Lord’s Supper, but be mentally absent from worshipping God.

Internally we may be focusing on someone’s new hairstyle, the preacher’s clothes, where to eat lunch, or an upcoming ball game. Yes, we are physically in worship, but our attitudes demonstrate that we never acknowledge being in the presence of Jehovah God. Sadly, there are occasions when people are worried about critiquing the preacher, the roast in the crock-pot, passing notes, whispering, personal grooming, playing with children, etc., and thus, they never mentally engage for worship.

Here’s what I intend on teaching my children about mentally engaging for worship.

The mainstream media has done an incredible job of painting Christians with a broad-stroke as ignorant individuals. Hollywood has reconfirmed this label by frequently showing Christians as weak-minded and foolish people who don’t have enough strength to cope with life on their own.

Sadly, this label is occasionally well warranted. There are times in which Christians don’t use their God-given brains—and they never truly engage their minds during worship. Do not give into this temptation—no matter how much is going on in your life. Take a few moments to clear your thoughts and remind yourself why you are doing what you are doing and Who the ultimate audience is for our worship.

Consider one example in which the Lord observed: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men …” (Isaiah 29:13). We know from the text that the people had offered their sacrifices (Isaiah 1:11ff), but their attitude was one of just going through the motions. Jesus used this very passage to rebuke the Pharisees: “Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men’” (Matthew 15:7-9). These were people who were going through the motions, but their hearts were not in it.

On another occasion, Jesus again commented on their attitude, rebuking the Pharisees saying: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone” (Matthew 23:23). The Pharisees were correctly observing some of the small details of worship, but they completely neglected why they were doing what they were doing. Their hearts (and minds) were in the wrong place. They weren’t mentally engaged in what they were doing.

Never forget that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7). In Paul’s admonitions to Timothy he told him, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, KJV). God has not called us to be unintelligent. Rather, He wants us to study and be able to defend His Word. In 1 Thessalonians 5:21, we are commanded to “Test all things; hold fast what is good.” In James 1:5 we read, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

Do these admonitions sound like crutches for weak-minded people? We must actively engage our rational, intelligent minds in worshipping our Creator. Christianity is a religion based on evidence and intelligence. Don’t check your brain at the coat rack!

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A Wise Tongue

Be Careful What You Say

From the foolish vow of Jephthah to Samson’s riddle revealed to his wife in Judges 11–15 we are reminded of the importance of thinking before we speak. One of my father’s favorite saying (I thought for a long time that it was original to him) that has stuck with me over the years was, “Engage brain before putting mouth in gear.” In other words, “Always think before you speak.” Solomon tells us that, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver” (Proverbs 25:11). One English translation of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, says, “so is it to speak a wise word.”

Are the words you share wise?

Are the words you share wise?

For the Christian today we could use a friendly but firm reminder that Jesus told us to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Despite the old children’s rhyme words can do far more harm that sticks and stones. The words that we say can cause deep, lasting, and devastating scars. Preachers have stopped preaching because of the harsh words of their brethren. Children have grown into adulthood only to turn from the faith because of destructive words. Christians have left the church and fallen away only to be lost forever because or words not “fitly spoken.”

And don’t be fooled or foolish; good intentions don’t lighten the blow!

To us all Paul reminds, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29). Our words are powerful and they say much about the kind of people we are and what are the conditions of our hearts. Another one of my father’s favorite sayings was “Better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” Indeed we need to heed the advice of our mothers that, “If we do not have anything good to say, then don’t say anything at all.”

Lastly, it is eternally important to remember that by our words we will be judged. Jesus said, “Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36). Before we open our mouths and let our brains fall out it may be wise to think, “If I say what I am thinking will it help or hinder my entrance into the kingdom of heaven?” Or, “Will this help the person and I speak to (or about) go to heaven?” Be careful what you say. Be faithful and have a blessed day!

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What Produces Repentance?

What Produces Repentance?

From where does repentance come?

From where does repentance come?

Have you ever wondered why David, “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22; 1 Sam. 13:14), never showed any sign of remorse over committing adultery with Bathsheba and his attempted deception and ultimate murder of her husband (2 Sam. 11)?  After all, it was David’s faith that motivated him to face the giant Goliath (1 Sam. 17), and it was his love for God and compassion for others that kept him from killing Saul, his enemy, when he had the chance (1 Sam. 24, 26).  This same man would later showed kindness to the crippled grandson of his slain enemy (2 Sam. 9), and yet a short time after that he would give in to his lustful temptations and sleep with the wife of one of his most loyal soldiers, all while giving no sign of feeling guilty about his sins.

Yet, this all changed – apparently in an abrupt manner – when the prophet Nathan called him out on the carpet for his sins with the forceful accusation, “You are the man!” (2 Sam. 12:1-15).  One minute David, blind to the fact that Nathan’s story of the rich man who killed the poor man’s one prized lamb related to his own sin, was indignant over the perceived sins of others.  The next minute, after being indicted for his adultery, deception, enticements to drunkenness (cf. Hab. 2:15), and murder, David was confessing his sin against God with the greatest of sorrow and remorse (Ps. 51:1-15).  What brought the penitent change of heart?

First, Nathan forcefully brought David’s sins to his attention by directly attributing the sinful actions of the rich man in the parable to the king himself while also warning him of the consequences of his wrongdoing (2 Sam. 12:1-7, 9-12).  Too often, we Christians see their brethren commit sin and naively hope that they will repent without having to inconvenience ourselves with the potential awkwardness of rebuking and warning them.  This shows within us a lack of spirituality (Gal. 6:1) and concern for the well-being of their souls and our own (James 5:19-20; Ezek. 3:17-21).  Repentance – and forgiveness itself – will never come without a direct acknowledgement of the wrong done (1 John 1:9) and fear of God’s wrathful punishment (Rom. 2:4-11; Heb. 12:28-29).  If we want to bring about a change of heart within the sinner, we must rebuke and warn them lovingly and truthfully (Eph. 4:15; Acts 2:36-37), humbly and gently rather than argumentatively (2 Tim. 2:24-26), and yet sharply if need be (Tit. 1:13).  We must also never forget that we ourselves will never truly repent of ourselves without first acknowledging our wrongs with honest and open hearts (Luke 8:15) while having that godly fear (2 Cor. 5:11).

Secondly, Nathan reminded David of God’s great love for him by listing all the blessings the Creator had bestowed upon the king (2 Sam. 12:7-8).  In Steven Spielberg’s epic World War II drama Saving Private Ryan, Private James Ryan (Matt Damon) is saved from death by the sacrifice of Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) and most of his platoon.  Decades later, an elderly Ryan looks down at Miller’s grave at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial and tearfully confesses that he’s tried to live his life the best he could in order to atone for Miller giving his life for his.  Many veterans whose friends have died in battle to save them feel the same way.  Yet God gave a much greater sacrifice when he gave his Son up to die a horrendous death on a cross to save us, wretched sinners who were his enemies rather than friends (John 3:16; Rom. 5:6-11).  Add to this all the wonderful blessings that God gives to us on a daily basis (Matt. 5:45; James 1:17), just as he did with David.  When we remember all that God does for us with unselfish and humble hearts, we will be motivated to detest the sin that offends our Savior and repent.

This is true because our humble and honest remembrance of God’s great love, mercy, and numerous blessings on our behalf will bring about godly sorrow, which leads to repentance (2 Cor. 7:9-10).  In Spielberg’s movie, the older Ryan breaks down in tears as he approaches Captain Miller’s grave, no doubt due to remembering the great sacrifice that man and others made for him.  Likewise, the psalm David wrote after Nathan rebuked him for his sins is filled with remorse and anguish as he remembers the salvation God offers to him (Ps. 51:8, 12, 14).  Unlike worldly grief, which leads to spiritual death in hell (2 Cor. 7:10; Rom. 6:23; Rev. 21:8) and is selfishly based only on sorrow over the punishment one receives here on earth for one’s sins, godly grief is based on anguish that one committed the sin in the first place due to the great offense it gives to our Savior and King.  Only this will truly lead us to repent and thus be saved (2 Cor. 7:10).  Do we grieve over our sins, and if so, what kind of sorrow is it?  We should examine ourselves (2 Cor. 13:5) so we will know if we need godly sorrow in our lives.

Furthermore, godly sorrow will motivate one to “bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Matt. 3:8; Acts 26:20).  The thief who has worldly sorrow only over the fact that he got caught and is now being punished will steal again at the first opportunity.  However, the thief who has godly sorrow over the fact that he stole in the first place because it grieved his Creator and Savior will now detest the very idea of stealing and thus be motivated to never do it again.  As a result of the repentance brought on by their godly sorrow, the Corinthians became very diligent in their strong desire to fearfully and zealously serve God and clear themselves of the guilt of their sins which they now indignantly detested (2 Cor. 7:10-11).  Likewise, we never read of David committing adultery or murder again after his repentance over his wrongdoing with Bathsheba and Uriah.  In other words, their actions proved that they had truly repented.  When we commit to repentance, do our actions prove it?  Or are we deceiving ourselves?

Too many today have no idea what true repentance means, or how it is produced.  This contributes to the lack of true conversion to Christ among many, the lack of zealous commitment to his cause among more, and the growing immorality and apostasy within the brotherhood.  We must go out of our way to teach potential converts the true meaning of repentance and how it is produced before we baptize them, while reminding new converts and ourselves of how true repentance is manifested within our lives.  With God’s help, doing so will have a highly positive impact on our own spiritual well-being and that of the church overall.

 

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