Good Grief
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4) The word translated “mourn” is pentheo which means to grieve for the dead. Spiritually, it implies to grieve for the spiritually dead—mourning over sin;
our own and that of others. Without sorrow there can be no comfort. See James 4:8-10 … “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” God responds to the humbling of hearts. Sorrow only lasts a while; it’s the results that are important: repentance is what God is looking for in His children. Sin must be seen as exceedingly sinful. The size of the offense doesn’t matter to God—it’s all disobedience. Christians must mourn over their own sin and over the sin of others as one would mourn the loss of a loved one. So, how do we ‘mourn’ over our sins? Self-examination: “For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.” (1 Corinthians 11:31-32) Allow the Holy Spirit to reveal sins not confessed. See Hosea 10:12 … “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you.” Fallow ground is land that hasn’t been plowed for planting. It is hard and resistant to the sowing of seed. The prophet is comparing a hard heart to unplowed ground. He is exhorting us to be responsive to the Holy Spirit’s ministry in our lives. Confess and receive forgiveness of your sins. The apostle John declares, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
Sin cera, Erik
Erik O. Garthe is Associate Pastor at Canton Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland.
