“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10 NKJV
Whatever we can bring to God is already owned by Him. There is nothing of the world that God does not already own. He is the Creator of all and the Sustainer of all. That which we give to Him is simply a returning of what already is His. Even our very vessels are not our own, for we were bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20). We must seek to honor and glorify God with all that we have, all that we are, and all that we do.
Many times the hyper-religious will over emphasize good works. They will seek to outweigh the tougher Truths that God declares by striving to be a good person and doing as much good as they can.
Many times the hyper-religious will over emphasize good works. They will seek to outweigh the tougher Truths that God declares by striving to be a good person and doing as much good as they can. The mindset is one of external works, rather than internal transformation. Due to this, the good intentions of good actions become idolatry.
Anything that is done externally without a proper interior is done in vain.
Those who do as such slowly sink into the mindset that they are okay, they are not as bad as they thought, and as long as they keep this up surely God will bless them. Dear friend, anything that is done externally without a proper interior is done in vain. If we are not willing to repent and humble ourselves before God, we will not receive Heaven. If we are not broken over our sin and see what Christ truly did upon that Cross, we shall forever remain lost.
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27 ESV). Many times the religious Christian overemphasizes visiting orphans and widows, while neglecting the latter part of this verse. There is a reason for a comma after visiting orphans and widows. We are commanded to keep ourselves unstained from the world. If we are stained by the world’s ways, we shall surely go astray. Good works will mean nothing if we are corrupt internally. For if sin does not burden us, God cannot uplift us. If we desire carnality all the days of our life, our eternal abode shall be in Hell in the afterlife.
This does not mean that we will not have our ups and downs and times of falling and failing in this life. It simply means that our sin will no longer be a lifestyle. Sadly, many cannot and will not accept this reality. They desire to flirt with their sin while pretending to be a Christian. They desire the benefits of the faith, but cease from humbling themselves before God.
Those who do not have a true realization of their sin will not come to know Him. For it is impossible to be saved if one is still enslaved by the things of this life. Those who sin without conviction and think they are good will not understand the reality of what lingers within. Each of us is entirely wicked and corrupt, internally. Christ said “it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person” (Matthew 15:11 ESV).
Many times what proceeds from our being is a result of what lingers within.
Many times what proceeds from our being is a result of what lingers within. Those who do not take time to meditate on their thought life will not understand the true need of God’s saving grace each and every day. For God does not merely look at the external; He looks at what lingers within - the things we think on, the fetishes and fantasies we play in our head, the silent words and phrases uttered, the imagination that pleases our worldly desires. He sees it all, dear friend. He knows us more than we know ourselves. That is why it is essential to know that God is calling us to have humble contrition over our sins. For “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17 NKJV).
Conviction is a gift, for it is what leads us to genuine repentance. In turn, repentance reveals we are truly saved.
Conviction is a gift, for it is what leads us to genuine repentance. In turn, repentance reveals we are truly saved. Those who do not repent or feel the need to repent do not understand both the severity of their sin or the true gift of salvation. They have not received the Holy Spirit if they can live in sin and not have a contrite heart or brokenness over their sin. For Christ said that the Holy Spirit would be sent into the world to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8).
All God desires of us is to have a broken heart over our sin and to throw ourselves upon His Grace and Mercy with complete dependency in Him alone for our salvation.
Those who do not possess the Holy Spirit will not be convicted of such things, for how can they? Instead of repenting of their sin, they will strive to work their salvation out in the flesh. Of course, this is senseless, since God can make rocks do what we do (Luke 3:8). All God desires of us is to have a broken heart over our sin and to throw ourselves upon His Grace and Mercy with complete dependency in Him alone for our salvation.
“But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’” (Luke 18:13 ESV). This is the response of those who are truly saved. They will see that they are sinners before a Holy God. They will understand their wickedness within and run to Him Who brings salvation from sin.
When we humble and deny ourselves, we are able to enter into the family and promises of God through true belief and genuine repentance. For “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit” (Psalm 34:18 NKJV). God hears the honest and earnest cry of those who come boldly and humbly before the Throne. He extends His love swiftly to the sinner. For He is a God that desires to save, not damn. Our responsibility is to be real and transparent with who we are (sinners) and what we are in need of (the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior).
In The Imitations of Christ, Thomas a Kempis gives us a powerful and convicting statement of the things we should lament. He writes:
“Lament and grieve because you are still so worldly, so carnal, so passionate and unmortified, so full of roving lust, so careless in guarding the external senses, so often occupied in many vain fancies, so inclined to exterior things and so heedless of what lies within, so prone to laughter and dissipation and so indisposed to sorrow and tears, so inclined to ease and the pleasures of the flesh and so cool to austerity and zeal, so curious to hear what is new and to see the beautiful and so slow to gardly in giving and so tenacious in keeping, so inconsiderate in speech, so reluctant in silence, so undisciplined in character, so disordered in action, so greedy at meals, so deaf to the Word of God, so prompt to rest and so slow to labor, so awake to empty conversation, so sleepy in keeping sacred vigils and so eager to end them, so wandering in your attention, so careless in saying the office, so lukewarm in celebrating, so heartless in receiving, so quickly distracted, so seldom fully recollected, so quickly moved to anger, so apt to take offense at others, so prone to judge, so severe in condemning, so happy in prosperity and so weak in adversity, so often making good resolutions and carrying so few of them into action.”
May we lament over our sin. May we come to God with a broken and contrite heart. May we be blessed with godly sorrow that leads us to saving faith through repentance. Blessed is the one who hears God’s Word and does it. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). Blessed are those who humble themselves before Almighty God and recognize their sin. Blessed are those who seek to live out the true walk of faith in both their external and internal life. For only the Holy Spirit can help us to do that which is commanded of us. May we place our full dependency upon Him when we become born again.
PRAYER
Triune God, Creator of all, through Whom all things exist, in You alone is Life and Truth. You are the Righteous and Holy One. You are Him Who ascends past the Heavens and desires from us a broken and contrite heart. Heavenly Father, forgive us of our sin that put Christ on the Cross! Forgive us, Holy Spirit, of the times we have neglected You and gone our own way. Forgive us of neglecting the inner life of the Christian life, O God. Bless us with holy reverence of You and holy hatred for sin. Give us the power and strength to fight the good fight. May we see ourselves as but dust in the midst of Your Infinite Glory. We are nothing apart from You, O God, but in You we have all things. We repent of all the wrong that we have done. Forgive us, O God, of our wickedness and sin. Sanctify us, Holy Spirit. Bring us low, that we may be raised up on the Last Day. May we glorify You with these vessels, until we are called Home. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Lance VanTine
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