“Is it possible we could experience the joy of our salvation if we mourned
[over our sin] as if someone had died? We cannot experience joy without mourning.” by Pastor Robert Morris, from Sermon: “Those who
mourn are happy”
Steady as she goes, mate’! Before we even begin we need to find our balance here. Today’s subject is one that people seem to lose their balance over very easily. They go to the extreme one way or the other. There are those who don’t mourn or feel sorry for their sin at all. Then there’s the group who mourn too much thinking God could never forgive them for the things they have done. One side takes over the role of god and the other takes away from God’s role and His ability to forgive us no matter what the sin.
If you look out as well as inward it appears we have gone from mourning to dancing in 10 easy steps when we should still be mourning over our sins as new ones frequently appear. We seemed to have passed some unwritten law in our lives that everything is permissible. There’s no need for mourning any more. Why feel sorry for something that is so wildly accepted in our world today.
We are focused on the wrong world. We need to be looking towards maintaining our citizenship in the world with Christ in Heaven. Beating ourselves up over things we have done is never the answer either. We’ve all been there and done that since we all fall short of the glory of God thanks to sin. The purpose of mourning is to lead us to repentance not emotional abuse on ourselves or others.
Repentance is the key we need to unlock the door to a better relationship with God. Isn’t it funny how the lock on the door between us and God is on our side? No, it’s not a Ha Ha kind of funny that’s for sure. It’s a sad strange kind of funny. We are the ones standing in the way of the happiness God wants us to have through repentance. Clearing the slate makes room for that happiness. It gets rid of the luggage we like to carry around so people can feel sorry for us or we feel sorry for ourselves.
The joy we get down the path of repentance and mourning over our sin is a lasting joy that will never end. It’s a joy that carries over into eternity to that destination resort we have chosen to live at, Heaven. It’s nothing like the temporary joy we may get out of the sin we allowed in our lives and the consequences resulting from it.
We definitely need to be aware of the seeds we are planting so we can remove them via our repentance or mourning before a harvest of wrong doings begins to develop. Like the skinny person who wails and mourns over the “one” little pound they gained. They become so intent over losing it that they actually do before another comes along beside it. The overweight person rolls their eyes and thinks, “Hey, I’ve got a 100 lbs to lose, fuss over that!” We act like once we’ve crossed the imaginary line we set up for ourselves that there is no going back. It doesn’t matter if it’s weight loss, sin, our attitude, or anything else. Wrong, praise the Lord. The first sign of gaining a worldly characteristic or sin we need to stop, mourn or repent until we lose it. Chances are we may gain it back. It’s a constant battle that we can win thanks to God but its one we have to want to win.
How intent are we? Are we balanced between the two extremes? Now is the time to stop, look and repent. If you get rid of the seed, you’ll avoid the harvest that can come from it. The seed we should be after is the seed of joy. The everlasting kind manufactured in Heaven, delivered through our repentance and surrender to God.
Steady as she goes, mate’! Before we even begin we need to find our balance here. Today’s subject is one that people seem to lose their balance over very easily. They go to the extreme one way or the other. There are those who don’t mourn or feel sorry for their sin at all. Then there’s the group who mourn too much thinking God could never forgive them for the things they have done. One side takes over the role of god and the other takes away from God’s role and His ability to forgive us no matter what the sin.If you look out as well as inward it appears we have gone from mourning to dancing in 10 easy steps when we should still be mourning over our sins as new ones frequently appear. We seemed to have passed some unwritten law in our lives that everything is permissible. There’s no need for mourning any more. Why feel sorry for something that is so wildly accepted in our world today.
We are focused on the wrong world. We need to be looking towards maintaining our citizenship in the world with Christ in Heaven. Beating ourselves up over things we have done is never the answer either. We’ve all been there and done that since we all fall short of the glory of God thanks to sin. The purpose of mourning is to lead us to repentance not emotional abuse on ourselves or others.
Repentance is the key we need to unlock the door to a better relationship with God. Isn’t it funny how the lock on the door between us and God is on our side? No, it’s not a Ha Ha kind of funny that’s for sure. It’s a sad strange kind of funny. We are the ones standing in the way of the happiness God wants us to have through repentance. Clearing the slate makes room for that happiness. It gets rid of the luggage we like to carry around so people can feel sorry for us or we feel sorry for ourselves.
The joy we get down the path of repentance and mourning over our sin is a lasting joy that will never end. It’s a joy that carries over into eternity to that destination resort we have chosen to live at, Heaven. It’s nothing like the temporary joy we may get out of the sin we allowed in our lives and the consequences resulting from it.
We definitely need to be aware of the seeds we are planting so we can remove them via our repentance or mourning before a harvest of wrong doings begins to develop. Like the skinny person who wails and mourns over the “one” little pound they gained. They become so intent over losing it that they actually do before another comes along beside it. The overweight person rolls their eyes and thinks, “Hey, I’ve got a 100 lbs to lose, fuss over that!” We act like once we’ve crossed the imaginary line we set up for ourselves that there is no going back. It doesn’t matter if it’s weight loss, sin, our attitude, or anything else. Wrong, praise the Lord. The first sign of gaining a worldly characteristic or sin we need to stop, mourn or repent until we lose it. Chances are we may gain it back. It’s a constant battle that we can win thanks to God but its one we have to want to win.
How intent are we? Are we balanced between the two extremes? Now is the time to stop, look and repent. If you get rid of the seed, you’ll avoid the harvest that can come from it. The seed we should be after is the seed of joy. The everlasting kind manufactured in Heaven, delivered through our repentance and surrender to God.
Our host this Tuesday is Michelle over on her blog, Because I Love You wander on over there and read and share with the gang. Don’t pick up any nasty habits on the way, travel in the joy of Jesus!
5 comments:
Karen,
Great post! Thanks for chiming in. You did a wonderful job of presenting the balance of godly sorrow over sin and the joy of salvation meant to sustain us in our Christian experience.
Count it all joy, my friend.
Blessings and love.
Well said! It is a balance. Thank you.
Wonderful post.
I like how you draw the comparison to Joy & Repentance to a balancing act. Most definitely we have this going on in churches today and it might be one of the reasons churches are becoming so neutral about the Gospel of Salvation. Which side to you default to???
In truth, I don't think it's so much a balancing act as it is a sequence. There is NO Salvation without acceptance and mourning. When we realize this - the daily balancing of mourning (taking up our cross daily) will become so much a part of us that the joy will be experienced simultaneously and our lives will be a true testament to His Work in our lives.
Much to think about in your words.
Good quote to think on today. yes?
Happy IOW Tuesday, friend.~esthermay
Great post, Karen. I love this The purpose of mourning is to lead us to repentance not emotional abuse on ourselves or others. It is a fine balance, indeed. Great truths shared here, my friend.
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