Jesus FIRST makes the call for us to be “poor in spirit” because all the other beatitudes are built upon this. We cannot experience the blessings of the beatitudes based upon our own strength or by our own logic. So when we have this bankrupt view of our own strength and wisdom, what reaction does the Spirit of God produce within us? Jesus tell us:
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Matthew 5:4
If we understand our spiritual bankruptcy without Christ, we also understand the great cost of our debt borne by Christ. We are acutely aware of the high cost of sin to Jesus and the eternal consequences for the entire human race. Sin killed everything. It still does. Thus, we mourn over sin like we would weep over the death of a child because we are overwhelmed by the horrific, eternal, consequences of sin. In his Bible commentary, David Guzik explained:
The ancient Greek grammar indicates an intense degree of mourning. Jesus does not speak of casual sorrow for the consequences of our sin, but a deep grief before God over our fallen state.
The weeping is for the low and needy condition of both the individual and society; but with the awareness that they are low and needy because of sin. Those who mourn, actually mourn over sin and its effects.
This mourning is the godly sorrow that produces repentance to salvation that Paul described in 2 Corinthians 7:10.
Sorrow for sin produces repentance, which is a gift from God. When God shines the light into our life and reveals the truth, the result is a mourning that drives us to develop a passionate desire to return to Him and His ways. We desire to forsake sin. We desire for others to forsake it as well. This sorrow is not only necessary for salvation, but it is also a necessary attitude for possessing a blessed life after we are saved. Mourning produces what the Bible calls “godly repentance.” Paul the Apostle wrote:
“Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a GODLY manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”
“For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”
2 Corinthians 7:9-11
As a born again believer, when we mourn over sin, it’s because we see sin for what it is—the greatest tragedy. We will only begin to view ALL sin this way if the Holy Spirit reveals it. As a born again believer, if I choose sinful thinking, talking, and actions, then the HOLY Spirit, which resides within my soul and spirit—is grieved. My inner man mourns because of—the great cost of sin to Jesus, the great cost to me, and the great cost to everyone I around me. Sin destroys everything good. It produces tragedies of epic proportions.
Thus, to become deeply distressed over ALL sin is healthy because it motivates us to make a 180 and—to live in the righteousness of God’s glorious presence!
As Christians, we tend to become distressed over the most heinous of sins. For example, recently in our small community, a woman was convicted for murder for keeping her 7 year old child tied to a bed until she starved to death. She and her female lover forced the other children to assist in keeping the child quiet by stuffing a sock in her mouth. Rightly so, our entire community was horrified and mourned the destruction of this child’s life. Not one person thought her actions were okay.
But do you see a great mourning in our culture for the “lesser” sins.
This tragedy didn’t happen in a vacuum. The “small sins” are the actions which led to this tragedy. Cancer begins with one cell which is allowed to grow. If we are going to preserve our families, our communities, and our nation for the glory of God, then we must become horrified about ALL sin—especially our own. National repentance begins with individual repentance. A new president won’t save our nation anymore than a physician can cure a person who is eaten up with cancer. We must go to work on the cellular level. We must pray for God’s miraculous healing. It begins with you and me. Are you ready? Are there enough people falling apart around you to drive you to your knees? My friends, our situation is becoming terrifying. I’m all in! Are you? Let’s get serious about repentance in our own life and get as close to God as possible!
If we are concerned about our world, our nation, our neighborhoods, our families and ourselves—we need to humble ourselves, seek God, and turn away from anything we know is sin.
What does this look like for you and me? Well, Jesus is the light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. We must dedicate ourselves to—not just abstaining from the things we know are wrong—but we must ALSO satisfy our soul by feeding it with the things we know are right. We must desire God because we know He loves us and we know we absolutely are nothing without Him.
Jesus willingly laid down His life to pay for our sin so we could live for something greater than self. When we realize our absolute need for God, and when we mourn over sin, it produces repentance and draws us deeper into His presence where we will receive the great blessings of an abundant and satisfying life.
