Is your heart clean? Are you innocent or guilty? Do you judge yourself? Are you being judged by others? Do you think that God can ever forgive you? Do you care? ♦

Big questions you may not think much about. For some it might be easy to say “I’m okay. I’ve been to confession.” Or “Everybody sins, God forgives me.” Others may say “It doesn’t matter. I’m still a good person.” Still others may be crushed by guilt and feel abandoned by God.

Where do you stand on the matter?

Are you carrying a burden to some degree or another? Does the burden weigh you down or are you so calloused that there is no remorse or heart of sorrow?

No Big Deal. Yes It is.
There’s a common temptation these days to minimize ours sins or wrong-doings. “So judgmental!” people say. Actually, sin is a pretty big deal. You may hear that the English word sin is derived from the New Testament Greek word hamartia which actually means failure, being in error, or missing the mark, like a marksman misses a target.

This actually understates the significance of the word, Biblical speaking. Sin is not a mistake. It’s an obvious move of our own volition to place ourselves above God.

Sin is what separates us from God who is holy and without sin. God, as Creator, is so beyond natural categorization (Alpha, Omega, Ancient of Days, Mighty God, Consuming Fire, Most High, Everlasting, Father, I AM, Jehovah, King of Kings, Lord, Majesty, Redeemer, Trinity, Yahweh, to name a few descriptors), that any attempt to normalize, trivialize or take Him lightly is treading on very dangerous ground.

And we all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23).

Sin Responses
People fall into 4 camps in their reaction to sin:

1. Don’t care – these are those that think they’re above God or don’t acknowledge God or are so Biblically disconnected they don’t even register an opinion.
2. Gloss Over – these are those that have watered down their own elementary theology into a self-justifying viewpoint that sin is glossed over by God if covered over by good-person deeds.
3. Can’t Forgive – these are believers who can’t let go of their past sin(s) and believe that God can’t either. They live in guilt-ridden depression and have difficulty in moving forward in forgiveness and restoration. Sadly this is where many Christians find themselves.
4. Godly Sorrow – these are healthy believers who understand the love, gift, promises, and nature of God and His accounting for our damning sin problem. They bring deep repentance and confession to God with sincere sorrow and regret in humble acceptance of God’s grace and forgiveness. They know there is no further condemnation in Christ.

And those in the Godly Sorrow category then vow to “go and sin no more.” (John 8:11) And though they may sin in the future, they know that He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern,what readiness to see justice done. – I Corinthians 7:10-11

Biblical Examples
The Bible records even God-fearing people reacting to sin in confounded ways. As 19th century English theologian, J. C. Philpot, points out, Cain, Esau, Saul, Ahab, and Judas all repented. But their repentance was the remorse of natural conscience, not the godly sorrow of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. They trembled before God as an angry Judge, but were not melted into contrition before Him as a forgiving Father.

He notes they neither hated their sins nor forsook them. They neither loved holiness nor sought it:

• Cain went out from the presence of the Lord.
• Esau plotted Jacob’s death.
• Saul consulted the witch of Endor.
• Ahab put honest Micaiah into prison.
• Judas hanged himself.

I would compare these men to the godly sorrow of King David as captured in his beautiful prayer in Psalms 51:

In spite of David’s dark and dire sins (adultery and murder), he knew the nature, love, compassion and forgiveness of God his Savior.

And no matter the depths of our own sin, that’s the way we should be coming to God ourselves. Yes, Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me!

Are you coming to God with a godly sorrow?
_______________________________
Godly sorrow is always attended with self-loathing and self-abhorrence; with deep and unreserved confession of sin and forsaking it; with most hearty, sincere and earnest petitions to be kept from all evil; and a holy longing to live in the praise and glory of God. – J. C. Philpot

Categories: Devotion, Evil, Forgiveness, Theology

Tags: Clean heart, Godly sorrow, Psalm 51, Sin