Church Revitalization #9 Do we grieve over sin?

Do we still grieve over our sin?

When is right to grieve over your sin?

When to grieve is to grow...The closer you get to Christ, the more you will hate sin; for nothing is more unlike Christ than sin. Because Jesus hates sin, the more like Him you grow the more you will grow to hate sin. And the more you hate sin, the more you will grieve whenever you realize that you have embraced that which killed your Savior.

Perhaps the world has never seen a man closer to Christ than the apostle Paul in the final years of his life. And yet, having grown into such a universally recognized example of Christlikeness, having audibly heard the voice of the Lord Himself on several occasions (see ; ), having been given the privilege of glimpsing the glories of Heaven itself (see ). What did Paul write in one of his final letters? (see ) ________________________________________

Whitney, D. S. (2001). Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health (p. 102). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

What was The Grand Purpose of the Redeemer’s Advent.

Whitney, D. S. (2001). Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health (p. 102). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

What was The Grand Purpose of the Redeemer’s Advent.

The Grand Purpose of the Redeemer’s Advent.

I. A most amazing and wonderful fact.—“Christ Jesus came into the world.”

II. A most gracious design.—“To save sinners.”

III. A most appropriate estimation.—“A trustworthy saying … deserving of full acceptance.”

The Essential Truth.

I. The saying.—Christ came not to teach, not as an example merely, but to die.

II. What is said of it.—1. A trustworthy saying. 2. Deserving of full acceptance.

The Chief of Sinners.—“I am the worst of them.” Every true Christian should feel that he is the worst of sinners—

Because he knows himself better than he knows any other man.

Because he judges himself by a different standard than other men.

II. Because he judges himself by a different standard than other men.

III. Because conscience is more enlightened and more tender.

Because conscience is more enlightened and more tender.

IV. Because he labors more earnestly to subdue his old depravity.

Because he labors more earnestly to subdue his old depravity.

Because he lives in closer fellowship with God.

V. Because he lives in closer fellowship with God.

If Paul believed this sincerely (as I am sure he did), then he could not say it coldly. He meant every word of it with a chest-beating grief over his sin. Those who have a Holy-Spirit-implanted love for holy truth, holy things, and the Holy One can’t help but feel miserable when they are reminded of that which is unholy within them. Sometimes the growing Christian sinks under a sense of sin so miserable that he wishes he could tear open his chest, rip out his sin-blackened heart, and fling it as far from himself as possible.

But the fact that there is a struggle with sin, and a sense of grief because of sin, is good. Unbelievers have no such struggles or griefs. They may disappoint themselves for not living up to their own standards or to the standard of someone they respect. But they do not agonize over being unholy before God—a God who is holy and who calls them to holiness (see ). It is not the absence of sin but the grieving over it which distinguishes the child of God from empty professors faith.

Are you aware of sins in your life that you weren’t cognizant of years ago, even though you were committing those sins back then as well? As discouraging as the fresh exposure is, and as grievous as it may be to have ever-deeper layers of sin laid bare, there’s something positive here. Increased sensitivity to your sin is a mark of growth. You’ve made spiritual progress beyond where you were years ago because back then you didn’t even realize that those were sins. The closer you come to the light of Christ, the more sins His holy light will expose in you.

SHOULD WE CONTINUALLY GRIEVE OVER SIN?

Excessive introspection/ self-examination is itself a sinful possibility. But the spirit of the age certainly doesn’t incline us to go to extremes in brooding over our sin. Even at church, religious entertainment characterizes more “worship” services than conviction of sin. Sermons are much more likely to be described as upbeat than heart-searching. Bursts of laughter are far more common in church than tears, whether tears of joy or of repentance.

True, the correct proportion must be assigned to both the occasions of sin in a Christian’s life and the incomparable freedom of forgiveness and grace he has through Christ. It is also true that many ministers and churches overemphasize the wrath of God and the sinfulness of people, including God-forgiven people. Nevertheless, amid all the error or overemphasis on sin a person may have experienced, and despite all the joy in the Lord that should characterize a Christian, the truth remains that the more a believer in Christ experiences growth, the more he grieves over sin. One great difference between saints and hypocrites is this, that the joy and comfort of the saints is accompanied with godly sorrow and mourning for sin.

rue, the correct proportion must be assigned to both the occasions of sin in a Christian’s life and the incomparable freedom of forgiveness and grace he has through Christ. It is also true that many ministers and churches overemphasize the wrath of God and the sinfulness of people, including God-forgiven people. Nevertheless, amid all the error or overemphasis on sin a person may have experienced, and despite all the joy in the Lord that should characterize a Christian, the truth remains that the more a believer in Christ experiences growth, the more he grieves over sin.

Jesus Himself describes true Christians not only as those who have mourned over their sin, but also as those who are still mourning. Let’s read _______________________.

One great difference between saints and hypocrites is this, that the joy and comfort of the saints is accompanied with godly sorrow and mourning for sin.

Whitney, D. S. (2001). Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health (pp. 104–105). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

Whitney, D. S. (2001). Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health (p. 104). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

“mourn” is present tense. This is not to say that Christians should be mourning their sin every moment, but it does mean that they should grieve over it all their lives. We do not read of the apostle Paul endlessly lamenting his sin. Often we find him greatly rejoicing, not grieving, such as when we read of him singing praise to God at midnight with Silas in the Philippian jail (see ). On the other hand, he wouldn’t think of himself near the end of his life as the “worst” sinner on the planet unless there had been much private grief over the sins that prompted such a claim.

Whitney, D. S. (2001). Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health (p. 104). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

There is a widely mistaken notion that repentance and faith in Christ are once-only events. Thereafter, when hearing of these matters, we tend to think, “I’ve done that.” But Christians are lifelong repenters and lifelong believers. The initial experiences of turning from sin and trusting in Christ should characterize every Christian every day to some extent. The first experiences of those newly born again—repentance and faith—are the daily stuff of Christian living.

So what do I do, if I don’t grieve over sin?

Chew on this quote from the pious John Owen: “I do not understand how a man can be a true believer in whom sin is not the greatest burden, sorrow, and trouble.” If you are not sure your experience resonates with Owen’s statement, consider the following two recommendations:

If you are not sure your experience resonates with Owen’s statement, consider the following recommendations:

Whitney, D. S. (2001). Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health (p. 109). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

Make sure you understand the gospel of the New Testament. I’m always amazed at how many churchgoing people are unclear on the gospel. Write it out, as if you were putting it in a letter or e-mail. Think paragraph or page length, not a sentence or two. In this instance, give special attention to two parts of the gospel: that which made the death of Jesus necessary, and the relationship of repentance to faith.

Ask God to show you the reality of your sin. Ask Him to show you specifics of how you sin, when you sin, where you sin, why you sin, and against whom you sin.

Whitney, D. S. (2001). Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health (p. 109). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

Whitney, D. S. (2001). Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health (p. 103). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

Whitney, D. S. (2001). Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health (p. 103). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

Whitney, D. S. (2001). Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health (p. 102). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

Barlow, G., & Tuck, R. (1892). I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James (p. 13). New York; London; Toronto: Funk & Wagnalls Company.