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Godly Sorrow Brings Peace
July 27th, 2013
Psalm 51:1-19
In a Little House on the Prairie television episode, the school teacher’s fifth grade son yields to pressure to cheat. The manipulative Nellie Oleson blackmails him with threats, so he continues to supply her with copies of school exams. The boy is consumed with guilt and doesn’t know what to do. Another classmate, Laura, sees him cheating and confronts him as a friend. She asks her father, Mr. Ingles, to give the offender counsel. When the school teacher, his mother, announces he has another perfect score, he stands at his desk and confesses to the class that he has cheated. He is sorry that he yielded to temptation and has embarrassed his mother and father. Later, after a family discussion, his father invites him to the woodshed for punishment. His mother asks his father if it is really necessary, and the son interrupts, “I will feel better if I am punished.”
Repentance acknowledges personal responsibility. “I have sinned.” Repentance commits itself to God’s “unfailing love.” Repentance results in “a pure heart.” Repentance restores “the joy of salvation.”
Author: Blair F. Rorabaugh
Tags: Forgiveness
July 27th, 2013 at 11:59 pm
“Repentance acknowledges personal responsibility”
If we fail to repent, we are “personally” crucifying Christ all over again (Hebrews 6:6). Furthermore, if we call ourselves Christians without repentance, we are taking Christ’s Name in vain!”
Repentance is “mandatory” for a pure heart. Heart, mind, and soul agreement brings about that “explainable peace” that Christ gives. A contrite heart doesn’t bring about peace without the Holy Spirit.
Sorrow brings about confession (which is good for the soul because it gets the lie out of the heart whereas the Holy Spirit enters),