How spiritually beneficial it would be in weeks that lead up to Resurrection Sunday (Easter) to reflect on the great suffering of Christ, with hearts rightly related to him. His great love is our greatest need and gift.
How should we approach him and give thanks?
Psalm 51:16–17 reads: “For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
Psalm 51, in total, is a psalm describing the action of true repentance. Penitent and humble.
We read in 2 Corinthians 7:10
“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” So then, these two verses speak of godly sorrow, a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart that leads to salvation and leaves no regret. It is important to see that it leads to, it doesn’t provide. Godly sorrow leads us to the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ alone though, his death, burial, and resurrection.
The question may surface about this sorrow or heart brokenness as to what defines it or how to know what it truly consists of? Here are a few thoughts.
Worldly sorrow versus godly sorrow:
Worldly sorrow can be self-serving. It has a tendency to focus on self-feelings, or what people think or the consequences of an action.
Whereas the true and godly sorrow that leads to repentance and penitence is that which agrees with God about sin. It is seeing sin, (missing God’s mark), for what it is, and determines through God’s grace and help to turn away from it. This godly sorrow determines to live to please God. It turns to, stays focused on, and lives for God through the power of God in us.
Colossians 1:27, Christ in us the hope of Glory.
Godly sorrow and repentance gratefully accept the pardon while, in great humility looks into the face of Jesus, the one who has already made sufficient payment. What a glorious and forgiving savior.
There was a great line in the Indiana Jones series. While searching for the Holy Grail, Indiana came to the place where he would find the grail. His quest was to pass through several hidden traps using clues from his father’s Journal. One of the clues was, “Only the penitent man can pass.”
Indiana Jones realized that this meant he had to be in a position of penitence, which was on his knees in a humbled position. The position may have saved his neck but not his soul. The position of heart leads us to salvation. Take a lead from the story of Indiana Jones. In this case, we use our Heavenly Fathers’ journal; the Bible and humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God so we can keep our heads in the right place.
Remember: Pray without ceasing,
Stay calm, God is on the Throne,
Things are falling in place, not apart.
Pat Propster is lead pastor at Calvary Chapel Carson City.
