sorrow

Bible Study Guides – Repentance

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November 25- December 1, 2001 

“Except Ye Repent, Ye Shall All Likewise Perish”

MEMORY VERSE

“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” Luke 15:7.

STUDY HELP: Steps to Christ, 23–35.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: “Repentance includes sorrow for sin and a turning away from it.”

Introduction

“The prayer of David after his fall, illustrates the nature of true sorrow for sin. His repentance was sincere and deep. There was no effort to palliate his guilt; no desire to escape the judgment threatened, inspired his prayer. David saw the enormity of his transgression; he saw the defilement of his soul; he loathed his sin. It was not for pardon only that he prayed, but for purity of heart. He longed for the joy of holiness,—to be restored to harmony and communion with God. This was the language of his soul.” Steps to Christ, 24, 25.

“The Goodness of God Leadeth Thee to Repentance”

1 From where does the impulse to repent come? Romans 2:4. Compare Acts 5:31.

NOTE: “When before the high priests and Sadducees, Peter clearly presented the fact that repentance is the gift of God. Speaking of Christ, he said, ‘Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins’ (Acts 5:31). Repentance is no less the gift of God than are pardon and justification, and it cannot be experienced except as it is given to the soul by Christ. If we are drawn to Christ, it is through His power and virtue. The grace of contrition comes through Him, and from Him comes justification.” A New Life, 21.

2 How concerned is God that people should repent? 2 Peter 3:9.

Note: “The members of the church of God need converting. Unless they are converted, they will lead away from Christ, making crooked paths for their own feet, and turning the lame out of the way. There is just as much need of repentance in and among believers who err from the principles of Christ as among those who have not a knowledge of the way of the Lord” Review and Herald, February 5, 1901.

“The great day of the Lord is near at hand. When Christ appears in the clouds of heaven, those who have not sought Him with all the heart, those who have allowed themselves to be deceived, will surely perish. Our only safety is to be found through repentance and conversion, and the blotting out of sins. Those who will now seek the Lord earnestly, humbling their hearts before Him, and forsaking their sins, will, through the sanctification of the truth, be fitted to unite with the members of the royal family, and will see the King in His beauty.” This Day With God, 248.

“Godly Sorrow”

3 What two types of sorrow does Paul contrast? 2 Corinthians 7:9, 10.

NOTE: “The mourning spoken of by Christ is a godly sorrow for sin, that works repentance unto eternal life. Many grieve when their guilt is discovered, because the result of their evil course has brought them into disagreeable circumstances. It was thus that Esau mourned the sin of despising and selling his birthright; but it was the unexpected consequences of that sin which caused his grief. So Pharaoh regretted his stubborn defiance of God, when he cried for the plagues to be removed from him; but his heart was unchanged, and he was ready to repeat his crime when tempted. Such mourning is not unto repentance. He who is truly convicted of sin feels his whole life to have been one continued scene of ingratitude. He feels that he has robbed his best Friend of the time and strength which was bought for him at an infinite price. His whole soul is filled with unutterable sorrow that he has slighted and grieved his compassionate Saviour. Such mourning is precious, for it will yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness. The worldling, from his stand-point, may pronounce this sorrow a weakness; but it is the strength which binds the penitent to the Infinite One with links that cannot be broken.” Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, 205.

4 What examples of godly sorrow are recorded for us? Psalm 25:16–18; Luke 22:61, 62.

NOTE: “David sinned grievously against God; but he ‘sorrowed after a godly sort.’ He prayed that the Lord would remove the cause of His displeasure: ‘For Thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity; for it is great.’ And Peter’s sorrow for his apostasy was sincere. He brought to God a broken and contrite heart; and this God has promised that He will not despise. His repentance was accepted of heaven, and Jesus entrusted to him not only the care of the sheep of his flock, but also of the tender lambs, the young converts to the faith.” Signs of the Times, February 4, 1897.

“If We Confess Our Sins”

5 What is required of us before we can receive forgiveness? 1 John 1:9.

NOTE: See Steps to Christ, 37.

6 What is meant by confession? Leviticus 5:5.

NOTE: “True confession is always of a specific character, and acknowledges particular sins. They may be of such a nature as to be brought before God only; they may be wrongs that should be confessed to individuals who have suffered injury through them; or they may be of a public character, and should then be as publicly confessed. But all confession should be definite and to the point, acknowledging the very sins of which you are guilty.” Steps to Christ, 38.

“I Acknowledged My Sin unto Thee”

7 In what spirit did David repent for his sins? Psalm 32:5, first part.

NOTE: “The strongest temptation cannot excuse sin. However great the pressure brought to bear upon the soul, transgression is our own act. It is not in the power of earth or hell to compel anyone to do evil. Satan attacks us at our weak points, but we need not be overcome. However severe or unexpected the assault, God has provided help for us, and in His strength we may conquer.” Conflict and Courage, 110.

See also Ibid., 69.

8 What promise does the Lord make to those who acknowledge their sins? Jeremiah 3:12, 13.

NOTE: “We must have a knowledge of ourselves, a knowledge that results in contrition, before we can find pardon and peace. It is only he who knows himself to be a sinner that Christ can save. We must know our true condition, or we shall not feel our need of Christ’s help. We must understand our danger, or we shall not flee to the refuge. We must feel the pain of our wounds, or we shall not desire healing.” Signs of the Times, April 9, 1902. See also Desire of Ages, 300, 301.

“Restore Again”

9 What is also required of the repentant sinner? Ezekiel 33:15.

NOTE: “If we have in any manner defrauded or injured our brother, we should make restitution. If we have unwittingly borne false witness, if we have misstated his words, if we have injured his influence in any way, we should go to the ones with whom we have conversed about him, and take back all our injurious misstatements. It will not be long before probation will close. If you do not now serve the Lord with fidelity, how will you meet the record of your unfaithful dealing?…If you have refused to deal honestly with God, I beseech you to think of your deficiency, and if possible to make restitution. If this cannot be done, in humble penitence pray that God for Christ’s sake will pardon your great debt. Begin now to act like Christians. Make no excuse for failing to give the Lord His own. Now,…while it is not yet too late for wrongs to be righted, while it is called today, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” The Faith I Live By, 132.

10 What example of true repentance is recorded for us? Luke 19:1–9.

NOTE: “No sooner did Zacchaeus yield to the influence of the Holy Spirit than he cast aside every practice contrary to integrity. No repentance is genuine that does not work reformation. The righteousness of Christ is not a cloak to cover unconfessed and unforsaken sin. Every converted soul will, like Zacchaeus, signalize the entrance of Christ into his heart by an abandonment of the unrighteous practices that have marked his life. Like the chief publican, he will give proof of his sincerity by making restitution.…If we have injured others through any unjust business transaction,…we should confess our wrong, and make restitution as far as lies in our power. It is right for us to restore not only that which we have taken, but all that it would have accumulated if put to a right and wise use during the time it has been in our possession.” Conflict and Courage, 302.

“Let the Wicked Forsake His Way”

11 What counsel is given to sinners who seek pardon from the Lord? Isaiah 55:7.

NOTE: See Acts of the Apostles, 298, 299.

12 What promise is made to those who resolve to forsake their sins? Proverbs 28:13.

NOTE: “Repentance includes sorrow for sin, and a turning away from it. We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness; until we turn away from it in heart, there will be no real change in the life.” The Faith I Live By, 127.

“The conditions of obtaining mercy from God are simple and reasonable. The Lord does not require us to do some grievous thing in order to gain forgiveness. We need not make long and wearisome pilgrimages, or perform painful penances, to commend our souls to the God of heaven or to expiate our transgression. He that ‘confesseth and forsaketh’ his sin ‘shall have mercy.’ Proverbs 28:13.” Acts of the Apostles, 552.

“Can you believe that when the poor sinner longs to return, longs to forsake his sins, the Lord sternly withholds him from coming to His feet in repentance? Away with such thoughts! Nothing can hurt your own soul more than to entertain such a conception of our heavenly Father. He hates sin, but He loves the sinner.…As you read the promises, remember they are the expression of unutterable love and pity. The great heart of Infinite Love is drawn toward the sinner with boundless compassion.… He wants to restore His moral image in man. As you draw near to Him with confession and repentance, He will draw near to you with mercy and forgiveness.” God’s Amazing Grace, 82.

By Gordon Anderson

Keys to the Storehouse – A Genuine Apology

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Today, genuine, heartfelt apologies are a rare commodity. Many people go to great lengths to convince the other person that they were responsible for the impatient or angry reaction that they received. In making an apology for not responding in a Christlike manner, are you a person who has to justify your actions and make excuses for yourself putting the blame right back on the other person to whom you are apologizing?

James says, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.” James 5:16. This does not say to blame your faults on the other person while you are confessing and you will be healed.

The devil made me do it was a popular saying used when people did something they knew was unacceptable. Many people used this saying to as an excuse for whatever they did in their life, but can we use that excuse and blame another person for our own anger? Is it their fault and are we justified blaming others for our own impatience? It comes right down to the fact that each person is responsible for his/her own sins. Whatever the circumstances, a reaction of anger and impatience is sin and we are not at liberty to blame others for our lack of control.

Those very trying circumstances that often come our way are opportunities to exercise that most precious gift—the power of choice! Instead of a negative reaction, why not call on the One who is all powerful and not willing that any would perish but overcome the devil by reflecting the character of Jesus. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict the heart of the one stirring up trouble and not ours to cast blame.

Approaching a person and saying, “I am so sorry I was impatient with you, but you …” or “I am sorry I lost my temper, but you …” is an attempt to transfer blame on someone else for my own lack of control so I will feel better. When apologizing for a wrong word or act and then qualifying it by using the word but, shows that the apology is not genuine. It is devoid of sorrow of heart and merely an attempt to cover the guilt with fig leaves, leaving no healing for either party.

A heartfelt apology is filled with the sad reality that the person has fallen short of the glory of God—fallen short of the character of Jesus in the moment of testing and trial that the Lord has allowed. Whenever I hear somebody apologizing while excusing themselves by blaming somebody else for their actions, I immediately send up a prayer for them.

The expression of regret or sorrow in an apology is like balm on an open wound that brings healing to both parties. The admission of guilt to a wounded person often results in a deeper relationship between the two, for where there had once been contention, now there is a proven trust. The next time you find yourself apologizing, remember to avoid the but word and you may be surprised to see the result of the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit by also receiving an apology in return.

Heavenly Father, put within me that heartfelt sorrow when I have misrepresented Your character. Alert me to the danger of blaming others. Take away that homemade fig leaf covering that I so often use to excuse or cover my actions and words that are not Christlike and cover me with the blood of Jesus and give me a heart of repentance. Help me to take full responsibility of my actions so that all parties will be healed. Amen.

Find peace and healing as you turn this key and enter the Storehouse.

Sermon on the Mount Series – Inconsolable Sorrow

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If a saying is self-contradictory, we often say it is an oxymoron. However, many of the greatest truths that Jesus taught seem to be self-contradictory, like the beatitude that says, “Happy are those that mourn.” In other words, happy are the sad!

The second beatitude says, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). It sounds just as strange and paradoxical as does the first beatitude that says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3). It is seemingly contrary to the accepted views of all mankind in every age of human history, for it is not our custom to envy those who weep or to congratulate the broken-hearted. We usually pity them and offer them our sympathy. We write them letters of condolence and are thankful that we have escaped their terrible situation. But Jesus pronounces a blessing on the mourners. He declares them to be happy and sets them apart as a special, privileged class. This beatitude does not have universal application or is it all-inclusive. It does not embrace every person in the world who mourns, regardless of the cause, because there is a mourning that will know no comfort. There are burning tears that will never be wiped away and there is a bitter anguish that will never be appeased.

Jesus was very, very clear about this. Notice what He said in Matthew 8:12: “But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” In Matthew 13:42 He says the very same thing: “There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Again in verse 50 He says there is going to be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Over and over again Jesus warned that there was coming a time when there would be a sorrow for which there would be no healing. There would be a sorrow that would have no consolation. Notice what He says in Matthew 24:50: “The master of that servant who will come in a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

In Matthew 25:30 the same warning is repeated: “Cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” It is predicted in Jeremiah that there is coming a time when some people in the world will make this comment: “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved” (Jeremiah 8:20)! Those who are finally lost will have a sorrow that has no comfort. There will be no alleviation for their bitter anguish. There can be no real, lasting comfort for the person who refuses to separate from sin by refusing all the overtures of the God of heaven for mercy if they would repent. If you grieve away the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, there is no way for you to be comforted.

Notice what the apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 7:10 concerning a sorrow for which there is no comfort: “… godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”

So, there is a sorrow of this world for which there is no comfort. This sort of sorrow does not bring comfort; it brings death. And there are millions of people, today in our world whose sorrow is borne of remorse, not because of their conduct, not because of their sins, but because of the personal loss that has resulted from their conduct. They do not hate the sin but instead they love the sin and just hate the results. Our jails, prisons, and penitentiaries are filled with mourners of this sort. But this mourning does not lead to any blessed results.

There is a large class of pessimistic people who mourn. One Christian writer describing them said there are people who glory in gloom and misery. There are those who are veritable gluttons for wretchedness. They search for despair as bees search for honey. They are never so happy as when they feel that they have a perfect right to be miserable. They are never so miserable as when they feel duty-bound to be happy. The Bible is very clear; we read it from the words of Jesus about the wailing and weeping that there will be in the last days. The apostle Paul says the same things.

If there is a sorrow that won’t produce any good result, then what kind of sorrow will produce a good result? What kind of mourning is Jesus talking about that brings comfort and happiness? You cannot study the beatitudes and understand them until you understand that they are inseparably connected. Each one is an advanced step on the path that leads to the kingdom of heaven. They form links in a chain of spiritual growth. They constitute the steps of a ladder that lead to the kingdom of blessedness. Blessed mourning is that which comes as a result of a person’s recognition of his spiritual poverty. Remember, the first beatitude says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” It is to those people who recognize their spiritual poverty and see their sinful condition, and say like the apostle Paul said one time in Romans 7:24 literal translation, “… wretched man that I am! Who is going to deliver me from this body of death?”

If you realize your condition and have true heart sorrow for the condition that you are in, if you are poor in spirit and you recognize that in a spiritual sense you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked, and mourn over this condition, the Lord says, you are going to be comforted. The apostle Paul also describes this sorrow that brings comfort and happiness in 2 Corinthians 7:8–12: “… even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; although I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. 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.”

Godly sorrow is sorrow for the sins that have destroyed our peace and which have caused the indescribable sufferings of the One Who paid the redemption price. Comfort is needed only where there has been grief. There can be no comfort if there has not first been discomfort. There can be no healing until a person recognizes that he or she has been wounded. Heart sorrow is the essential spiritual preparation for pardon. And pardon is the prerequisite for comfort and happiness. Whom Christ pardons He first makes penitent, and penitence is a heart sorrow for sin, a brokenness of spirit because of conscious failure.

The Bible gives many examples of godly and ungodly sorrow. For instance, the patriarch Job, when he ceased trying to justify himself and began to recognize his sins and to mourn over them, his captivity was turned and he was blessed above anything he had ever experienced before. The same is true in regard to Isaiah the prophet. In his agony of soul, over the sins of his life, he talks of himself as being a man of unclean lips, dwelling in the midst of a people of unclean lips (Isaiah 6:5).

When he recognized his condition and said that he was undone, that brought to him the dawn of a new day, the doorway to happiness. He was anointed as a messenger of the Lord. Then there is the example of King Saul. King Saul mourned over his sin of rebellion, not because he repented because of his sin, but because it cost him his throne. So, he made a forced confession when there wasn’t any other course open to him. But a forced confession does not bring forgiveness. His mourning over his rejection as King brought him no comfort. His was not a sorrow for sin, but like many who have broken the law, he was only sorry for the results of his sin. Saul had a successor, David, who also committed sins. Looking at their two lives, it appears that David committed sins just as great as Saul did, but with a difference. David was sorry, not just for what he had done, but he realized his total wretchedness, and that there had to be a re-creation or he could never be saved. He was afraid he had committed the unpardonable sin, and this is what he said about it in Psalm 51:

“Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness” (verse 14). “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me” (verses 10, 11). David recognized that he was all wretched, miserable, undone and unless the Lord created within him a new heart, a new spirit, he was lost. His repentance was accepted. The consciousness of the enormity of his sin caused him to suffer very keenly and in brokenness of heart he cried out, “O Lord, give me a new heart.”

That’s what Jesus talked about with Nicodemus. He said to the man who was one of the leaders of the Jews in those days that unless you are born of the Holy Spirit, there is no chance for you to enter the kingdom of heaven. In other words, unless you have a new heart, a new spirit, you cannot be saved. (See John 3:3, 5.)

Judas was another mourner. Judas’ mourning was over the great sin of betraying his Lord and Master. His remorse was so terrible that it drove him to murder himself. However, it was not of the godly sort that brings comfort. It was the sorrow of the world that ends in death. He was sorry for the consequences of what he had done. He never repented for the sin himself. True repentance for sins, sorrow for sin, can come only as a gift of the Holy Spirit. (See Acts 5.)

Peter sinned almost as grievously as did Judas. He betrayed Jesus Christ the same night, but his remorse was great and his grief led to genuine repentance, repentance not just for the consequences, but repentance for the sin itself and he was comforted and blessed. Jesus is the only Source of true comfort. If you want to really be comforted, you must go to Him with repentance, and ask for the gift of repentance. Ask that the Holy Spirit will give your heart repentance and a desire to be born again.

It is sorrow for our sinful condition that will be comforted. Jesus is the only Source of comfort, and therefore all mourning should lead us to Him. In fact, Jesus has given an invitation to people who are mourning because of bereavement over the loss of a loved one. Maybe you have lost your father or your mother or your wife or your husband or a child, and you are bereaved and mourning. Jesus wants to relieve your mourning.

In Isaiah there is a prophecy of the work of the Messiah, the Christ. Messiah is a Hebrew word, Christ is from the same Greek word, meaning the Anointed One. Jesus applied this prophecy to Himself. Notice what it says the work of the Messiah would be. Isaiah 61:1–3 says, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

Notice, the work of the Messiah was to bind up the broken-hearted, to comfort all that mourn, to give them that mourn in Zion beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. That is what Jesus still wants to give to the world today. The problem is that there is a lack of consciousness of sin. This healing can only be brought about by a consciousness of sin and a vision of the character of Christ. Recognition of sin is a result of recognition of God. But this must be followed by genuine heart-sorrow and repentance. The present generation is but little disturbed or concerned over sin. Multitudes of people have so far lost their sense of right and wrong that they are virtually amoral or non-moral. They have trampled all moral and spiritual standards under foot until, to them, nothing is wrong anymore. Such an attitude always produces a spirit of pride and self-appreciation, making its possessors feel they are rich and in need of nothing.

Today we are living in a world that is actually similar to the world that Jesus lived in, in that there are few people who feel their poverty of spirit enough to mourn over it. There are many who feel that somehow they lack something. But a mere recognition of a lack is not enough. The blessing is for the person only who is a convicted sinner and who takes the matter seriously and grieves over the situation until the remedy is applied. His godly sorrow must turn his footsteps toward Him who is anxiously awaiting to supply all of his needs. The knowledge of our need is valueless unless it leads us to the One Who can provide the solution. There is comfortless sorrow rampant in the world today, because godly sorrow over sin has almost disappeared from among men. Comfort in sorrow of any kind and for any cause is awaiting those who renounce sin. The heavenly blessing embraces all the sorrows that afflict mankind, provided that the comfort comes as a result of mourning over sin, which must be first experienced.

Those who realize their spiritual poverty are in a condition that if they mourn over it and are sorry and come to the Lord, He said, “I am willing to heal you. I am willing to provide comfort for your sorrow.”

The ultimate fulfillment of the comfort to mourners will come in that blessed realm where sin and all of its results are no more. We read in the Bible about what Jesus came to do. The purpose, the reason that He came, was so that He could redeem His people and take them to a better land that is described in Isaiah 35, verse 10: “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads, they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

We read also about that land in the book of Revelation. There will come a time when there is no more sorrow at all. Notice what it says in Revelation 21:4 literal translation: “And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Why is it that in the future there will come a time when there will be no more sorrow, no pain, no suffering, no crying out and no funerals? It is because at that time, sin has been done away. You can read about how sin will finally be totally abolished from our universe in Revelation the 20th chapter.

The time is coming when sin and sinners will be no more. And when that time comes, then in God’s universe, everything will be clean. There will be no more pain, no more suffering, and no more sorrow. But if you are going to be in that place, you must be cleansed from your sins, not only forgiven, but you must be cleansed from all unrighteousness as you read in I John 1:9. It says in Revelation 21:27, concerning that place, “There shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”

The ultimate fulfillment of that promise that the mourners will be comforted will be in that better land when all sorrow will be done away. In order for sorrow to be completely done away, sin has to be completely done away. And if you are sorry for the situation you are in, and want to be cleansed from your sins, the Lord says there is comfort for you.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church of Free Seventh-day Adventists in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.