Sorrow without Regret

"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. ¹⁰ For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death."

2 Corinthians 7:9-10

Sorrow is common in our human condition.  Grief, heaviness, and even guilt can be beneficial for us and others when godly sorrow leads us to repentance.  The context of the quoted passage is Paul was sad to see the Corinthians sorrowful over their sin, but he was pleased that it provoked a healthy and positive response in them to humbly repent before God.  It is one thing to acknowledge we have done wrong, but another thing entirely to put off the sin moving forward - and actually be joyful to move on in faith.  The lives of Judas and Peter provide illustrations of sorrow in a worldly and godly manner.  Both Judas and Peter fell into sin as do we all, and the way we deal with it will determine the fruit which remains.

There are many similarities between Judas and Peter:  they were both called by Jesus as disciples, followed Him for years, and were both informed they would respectively betray and deny Jesus. After Judas made a covenant with the Jewish rulers to betray Jesus away from the crowds for 30 pieces of silver, he was overcome with guilt for his sin.  Matthew 27:3-5 says, "Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, ⁴ saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? You see to it!"⁵ Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself."  Judas knew he had done wrong, but the sorrow produced by his sin was not handled in a godly manner:  without repentance before God it produced death.  Instead of humbling himself before God, Judas determined swift justice was what he deserved.  He transgressed further by taking vengeance upon himself without care of God's grace or mercy.

Peter strongly opposed the suggestion he would deny Jesus, yet later that same night he did so three times.  It was only after he did deny Jesus it hit home in Matthew 26:75:  "And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So he went out and wept bitterly."  Peter experienced great sorrow due to his sin, and rightly so.  He had denied Jesus the Son of God who was crucified on Calvary.  Clearly Peter had the same opportunity to tie a rope around his neck and leap to his death, but his life revealed a response to sorrow in a godly manner.  After Jesus was risen from the dead, He called out to Peter and his fellow fishermen.  When they brought in a sizeable catch, it dawned on Peter who spoke with them in John 21:7:  "Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea."  Peter did not jump into the sea to swim away from Jesus, but raced to be close to Jesus.  Peter's friendship and fellowship was restored with Jesus that day, and he went on to lead others to salvation through faith in Christ.

Judas and Peter both sorrowed for their own sin, but their responses were totally different.  I am sure they both "beat themselves up" as we also are prone to do when we have done wrong, but followers of Jesus are called to repentance leading to salvation which is not to be regretted.  There is nothing to regret about restoration to friendship with God.  The sorrow of the world, however, always produces death even when a rope is not employed to end it all:  death of fruitfulness, death of a solid witness, death of viable ministry, the death of relationship.  Worldly sorrow is a slow, painful death leading to death we can be delivered from when we rush to Christ in faith and repentance.  Jesus asked Peter if he loved him, and the fact Peter jumped and swam to Jesus was evidence of godly sorrow coupled with genuine love.  May the LORD produce in us this godly sorrow which leads to salvation, not only for us but leading to the salvation of others.

Knowing and Experiencing God

There is a push today to "experience" God, and this is nothing new.  People want to have tangible evidence and experiences which for them confirm the reality of God's existence and power.  Whilst I applaud the desire to seek and know God who has revealed Himself in the world and His Word, the pursuit of religious experiences brings the divine down to the level of a hokey parlour trick.  To know God is to experience Him, and He is more than tingly or warm sensations.

In an old Mythbusters episode, the build team had the goofy idea that ancient people may have used small electrical currents to provide a "religious experience."  The largely western bias that what was believed to be a religious experience could not be supernatural was on full display.  Electric shocks, mind-altering drugs, and superstitions of ignorant people are seen by modern folks as plausible ways people believed they were in contact with God.  Whilst many ignorant and deceived people imagined they had an experience with God and were mistaken, it does not mean God is a sham.  Jesus backed up His claim of being the Way, the Truth, and the Life by rising from the dead and ascending to heaven in the presence of many witnesses.  This experience of Christ's disciples was more than euphoria but a realisation of God's reality and the promise of eternal life made theirs through faith in Jesus.

There is no set formula to receiving a revelation of God like we have to assemble a cabinet purchased at IKEA or following a wiring diagram to connect to electrical current.  In the scriptures we see God reveal Himself in ways which are shocking and surprising:  God spoke to people who loved Him and also to people who hated Him.  His presence was displayed as a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night.  Mt. Sinai shook and trembled in smoke when He descended, and also spoke to the prophet Elijah alone with a still, small voice.  He caused barren women to bring forth children, and rendered Zechariah mute until he named his son John.  God caused Mary to conceive as a virgin and bring forth Jesus Christ - that sounds like an unique experience!  The truth is God desires to be known, and those who seek Him will find Him.  He has more than a tingle of the fingers or splintering the sky with a thunderbolt, but love, acceptance, and forgiveness.  He provides abundant life which transcends experience.

One of God's laments in scripture is His people did not know Him.  The nation of Israel worked to follow His Laws but their ignorance of God was revealed by their lives which were bankrupt of His character.  Knowing God transforms people from within.  See what He spoke through the prophet in Jeremiah 9:3-6: "And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know Me," says the LORD. ⁴ "Everyone take heed to his neighbour, and do not trust any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanderers. ⁵ Everyone will deceive his neighbour, and will not speak the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves to commit iniquity. ⁶ Your dwelling place is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know Me," says the LORD."  As people gathered for the feasts, prayed, sang, and offered sacrifices, it was quite the religious experience.  No doubt hair stood on end as the priests shouted praise to God, and what about when fire fell from heaven at the prayer of Solomon and consumed the offering?  God desired more than shivers down and spine, prophesying, and memories, that people would know Him.

Knowledge of God is enjoined through the mind coupled with faith.  I expect many were physically healed by Jesus who wondered how He was able to heal but did not worship Him as God.  There were people who pressed through the crowd to seek Jesus and were healed, and others Jesus came to alone and restored body and soul.  There were people who only heard of what Jesus did and cried out to Him believing, and others who witnessed Him raise a man from the dead sought to kill Him.  The concept of a "religious experience" can be pleasing to the atheist and agnostic, but more than being pleased ourselves we should do what pleases God.  Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."  God was pleased to give people senses, yet His presence transcends feelings, senses, physical healing, and knowledge.  A lot passes for a religious experience today, and our lives are meant to be more than a successive string of them because Jesus is our life.

Fearless Servants

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, yet I wonder how many times the fear of things other than God is what moves us to take action or procrastinate endlessly.  Fear in us is as prevalent of consciousness as the aftermath of Adam and Eve's sin reveals.  After they sinned they hurriedly covered their nakedness under fig leaves because they were afraid to be exposed before God.  It seems they were not afraid of death at that stage because it was foreign to them, but their failure prompted them to cave to fear.

Last night I read the parable of the talents and the servants Jesus shared in Matthew 25.  Before going on a long journey, a master gave a significant sum to his servants each according to their ability.  Upon his return the good and faithful servants were pleased to reveal they had doubled the money provided them through trading.  There was one servant, however, who chose to dig a hole and bury the talent in the ground instead of utilising it for profit.

Upon examination by his master Matthew 25:24-25 reads, "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵ And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.'"  What struck me as I read this is it was fear which prompted the servant to bury the talent in the ground.  Then I wondered about what exactly he was afraid of?  It could have been a number of things I can identify with:  fear of failure, fear of not being as successful as the other servants, fear of making mistakes, fear of having to give away what he worked for, fear of responsibility, fear of wasted effort, and on the potential list goes.

What was the basis of the servant's fear?  One of the root causes was a lack of faith in the wisdom of his master.  The master gave to each servant according to his ability, and it seems the servant who received a talent (a Roman talent was about 32 kilos in weight - that's a lot of gold or silver!) did not trust his master's estimation of his abilities.  In his mind it was better to hand back to his master what was already his than risking failure and displeasing his master.  But his disobedience through inaction due to fear led to him doing exactly that. Matthew 25:26-27 says, "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. ²⁷ So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest."  It was a lot of work to dig a hole and bury the talent in the ground, but it was the wrong sort of work:  the wicked servant dug a hole for himself out of fear from which he would never be free.

It is confronting to consider the riches God has given us through Christ Jesus and the meagre amount of increase due to my poor efforts.  God has filled us with the Holy Spirit and gifted each of us according to God's perfect will.  We must choose if we will let fear of failure due to unbelief or fear in God direct our steps as we seek God's glory.  Instead of being afraid we won't measure up, consider how God knows us and has promised to help us live a life that pleases God.  We trust God for our eternal salvation, so shouldn't we trust him to guide and empower us today?  All the servants in the parable had something in common:  without the talents given them by the master they had nothing, yet through his gracious provision they could make fruitful choices.  May the love of Jesus Christ for us dissolve all fears and doubts so we might live as God's good and faithful servants who are without fear.

The Dream of Redemption

I have a confession to make:  I'm not a big Elvis fan.  I have nothing against the late-great entertainer, but as a kid his music was played primarily on the "oldies" radio stations, the music my aunts and uncles blasted at family gatherings.  I appreciate his musical and singing talent, but admittedly I was never into his music.  Because I never owned one of his countless albums, there are a lot of songs I am unfamiliar with - like his famous "If I Can Dream."

I was driving and listening to ABC Radio recently and "If I Can Dream" was performed by Elvis with great passion and conviction.  I listened to the lyrics and was surprised by the shocking theology (or lack thereof):  "We're lost in a cloud with too much rain; we're trapped in a world that's troubled with pain. But as long as a man has the strength to dream he can redeem his soul and fly..."  What?  I was incredulous at the suggestion.  After arriving home I checked out the lyrics online to ensure I indeed heard correctly - that a man's strength to dream enables him to redeem his soul?  Where did that idea come from?  Not from the Bible - which is the only authority on the redemption of souls.

Man is no more capable of redeeming himself than he is able to conceive himself without mother or father.  Then there is the problem of sin as Proverbs 20:9 says:  "Who can say, "I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin"?"  If we cannot wash ourselves from the guilt of sin, how can we redeem ourselves from it?  God redeemed the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt with His mighty power as a gaal or kinsman redeemer.  Moses sang of the LORD's deliverance in Exodus 15:13: "You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation."  Men talk of "redeeming themselves" but it is a broken cliche, for the redemption of souls is solely God's sovereign work by His grace.

Peter spoke to disciples of Jesus and explained how they were redeemed by the blood of Jesus in 1 Peter 1:18-21:  "...knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. ²⁰ He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you ²¹ who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."  The right of redemption was reserved for a near-kinsman as Boaz was to Ruth, and Jesus Christ is the only One worthy among men whose blood is acceptable as the Lamb of God without blemish.  No amount of money, gold, silver, good works, or dreaming is able to redeem our souls from death:  redeeming us from the curse of the Law and granting us all the blessings of God.  Jesus alone can redeem, and to say anyone or anything else can is abominable blasphemy.

Man cannot fly unassisted, and he also cannot redeem his own soul - despite his grandest dreams.  The hope of redemption will remain a dream, a fantasy forever elusive without placing faith in Jesus Christ as LORD and Saviour.  This world remains in darkness and is inhabited by countless people who are lost, but Jesus is the Redeemer.  God can use being lost, trouble, and pain to draw us near to Himself.  Jesus went through excruciating pain to redeem our souls and grant us eternal life.  The prophet spoke the truth concerning the Messiah Jesus Christ in Isaiah 53:4-5:  "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. ⁵ But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed."