“Blessed are those
who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew
5:4
What would a world look like if
there was no fear of God and no sorrow for sin?
It would look like marriage doesn't matter and you can live with whomever you wish however you wish. It will all be
regarded as the same.
In that world having an abortion
would be moral but supporting a team named the Redskins would be immoral.
A high school student in that world
could have his Bible taken from him at his school but he could be given a condom.
In that amoral world, someone
believing in the Biblical account of creation would be called immoral and
ignorant but those convinced of man-made global warming would be anointed as
the enlightened ones.
Making profane public pronouncements
against God or Christians in that world would be considered free speech but protesting
the government in public could get you on a terrorism watch list.
That world would look like people
intent on doing whatever they think will make them happy without facing
judgment or accountability all the while becoming increasingly unhappy in the
process.
In other words, it would look just
like 2014 American culture.
Not good.
It was under similar cultural,
political and moral conditions that Jesus delivered this teaching on the
Kingdom of God that has become known as the Beatitudes. He proclaimed that
these counter intuitive truths would bring abiding joy to those who embraced
them and enacted them.
Foundational to finding joy is to
understand the significance of sin. In the Old Testament there are eight words
for sin and twelve words for sin in the New Testament. The most common
definition of sin is “missing the mark” or “falling short of the glory of God”.
Your sin grieves God, hurts you and
harms others. It robs you of peace and joy and purpose.
Until you confront your sinfulness
and confess it and repent of it with great sorrow, you have no chance at
finding the blessed joy God desires you to know.
Mourning over sin will turn your
world right-side-up. It would become a radically different world overnight if
people would face their spiritual poverty and cry out to God in repentance.
Would you like to go first?