Thursday, June 19, 2014

June 20, 2014

“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?