Articles
Mourning Over Sin
As this year comes to a close and as we anticipate a new one, there will be a host of new year’s resolutions and changes that will take place. However many changes take place, one thing will not change: Sin is a problem and we need to deal with it!
Jesus teaches us in Matt. 5:4: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Jesus says we must mourn! This is not mourning over the loss of loved ones and making sure we are showing up at funerals and such. This is mourning over sin. What usually happens is that when become confident, self-inflated and self-centered we fail to see our sin. And if we do we fail to acknowledge it, we must be humble and reflect at our actions and mourn over our sin because we have all sinned.
We cannot be pleasing to God if we do not acknowledge our sin and our faults. The bible says in 1 John 1:8, 10:
“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”
Faithful disciples typically talk about David as a great example of what a disciple of God should be. Such a conclusion is not wrong. What made David such a great example wasn’t that he was perfect but rather it was his willingness to own up to his sin when he failed. David was riding pretty high in his days as king and he became, confident, he became self-reliant and in a moment of supreme selfishness and disobedience, he committed adultery and pre-meditated murder. God needed to bring him down and He wanted David to acknowledge what he had done (2 Sam. 12:7-14).
David acknowledged his sin, repented and turned back to God whom He had forsaken. He humbled himself and chose to repent and seek God’s forgiveness and for that he was able to be comforted (Psa. 51). This is what made him a man after God’s own heart. We were created by a God and we serve a God who is moved by humility and repentance (2 Chron. 7:14). There is no sin too big for Him to forgive and remove and there is no hope lost for salvation.
It does not matter what we have done and how bad it is, if we are willing to be poor in spirit and to mourn over sin, we will have access to the kingdom. We have the same opportunity David and the people on the day of Pentecost who murdered Jesus did (Acts 2:36-38) and so we must confess our sins and we will be comforted (2 Cor. 1:3-4; 7:8-10). The bible teaches in 1 Jn. 1:9; 2:1-2:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”
There is much comfort to be had for all who mourn over sin. God is faithful and Jesus died so that we might be comforted from our greatest problem. So, whatever this new year brings, may we all make it our aim to repent of our sins and turn to Jesus for salvation.
