May 15, 2012
For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from
sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow. But
worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. -- 2Corinthians
7: 10 (NLT)
There is a wound that runs deep
into the core of every person's being. It is a gaping untreated wound within
the spirit that can only be healed by reconciling with our Creator. The world
likes the expression that "time heals all wounds" and as far as earthly
injuries go, this is largely true. But when it comes to matters of the spirit,
time does not heal all wounds -- only God can. Because of the sin of Adam, we
are left separated from the God who created us but thanks to the sacrifice of
Jesus Christ we can be reconciled again:
Yes,
Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's one act of
righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because
one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person
obeyed God, many will be made righteous. -- Romans 5: 18-19 (NLT)
We run through this life desperately trying to fill the Jesus shaped hole in our heart with anything the world recommends. We fill it with our careers only to be downsized. We fill it with worldly love only to be betrayed. We fill it with drugs and alcohol only to discover they are grand lies. Nothing satisfies because nothing the world offers closes the wound. It may cover up the symptoms for a little while but in the end we remain bleeding on the inside, still searching for the only salve that will work -- Jesus.
That salve works through Godly sorrow as the key verse indicates. Please note that this verse clearly differentiates between worldly sorrow and Godly sorrow because they are vastly different. Allow me to illustrate from my life. In 1998 my life was in disarray, largely through my own poor management of it and the consequences of sin. There were worldly forces beyond my control contributing as well, but when you truly self examine you are usually left with the uncomfortable realization that those forces only gain their power by your own weaknesses. I always believed in God having been raised Catholic and these are the times we either turn further away from Him or run closer to Him. Thankfully, I chose the latter. I had real genuine sorrow but it was all worldly sorrow. I was sorry for the state my life was in. I was sorry for what I did to contribute to that mess. As the key verse teaches; this kind of sorrow results in spiritual death. For as sorry as I was, I was not sorry unto God. I was not sorry enough to change who I was in the world. I prayed for God to save my situation, not my destination. I prayed for Him to solve my worldly problems, not my spiritual ones. And my worldly problems did subside and I was delivered from them and got my life back after 14 months. And I went right back to the way I was before everything fell apart.
That is until I walked into a church in 2002. I do not remember the message but I remember the altar call. I remember God prying me out of my pew, reminding me everything He had done for me four years earlier. This is why I speak out so virulently against seeker friendly heresy in the modern church which is based on the belief that the Gospel is not enough anymore and we have to somehow trick people into salvation. It is a lie from hell because the only thing that got me up to the altar that day was the weight of my sin being unable to bear within my soul anymore. While in 1998 I had plenty of worldly sorrow -- that day in 2002 for the first time, I understood Godly sorrow. I understood that I was a sinner before a Holy God. It was that Godly sorrow that led me away from sin and resulted in my salvation. It closed the wound permanently and I was suffering in my spirit no more because now the Spirit of God lived within me.
This is also why I speak against the sinner's prayer as much as I do. Wait a minute preacher; didn't you just say that you went up for altar call? Yes, and I said the sinners prayer. But I also had said it in 1998. I sat in my room at 3 AM watching an infomercial starring Andy Pettite who was pitching then for the Houston Astros and I repeated after him and said the sinner's prayer. And when God delivered on His part and saved my worldly life, I went right back to living like a devil. Andy planted the seed that night, and God would send people over the four years to water it. Then in 2002 I was harvested, so to speak. But I have no illusions beloved. If my life was required of me between 1998 and 2002 I was not saved. I had no Godly sorrow, no repentance, and thus, no salvation. The sinner's prayer while well intended is simply poor theology. There is no prayer needed for salvation, just the weight of your sin becoming so unbearable that you recognize you need a Savior. Genuine Godly sorrow, followed by a regeneration of your heart.
What does that mean? That means you are a different person after you accept Christ into your heart. It means you turn from the sinful activities and towards the Godly. Does it mean perfection? Of course not. I remain woefully imperfect but now that imperfection bothers me. When I sin, it bothers me. The things of God are more important to me than the things of this world. In 1998 I said a prayer but in 2002; I was born again! A new creation in Christ. Today I fear we have too many people who have said a prayer and think they have an eternal life they truly do not possess. They are still bleeding internally only they have been convinced that they are healed. They are not discipled easily. They still walk with no victory over sin. Paul Washer explains it by saying we have too many goats who we are trying to teach to act like sheep.
Anyone who knows me knows that discipleship is my burden. I feel that too many Christians are left to try and figure it out on their own. But there is an order for things. If someone had tried to disciple me in 1998 after I said the sinner's prayer it simply would not have worked because the things of God were still foolishness to me. It still took someone witnessing to me over a period of years before I came to that altar ready for God. Don't be fooled today. If your salvation is based upon a prayer that you said followed by no significant change in who you are than I suggest that you still may have an open wound in your spirit that only Jesus can close. That Jesus is not an intellectual exercise. He is not an emotional experience. He is the Great Physician first, because He can heal that wound. But not until the correct order of things. Godly sorrow must come first where you are sorry for your sins before God. True Godly sorrow will lead you to repent, which means turning away from sin as the key verse states. THAT and THAT alone is what will lead you to salvation in Jesus Christ.
Rev. Anthony
