Monday, November 21, 2016

Why the Christian's soul melts in tears of godly sorrow || JPP


We do not sorrow for our sin and repent just because we detest the consequences of sin or that we have been exposed of sin. Godly sorrow is for trespass against God. It is to God na ang godly sorrow ay naka direkta -- yung isang Diyos na lahat ng actions towards His children are gracious. This is the ultimate reason why you have godly sorrow.

When you say sorry sa mahal mo sa buhay, ang apology mo is not directed sa'yo o kaya ay gusto mo lang maalis ang feeling mo ng guilt, your apology is directed sa kanya. It is person to person.

There will be dismay over its consequences or yung kahihiyan na nangyari. But the main affair of the sorrow if it is to be godly is that it is for trespass against God.

The Puritan Thomas Watson explains our falsehood this way,
A man may be sorry, yet not repent, as a thief is sorry when he is taken, not because he stole, but because he has to pay the penalty. Hypocrites grieve only for the bitter consequence of sin.*
It is a grievous shame that we grieve God with our sin knowing what he has done for us.

Polycarp of Smyrna was executed in AD155 an old man. Before the execution, the Roman governor who was attending to the proceeding told him to swear and revile Christ so that he will be dismissed of charges. To which the old saint replied,
Eighty and six years have I been his servant, and he hath wronged me in nothing, and how can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour.†

They burned him and drove a sword to his chest.

Godly sorrow happens when a believer's soul is embittered for what he/she has done to a good and gracious God. Watson said, "Martyrs shed blood for Christ, and penitents shed tears for sin."

Hindi kaaya-aya sa marami malamang ang godly sorrow, kasi pag may godly sorrow ka, kapag dumating yung panahon na medyo malayo na ang pangil ng kaparusahan sa'yo (ibilang mo na ang impyerno), yet you still grieve "for sinning against that Free Grace which has pardoned" you. But it is in this ingenuous notion of grief that our lives are protected, healed and remedied from the danger of sin that sadly grieves the very God who, in the words of Polycarp "hath wronged [us] in nothing."

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* Thomas Watson, Doctrine of Repentance

The Martyrdom of Polycarp, 6

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