On the Road to Jerusalem: Recognize

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.” 

—Luke 10:13-15

As Jesus made His way to Jerusalem, He uttered warnings to several cities in Galilee: Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. Why? Because they saw His work, but failed to respond to it in repentance. Yet, Jesus says that it would be more bearable on the Day of Judgment for Gentile cities such as Tyre and Sidon than it would be for the cities Jesus was in. Why? Because those cities didn’t see and reject the Savior, as the Galilean cities had. Judgment will be stricter for those who have the truth and fail to live it, compared to those who don’t.

As believers in Christ, we must keep a short account of sin. And what is sin? The Bible employs three different words that highlight different aspects of sin, as James Montgomery Boice writes:

“The first describes sin in view of our relationship to God. It pictures us as being in rebellion against Him. The second word describes sin in relation to the divine law. We fall short of it and are condemned by it. The third word describes sin in relation to ourselves. It is a corruption or twisting of right standards as well as of our own beings. That is, to the degree that we indulge in sin we become both twisted and twisting creatures.”—James Montgomery Boice, Psalms 1-41, p. 278.

Susanna Wesley defined sin as,

“Whatsoever weakens your reasons, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes away the relish of spiritual things, whatever increases the authority of your body over your mind, that is sin"—Susanna Wesley (Mother of John & Charles Wesley) Letter, June 8, 1725.

The Bible says that we must continually be examining and testing ourselves to see whether or not we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). And one way we can do this is by examining how we respond to sin. Do we experience “godly grief” or “worldly grief”? And how do we recognize the difference between the two? Paul writes that  

“Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death”—2 Corinthians 7:10. 

Godly grief comes when one knows the reality of what his or her sin is and what it demanded in the death of God’s Son on the cross. And godly grief always leads to action—that is, repentance. The one who only experiences “worldly grief” is one who does not repent or turn from his or her sin, but only experiences a tinge of remorse. Their action is not turning from sin, but continuing on in it. Godly grief will do whatever it takes to be reconciled to God—no matter how humiliating. But worldly grief is simply for show and will only do what is necessary in the sight of the world. Worldly grief is not concerned about offending a just, loving, and holy God—it is only interested in preserving one’s stature in the sight of man. A truly repentant individual cares not what anyone else thinks or does. This is the person who can truly say, “Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight”—Psalm 51:4a. And, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”—Luke 18:13.

What about you? Do you recognize God’s work in your life? Are you willing to recognize your sin? Are you experiencing “godly grief” or “worldly grief”? Are you ready to do whatever it takes to be reconciled in the sight of God? Don’t waste any time,  

“rend your hearts and not your garments. ‘Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster”—Joel 2:13. 

 God will forgive any sin, and will restore to us the joy of our salvation once we turn to Him in repentance and faith (Psalm 51:12). We simply need to do it. Amen.