GODLY SORROW LEADS TO REPENTANCE
I believe we can know our true spiritual state by how troubled we become over our slightest sin against our Lord.
Some Christians only grieve over what they consider the “big sins”—adultery, drug abuse, drinking, cursing.
But the truly spiritual person knows that NO sin is small in God’s sight and so he grieves every time he gossips, tells a dirty joke or has a lingering evil thought.
We know these things spring from our heart, the very center of our being.
You can disobey God in such “small things,” excusing yourself and forgetting all about them.
**But if you do, you will never mature in Christ.
Your righteousness (moral orderliness) is measured by your unwillingness to accept anything that grieves your blessed Savior.
In each moment we sin, the enemy whispers to us, “That little slip-up was no big deal. It was such a small thing.”
**But the Holy Spirit must immediately rise up in my heart to refute the devil’s voice.
Be reassured, the very fact you’re grieving over a sin is proof Jesus is at work in you.
*The more you grieve over even the smallest transgression against His love, the closer you get to victory.
God sent His Spirit to us to wage war against our flesh and its desires and lusts.
So, if you aren’t troubled when you fail—if you are able to shake off your sin with no sense of guilt, sorrow or regret—then the Holy Spirit is not in you doing warfare.
“ yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” (2 Corinthians 7:9,10).
If you are being convicted by even the lightest transgression, you are close to true victory. He is winning the battle in your heart by producing a godly sorrow that leads to true repentance.
Robert Bagne is the founder and president of The Hope Connection Ministry, a multi-faceted outreach dedicated to moving people forward in hope through the truth of God’s Word. A gifted Bible teacher and strategist, Robert is also co-author and coach of Moving Forward: A Vision Without Action Is Only a Delusion. His professional background includes resort and restaurant management, business ownership, and leadership in recovery ministry. He currently works with missions in Ukraine and directs the Elk River Sober Home Discipleship Program, equipping men for re-entry into society. Together with his wife Laura, they write daily devotionals, lead addiction support groups, offer spiritual coaching, conduct interventions, and mentor pastors and missionaries worldwide. Both serve as mentors for Teen Challenge. The Bagne’s reside in Ramsey, Minnesota, fully trusting God to provide as they faithfully serve in ministry, passionately sharing Christ’s love and hope.
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