-- Sunday, 7/4/10 -- BEING TRULY SORRY -- Judges 2:4-5

[J.R. & Bonnie Ricks]

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BEING TRULY SORRY -- Judges 2:4-5 NIV

 

When the angel of the LORD had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud, and they called that place Bokim.  There they offered sacrifices to the LORD.  (“Bokim” means “weepers”.)

 

When the angel of God brought their sins to the attention of Israel, the Bible says they "wept aloud" and "offered sacrifices to the Lord".  They were truly sorry.  They cried aloud for what they had done.  And they offered sacrifices for their sins.

 

This is the road God gives us to forgiveness… true repentance… true feelings of sorrow for what we have done to offend our Lord… true desire to turn away from those sins… to have them wiped out of our lives… and true sacrifice on our part in order to show our sorrow.

 

But that's not what you and I do most of the time.  Instead, we figure if we show up at church every Sunday, read our Bibles just often enough to keep from having to dust them, live relatively crime-free lives, and generally put on a good appearance, God won't notice all the sinning we're doing on the side.  We're good people, after all.  We have great reputations, live exemplary lives (by the world’s standards), don't drink, smoke or chew… or run around with people who do.  Right?

 

At the same time, each of us is committing one sin after another, but trying to ignore them… or noticing them, but not seeing them as all that important.  After all, I've never killed anyone… but I have hated.  I have been so angry I might have killed at any moment... and I've refused to let go of that anger for years and years.  I've never bowed down to a golden calf… but I have allowed my job and relationships and circumstances to get between me and God.  I've never cursed God.  But I have been too cowardly to stand up for my Lord when I was outnumbered by non-Christians.  And I have been very, very guilty of sweeping these sins under the rug, hoping God wouldn't notice them if I didn't bring them up.  And perhaps worst of all, early in my life as a Christian (before I really got to know Jesus), I claimed to be sinless.  That was long before I learned what Jesus’ perfection really is and discovered 1 John 1:8, 10 (NIV) – “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. … If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”

 

Instead of lowering the boom on me like I truly deserved, my Lord waited patiently for me to realize what a sinner I really was… for me to be truly sorry… for me to see how evil each of my sins was in His eyes… to get down on my knees and cry aloud in my sorrow and anguish for what I had done to offend Him… and to offer Him the sacrifice of my will for His.

 

If you're holding some "secret" sins to the side, never asking for forgiveness even though you know you have sinned, don't be fooled into thinking those particular sins are off your list.  You must be truly sorry and truly ready to turn away from those sins.  So don't delay any longer.  If we’re sincere, His forgiveness is there for the asking… and it is so very, very sweet.

 

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