God Comforts Believers (12)

When I wrote chapter ten, I thought I had finished my series on how God comforts believers. However, like with other series, I continue to think of things that I should have added to the subject. So I added chapter eleven about those who refuse to be comforted. Over the past couple days my mind was directed, by the Holy Spirit I believe, to consider a verse I failed to mention in the previous eleven chapters, and one which deserves a place in it. That verse is given in the image above.

Weeping in itself is not comforting, unless it is weeping for joy, for people can laugh so hard that tears ooze from the eyes. However, weeping, though not comforting, can be a good thing, as the words of Jesus indicate. The mourners of the Beatitudes are "blessed," and one of the chief aspects of biblical blessedness is being happy. In fact, "happy" is one of the English words that translators sometimes use as a synonym for "blessed." But, how can a person be happy while mourning in sorrow? That seems like an impossibility, or oxymoron. A happy mourner! However, the mourning Jesus has in mind is of a certain kind, and when examined and understood, what seems like a contradiction turns out not to be so. As an example of this, I will cite these words of the great apostle Paul:

"But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus." (I Thess. 4: 13-14 nkjv)

When a Christian brother or sister dies, there is sorrow and weeping. Yet, even in the midst of the sadness and the mourning there is joy in knowing that the brother or sister has entered Paradise never to suffer or die again. Thus, there is comfort and happiness even at the same time that there is weeping. Paul gives other reasons why Christians sorrow not as others who have no hope and then in closing gives this exhortation: "Therefore comfort one another with these words." (vs. 18)

The mourners will be comforted even while they mourn, even in this life, but they will also be comforted superbly in the ages to come, following their glorification and perfection. Wrote the prophet Isaiah:

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” (Isa. 61: 1-3 nkjv)

I think these verses also affirm what I have just said. God will comfort those who mourn over their sin and over their having displeased the Lord thereby, not only in a future eternity of bliss, but even when they are mourning. Further, it is not simply mourning over the consequences of sin and lawlessness. The prisons are full of such people. The kind of mourning that has promised joy attached to it is what the Bible calls "godly sorrow." It is contrasted with "the sorrow of the world." Wrote Paul:

"8 For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. 9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter." (II Cor. 7: 8-11 nkjv)

Here we see where penitent mourning is a good and blessed thing. We see how godly sorrow is different from the sorrow of the world. The same apostle wrote:

"6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives." 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." (Heb. 12: 6-11 nkjv)

Here Paul says that God's children should take comfort in their chastening. They should recognize that it is proof that God is their Father, loves them, and is bringing about their spiritual maturity and holiness.

Mourning over sin in the way of godly sorrow is commendable if it leads to genuine repentance and teaches a lesson. This would include a believer mourning not only over his own sins but also the sons of others, especially weeping over the state of lost sinners. I recently wrote about this in a post titled "Do You Weep For Sinners?" (See here). "Blessed are they who mourn for the lost state of sinners" (or over the sinful state of their country). Jesus did this when he wept over the lost state of Jerusalem's citizens. (Luke 19: 41) He wept over the death of Lazarus too, and death is a consequence of sin. (John 11: 35) We also read where Christ, "in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear," and that "though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered." (Heb. 5: 7-8 nkjv) The Psalms are filled with godly weepings and in both David and Christ we see this in their lives. Blessed are they who mourn in the manner of the Psalmist and Christ.

Christians should be the greatest of optimists. They should be able to find comfort in all their sufferings. 

James the Lord's brother said the following to lost sinners:

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom." (James 4: 8-9 nkjv)

In order to be saved there must be a genuine mourning over sin, godly sorrow that brings repentance, that leads to confession of sins and to the remedy for sin and guilt in Christ. If you do not hate sin as a thing in itself and because it displeases God and angers him, ask God to give you an abhorrence of sin and a love for righteousness, godliness, and holiness. Rather than sin being a sweet morsel to the taste, pray that God makes sin bitter.