The right kind of sorrow is often needful and brings with it certain benefits. Yet, it is in the joy of the LORD that God's people specifically find strength.
No man is to be respected above another person in a form of unrighteous judgment. However, does not infer nondiscrimination in every matter.
God desires the sacrifices of men because they demonstrate the love men have for Him. Yet, in reality, man’s sacrifices do not fulfil any need that God inherently has. The Lord made this clear to the Old Testament saints when He said, “I am full of the burnt offerings” (Isaiah 1:11). In another place He told them, “If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof” (Psalm 50:12). The New Testament believer offers sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving (Hebrews 13:15), and these sacrifices please God, but these sacrifices do not improve God in any way. With or without the sacrifices of men, God continues to be who He is.
Sin can never be flippantly disregarded. If the Lord is just, and He is, He must mete out consequences for rebellion. The biblical descriptions of the Lord’s reaction to rebellion varies from “he will be wroth” (Joshua 22:18) to “then shall the hand of the LORD be against you” (1 Samuel 12:15) to “ye shall be devoured with the sword” (Isaiah 1:20) to “I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee” (Exodus 33:5) to “I will purge out from among you the rebels” (Ezekiel 20:38) to “I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings” (Malachi 2:2). Though there are variations in the response, the constant truth remains that the Lord hates rebellion and responds to the rebellion with judgment.
The Bible teaches us that “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Following salvation, a man's life should display visible changes as he seeks to put off his former conversation. According to scripture, that former conversation fulfilled “the desires of the flesh and of the mind” (Ephesians 2:3). By the grace of God, change is possible because every believer has been redeemed from his “vain conversation” (1 Peter 1:18). The apostle Paul is a great example. Before meeting the Lord on the road to Damascus, Paul's conversation or lifestyle involved mercilessly persecuting the church (Galatians 1:13). In his new life with Christ, he immediately began preaching the very faith he once destroyed (Galatians 1:23). When a person truly places his faith for salvation in the finished work of Christ, his conversation will change accordingly.
People often consider sorrow as something that breeds discouragement or even depression. However, there exists another type of sorrow called godly sorrow. It serves to positively influence the lives of those devoted to Christ. In fact, godly sorrow works to develop other godly traits such as carefulness, righteous indignation, fear of God, vehement desire, and zeal in the life of the believer. When we experience sorrow of a godly sort from having failed the Lord, it helps us to learn to serve Him with renewed fervency and zeal. This truth is further validated by the biblical principle that those who are forgiven much by the Lord will love Him more (Luke 7:41-47). Those who consistently reflect upon where God brought them will experience the right type of sorrow. Further scriptural study reveals that the most zealous Christians are those who were deeply influenced by godly sorrow.
The children of Israel had an important decision to make: whether to obey the Lord or unwisely refuse to obey Him. The Lord assured His children that their obedience would pay off with fruitful dividends. He promised to bless their obedience and curse their disobedience. The Bible clearly lists the blessings of obedience (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). Though the blessings of obedience can vary from one person to the next, obedience always yields God's blessing. For instance, Abraham was told that all nations would be blessed in his seed because he obeyed the voice of the Lord (Genesis 22:18). Isaiah told the Israelites that, if they would obey, they would eat the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19). Jeremiah told his audience that their obedience would cause it to be well with their soul and that their souls would live (Jeremiah 38:20). Blessings received from obedience may vary, but the blessings of obedience are well worth any temporary fleshly sacrifice.
Some people attribute a lack of joy to unfavourable circumstances. They believe joy is attainable only when their circumstances enable them to experience joy. The Bible offers a completely different perspective. Paul testified, “I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.” Paul experienced tribulation and yet was exceeding joyful! He also wrote of the churches of Macedonia abounding in joy though they were “in a great trial of affliction” (2 Corinthians 8:2). Furthermore, Paul wrote of the saints of God in Thessalonica that they received the word of God with joy even though they were “in much affliction” (1 Thessalonians 1:6). Lastly, believers should “count it all joy” when falling into divers temptations (James 1:2). We should understand that our joy as Christians is not dependent upon favourable circumstances.
