City Life Starter

Written by Aisha Darwesh

The Word

⁴ “Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted]

Matthew 5:4 (Amplified)

³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ³² Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:30-32 (ESV)

Aisha’s Analysis

Today’s verses show us what we are to be mourning–the sin that so easily entangles us. The Amplified version states blessed are those who mourn “over their sins and repent” (Matthew 5:4). 

A classic case in point of mourning and repenting over sin is seen with the apostle Peter. When Peter denied Jesus three times while Jesus was in the thick of being arrested/sentenced to crucifixion, Peter wept bitterly (Luke 22:62). He experienced genuine remorse over his denial of Jesus and was later given the opportunity to repent and affirm his love for Jesus. 

What’s particularly encouraging about Peter’s story is that Jesus predicted Peter’s denial and knew exactly what would happen. Even with the full knowledge that Peter would deny Him, not once, not twice, but three times, Jesus was always rooting for Peter. He was just waiting for Peter to get to a place of grieving over the sin. 

There is no question that sin causes separation. When you sin against God, others, creation, and yourself, it causes a rift in the relationship. But how can we separate ourselves from sin? We must mourn over it and repent. When we can get to that place, the Lord calls us blessed, forgiven, and refreshed by His grace (Matthew 5:4 Amplified). 

Application

Today’s verses teach us a practical way to detach ourselves from sin: grieve over it. Be honest with yourself as you ask this question: is there any sin in my life that I’m holding onto, that I don’t want to let go of–that I don’t want to grieve over? 

Grief signifies a death has occurred. You can grieve over the death of your relationship with God, or you can grieve over the sin that caused it. If you choose the latter, just know the Lord is waiting with His loving arms wide open, ready to restore you.

Prayer

Father God, thank You for the amazing grace You show me constantly. You have stuck by me even when I vehemently and openly denied You. Help me to get to that place where I am sickened over sin. Let me grieve over what grieves You. In Jesus’ mighty name, amen.