Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
Many years ago when we were out hitting the rummage sales, we found a cheap pair of swimming goggles, you know the ones that have two separate lenses that cover each eye. If I remember correctly, I think we only paid 50 cents for them and when we finally got home, we hung them up in our kitchen next to the other utensils. That might seem like an strange place to keep them, but it’s because they needed to be readily available each time that we prepared certain meals. Whenever we needed to cut up onions for salsa or salads, we would put on the swimming goggles first. This way, there was no crying and weeping as the onions were cut up. Not a single tear was shed, because the swimming goggles prevented that from happening.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Just like those swimming goggles, pride can do the same thing in somebody’s heart, by preventing people from shedding a tear about all of the wicked things that they have done to God and others.
Psalms 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
For those who want to be saved and enter into eternal life, this verse teaches that you must first have a contrite spirit. When you are filled with contrition, you will feel remorse and penitence, or will be affected by your own guilt. Sometimes when a child is sent to their bedroom as punishment, they might cry for a period of time, but crying by itself doesn’t mean that they are contrite. Many parents might understand what it means when we talk about crocodile tears. Crying can be a response to being disciplined, but that really doesn’t have anything to do with contrition. Contrition is being filled with self-reproach and shame for the wicked things that you have done. It is only when you possess this true sorrow in the pit of your soul, that you will ever truly turn away from sin, and seek to serve and obey our Lord Jesus Christ from the heart.
2 Corinthians 7:9-10 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
One of the most destructive forces that prevents somebody from Godly sorrow, is pride. Too proud to apologize. Too proud to admit fault. Too proud to confess sin. Too proud to acknowledge wrongdoing. Before obtaining forgiveness with God or others, the glass cathedral of pride must be completely shattered, because unless you humble yourself to the will of God, things will only get worse.
Proverbs 18:12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Psalms 138:6 Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
Many people might mourn at a funeral, but that is not the sorrow we are talking about today. We are talking about mourning for yourself, because of the evil way that you have treated others.
Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Luke 23:28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.
Pride is absolutely terrible, because it destroys one’s relationship with God and others. Like shutting down an interstate in the winter, pride will completely shut down one’s avenue of forgiveness with God. Like a vessel that is moored in a harbor, pride will entirely destroy the dock so that you are incapable of reaching His ship of Mercy. This is what happens when you refuse to admit fault to God and others. This is what happened to the proud Pharisee, who refused to admit the truth of his own sinful condition.
Luke 18:10-14 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
There are many people who have gotten themselves involved with different forms of false Christianity, places where confession is not required, and repentance is not needed. It’s a skewed form of Christianity, who refuse to humble themselves under the teachings of scripture. Their groups are really no different than the city of Capernaum who claimed that God was their father, but in all reality, they were filled up with religious pride, and completely void of contrition.
Luke 10:15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.
It doesn’t matter how much money you throw into an offering plate. It doesn’t matter how many things that you have donated to a religious group. It doesn’t matter how many works that you have done. Works without repentance will never save you, and repentance without contrition is a lie.
James 4:8-10 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
What can we possibly give God, that He cannot manifest out of thin air? What God wants is a broken and contrite heart.
Psalms 51:16-17 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
God wants us to confess our faults, not only to Him, but to those whom you have wronged. Pride has to be removed from your life in order for sin to be forgiven. The humble tears of contrition will have to be shed, and it’s really just a matter of reaching deep inside of your heart, and taking off…..
…….The Swimming Goggles
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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