“Even now,” declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity”. Joel 2:12-13 NIV
The First thing to notice about this verse is that the prophet Joel is speaking to the Israelites. They have wandered away. You can not “return” to the Lord if you have not been a follower of the Lord. Today this verse is speaking directly to Christians and those that claim to be a follower of Jesus.
The people of Israel publicly tore or “rended” their clothes as an outward sign of grief, mourning, or as a way of asking forgiveness.
God is speaking through the prophet Joel that superficial traditions and displays of sadness are not enough. You must go past the tearing of clothes. God wants a person to experience internal spiritual brokenness, sincere remorse and a total transformation of the heart.
I suspect that Christians, me included, take our sin too lightly. Do we make excuses for our bad behavior, or, worse yet, fail to deal with it at all? When we sin, do we treat our offenses more casually than we should, muttering a token, “Sorry,” when true confession and repentance is needed? Do we eagerly wrap ourselves in God’s blanket of forgiveness and then drag it through the mud with our sinful actions?
Here are two examples in the bible how being near or in the presence of God can completely transform a person.
In Isaiah chapter five the prophet is speaking of “Woes” against many types of people that are living their lives in separation from God even though they may not see it that way. In the start of Chapter six, Isaiah is completely transformed. He is in the presence of God and turns from talking about others to an understanding that He is the one that is sinful beyond comparison.
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Isaiah 6:5 NIV
In the Gospel of Luke chapter five we have the story of Jesus speaking to a crowd and being squeezed on the shore. He sees two boats and gets in the boat owned by Peter and asks to be rowed out a few feet from the shore to continue teaching. Peter was in the crowd when John the Baptist pointed out Jesus. Peter though had never really met Jesus and listened to Him until this instance.
When Jesus was done teaching, He asked Peter to put out into deep water and let the nets down. Peter immediately put up resistance. He had been up all night fishing and had caught nothing. Yet Peter listened and went out reluctantly. His nets were bursting and ripping apart, then Peter called the other boat to come and help.
Upon experiencing this miracle Peter fell to his knees and uttered.
“Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” Luke 5:8 NIV
In both stories when Isaiah and Peter recognized they were in the presence of the Holy One; they began to understand the extent of their sinful lives and how unclean they both were.
Isaiah thought he was going to be killed for seeing the face of God. Peter understood that he had no right to be in the presence of Jesus and asked Him to go away.
Just as sunlight in a dark room makes dust and dirt visible. Dust and dirt that were always there. Drawing near to God’s holiness exposes imperfections in character and motives you did not notice before.
Yet there is great hope in this situation. Feeling conviction or grief over sin is not proof that you are failing and lost. It is a sign that the Holy Spirit is at work inside you! Awareness of sin is meant to drive you toward grace, humility, and reliance on God rather than self-condemnation. The same light that reveals your flaws also offers immediate forgiveness, cleansing, and restoration.
Jesus offers no forgiveness for an outward change or a false show of sorrow. When we sin against God and others, God’s Word insists outward sorrow isn’t enough. We must mean it on the inside. We must rend our hearts and truly understand our sin.
We are not worthy of standing in the presence of God. Yet, God in all His love sees me through the light of Jesus His Son and calls me His Son or Daughter and welcomes me into His presence.
To those that have been born again and transformed in the heart, Jesus proclaims, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” Matthew 25:21 NIV
Remember it is not a religion it is a relationship.
Prayers and Love for all.
Larry
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