“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).
The eight beatitudes which begin the Sermon on the Mount are like interlocking links of a beautiful necklace. Building upon the first beatitude’s requirements of a proper view of God and of self, the second links perfectly in place by focusing on the proper view of and response to sin.
To be righteous you need to see sin as the holy God sees it. Fools mock at sin (Proverbs 14:9); the righteous do not.
In God’s eyes, sin is a spiritual crime—a capital offense against His just and perfect laws. It is rebellion; it is a transgression; it is an abomination.
Sin is a disease that is humanly incurable. A burden that is impossible to lift. A taskmaster that is cruel and bloodthirsty. A filth that infects and ravages everything it touches. A debt that is unpayable. A stain that is unremovable.
Sin divides, deceives, desecrates, destroys, disgraces, enslaves, and kills. It is perversion at its worst.
Satan, the father of sin, is soberly described in Scripture as a crafty serpent that lies (Genesis 3:1), a hungry lion that prowls (1 Peter 5:8), and a powerful dragon that is enraged (Revelation 12:17).
The righteous’ response to sin is tears, not laughter. It is a sorrow that begins in the heart and ultimately takes control of the entire person. Such mourning for sin, especially for your own, results in spiritual clear-sightedness and God’s comfort.
Every person will mourn over their sins. The righteous do so while upon this earth; the wicked will do so forever in hell.
When and where will you mourn?
