Godly sorrow

If you are like the people at Bethany Baptist Church, you are praying for Ukraine. Perhaps you are concerned that World War III has begun. Only time will tell. The Bible informs us that there will be difficult times on Earth during the last days. Each generation has its share of struggles. However, are hearts are broken as we consider the civilian casualties in Ukraine. Our prayer is that the Russian officials will have a change of heart.

Much damage has already been done and many lives have been lost on both sides of the conflict. Other nations are standing by wondering if and how they should respond. Many Americans do not want the United States military to get involved. Can peace be negotiated before many nations become mired in war? What if Vladimir Putin realizes that he made a mistake and asks for forgiveness? The Bible calls this action, "repentance."

What would it look like if Putin repented? The first thing that would happen is that he would withdraw his troops. Then the Ukrainians would cease fire. The war would end, but lives will still have been lost and damage will still have been done. There would be an expectation from world leaders that amends would be made. War crimes would still be punished.

If this world leader asks for forgiveness, but continues to invade Ukraine, would his words matter? He could say all the right things that would lead to peace and reconciliation, but nothing would change. The war would wage on. Everyone could pretend that the two nations were peacefully coexisting, but reality would tell a different story.

There are many people who claim to be religious, but their lives show no signs of repentance.

Sometimes when we refer to repentance, we will add the phrase, "with godly sorrow." That may seem redundant, but we want everyone to be sincere if they are really seeking God's forgiveness. No one is entitled to God's grace. It cannot be earned or deserved.

Several Christian churches and organizations have stopped calling on people to repent of their sin and put their faith in Jesus. No one wants to talk about punishment for sin, just the benefits of salvation. While people may join an organization, they remain unchanged spiritually.

The biblical definition of sin is described as "missing the mark." Romans 3:23 tells us that all of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. We have done and said things that are displeasing to God. We have wronged God and other people, and we need to ask for forgiveness.

How do we know when we have been forgiven? Does God let us into heaven after we do enough good works? How much is enough? As Christians, we believe that Jesus paid the penalty for our sin on the cross. We go to heaven because of faith in Jesus, not our ability to earn or deserve salvation.

There are some who edit the Bible to suite themselves. They do not want to believe in hell, so they remove it from the Bible. Why would they do that? This would mean that evil people go unpunished. That would be injustice, and God is holy and just. All sin is punished, if Jesus is not our substitute, then we will be eternally punished for our sins.

While harsh words are spoken to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the sanctions appear to be an ineffective deterrent. There is a lot of talk, but little action. I admire the Ukrainian civilians who are taking up arms to fight for their freedom. Will anyone help them, or are they on their own?

We have a God in heaven who is the Almighty. He will punish the wicked. Hell is not a joke. Our only hope to escape his wrath against sin is to put our faith in the one who took our place.

Have you repented with godly sorrow? Romans 10:13 assures us that God will save those who call on him. We can have our sins forgiven and have a home in heaven.