Reverend Michael Mwangi
Senior Pastor, Fedha Church, Kenya Assemblies of God
Blessed are Those who mourn, for they will be comforted
To be blessed means happy. Jesus is indeed saying happy are those who mourn.
Jesus' teaching is contrary to the world.
The world teaches us not to mourn escape sorrow and seek happiness at all costs. Indeed indulge in all manner of pleasure and pursue whatever makes you happy and don’t think about right or wrong. Don’t allow your conscious to judge you and make you guilty and sorrowful. But this never leads to happiness or comfort but misery as Solomon teaches Ecclesiastes 2:1-11.
But Jesus is telling us to be truly happy, one must first mourn.
We must mourn for our sin and unworthiness. It is a spiritual sorrow, not worldly grief. Before we can receive the joy of salvation. We must first mourn for our sin and that’s when we are comforted.
Luke 15:17-24
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
Such mourning leads to repentance
2 Corinthians 7:10
Godly sorrow brings true repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
When we do not mourn for our sin we call our sin mistakes and get comfortable with it or justify it. Until we begin to look at sin in the same way God looks at them, we will not truly repent.
As long as that sin never makes you uncomfortable or sorrowful, you can never repent.
Remember Romans 6:23, the wages of sin is death...
Sin always kills and until you repent it kills the joy of salvation for believers
No sin will enter heaven
1 Corinthians 6:9 - 10
Those who mourn will be comforted when we repent of our sins, Christ will comfort us. We look at ourselves and mourn. We look at Christ and find and peace and joy and hope. Without true repentance, there is no salvation.
To mourn is to recognize and be sorrowful over our own weakness and wickedness in relationship to God’s perfect standards.
It also means grieving over the things that grieve God such as the unfaithfulness, ungodliness, wickedness, cruelty and sin that is very rampant in the world.
Are you grieved when you see the evil around you?
When you don’t grieve or mourn over your sin you never repent and you live in sin and guilt never to enjoy peace and the joy of salvation.
Romans 8:6 the mind set on flesh is death but the mind led by the spirit is life and spirit.
No true believer can comfortably live in sin and be happy, their conscience is disturbed as the Holy Spirit grieves in them and guilt consciousness eats them.
Those who mourn over the sin and its effects on people's lives and commit themselves to help them from evil are comforted by receiving from God's righteousness and peace and joy in the Holyspirit Rom 14:17.
It is when we mourn and repent that we enjoy a right relationship with our father and truly we are at peace and happy. That’s what comforts us to know we are walking in righteousness we are secure in him and our hearts are at ease and truly happy.
Psalm 51:1-12
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Psalm 32:1-5,11
1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!
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