“Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number” (Jeremiah 2:32).  A bride on her wedding day would never forget her makeup or her dress.  She is looking in the mirror all day making sure she is perfect for her wedding.  For a bride to go up the aisle and realize she had not changed into her dress would be unthinkable.  Yet, this sort of incredible occurrence happened in the spiritual realm with the nation of Judah that was in spiritual decline during the days of Jeremiah.  God says He had been forgotten.  How could they do such a thing?

God remembered the honeymoon He had with His nation (Jeremiah 2:2-3).  The people followed Him out into the wilderness before they were ever given the blessings of the land they now inhabited.  Much like a young couple that is so much in love that it doesn’t matter if they don’t have money, they have each other, so God’s relationship was with His people.  It seems odd for God to condescend to this imagery of a young couple in love to illustrate His relationship to His people.  It is an image that does not evoke a concept of God’s supreme majesty.  But it does bring to our minds an image of what our sin does to God.  Divorce is such a painful experience.  There are many that have gone through such an experience.  There are many that have been close friends to those who have gone through such turmoil and can only imagine what it is like.  Those who have experienced a spouse being unfaithful to them know what it is like to open themselves up to someone in marriage and make themselves vulnerable only for their spouse to walk out on them.  This is the pain we cause God when we sin.  When we put other efforts, people, or things in His place, whatever it may be, we betray Him who wants to be our one, true love.

None of the replacements we have for God make us complete.  Just as Judah had false gods that could not deliver them, people today try to make themselves complete with things that can never make them complete.  You see God is the ornaments and the attire of the bride (Jeremiah 2:32).  Even though no bride is flawless, somehow every bride is perfect on her wedding day.  Jesus Christ gave Himself for the church, His bride (Ephesians 5:23-25).  He came to earth and died for the church, “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:26-27). Jesus is God; He was already perfect before the world ever began (John 1:1-3; 17:24).  He did not come to the world because He had any sin or defect (Matthew 3:14-15; John 8:46).  The reason He came to live as a man on earth and die for us was to make us perfect.  Through baptism, “the washing of water,” we come in contact with this cleansing blood that can make us pure white before God (Ephesians 5:26; cf. Revelation 1:5; 7:14).  When we’re baptized we put on Christ Jesus just as bride puts on her dress (Galatians 3:27).  Each day we must continue to put Him on by pursuing Him instead of sin (Romans 13:14). Have you forgotten your dress that makes you complete?  Don’t walk out on Jesus for something else that can never make you complete.

-Mark Day

To the church of Corinth, the inspired apostle Paul explained, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).  The sorrow of the world does not lead to a changed attitude toward sin.  It is a grief over the predicaments in which sin leads. Feeling sorry for oneself leads to a sinful selfishness not a cessation of sin.

Cain murdered his brother, but the only sorrow he expressed in the Biblical account is a lament over how great his punishment was, how miserable his life as a vagabond would be, and how vengeful people would seek to murder him (Genesis 4:13-14).  Esau was upset over the loss of his birthright and blessing; however, it was because he was a profane person—treating that which was to be highly regarded as if it were nothing—that he agreed to sell his birthright  (Hebrews 12:16-17).  His feeling sorry for himself led him to comfort himself by plotting to murder Jacob (Genesis 27:42).  Judas wanted to return the money he made in betraying Christ, but his sorrow led him to hang himself instead of seeking Christ’s forgiveness (Matthew 27:3-5; cf. John 17:12).

The repentance of Peter stands in stark contrast to the case of Judas.  Peter wept bitterly (Luke 22:62).  His sorrow led him to do as Jesus prayed: turn to the Lord and strengthen his brethren (Luke 22:32).  This is the proper sadness: godly sorrow that leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10).  This sorrow leads to a vastly different outcome than the sorrow of the world.  The contrast between the two is seen vividly in those who were “pricked in their heart” in Acts 2:37 and those “cut to the heart” in Acts 7:54.  The former felt guilt and were moved to obey Peter’s command to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38, 41).  The latter felt bad, but lashed out at Stephen, stoning him (Acts 7:57-59).

Godly sorrow is necessary to our salvation.  It brings us to the point where we determine to change our attitude and practice in regard to sin.  If we did not have godly sorrow, our hearts would be callused.  We would be “past feeling” (Ephesians 4:19) and having our “conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:2).  Be broken up over your sins.  Let the guilt you experience move you to repentance, lest you become cold-hearted and unable to respond to God’s mercy.  “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51:17).

-Mark Day