Revival, Repentance and Contrition: On The House of Mourning

Wisdom lifts up her voice. Do we hear her: "Many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first." She is greater than fine diamonds. Have we desired her: "He brings low the mighty and exalts the lowly." By her judges rule and kings reign. Have we discovered her: "He must increase, but I must decrease." Consider wisdom:

It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting and sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure (Eccl 7:2-4).

Wisdom? A heart is improved by the sadness of the countenance? The house of mourning is more desirable than the house of feasting? But isn't Christian salvation all about this wonderful, happy plan that God has for our lives? Why all this sadness, sorrow and mourning? Doesn't the writer understand the ways of God? Surely he's misguided - or is he? Is it possible that it is us moderns who are misguided regarding the ways of God?

What Solomon understood is this: "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it abides alone: but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit" (John 12:24). He understood that "weeping last for a night, but that joy comes in the morning." Solomon knew that without crucifixion there would be no resurrection. Is the Christian church of this age greater than its Master?

Consider a baker preparing bread: he meticulously adds the water, sugar, salt, yeast and flour. He mixes and punches until the consistency is perfect. His guests are clamoring for the bread, but he knows he must be patient - he cannot rush the rising. To do so would ruin the bread. He could concede to the guest's desires for faster, yeast-free bread. After all, it might taste similar to bread. It might even resemble bread. In the end, however, it would never actually be bread at all.

From powdered milk to microwave popcorn, if you want easy and fast - you've got it. Drive-through restaurants; drive-through dry cleaners; drive-through church, it's alright - forget the yeast! We want weight loss without strain and Christian conversion without contrition - the rising just takes too long! Contrition? Indeed, contrition is the yeast in the bread of genuine conversion. Contrition is the house of mourning and the sadness of the countenance. It is the death of the seed and the weeping at midnight. Contrition means crucifixion to self-sufficiency and arrogance. Contrition is the sackcloth and ashes of the soul!

Without contrition genuine gospel salvation and revival are impossible. Please, don't misunderstand. We can still play church (even mega-church) without contrition. We might have thousands at our crusades (and probably will) without contrition. Sinners can even recite rote prayers without contrition. We cannot, however, get one self-obsessed soul to repent and be genuinely saved without contrition.

Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God...and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD (2 Chron 34:27-28).

The sacrifice of a torn garment is fruitless without the sacrifice of a contrite and broken heart. In the same way the sacrifices of church attendance, giving, and other spiritual endeavors are useless apart from a contrite heart. We may shred every garment we own and even assent to all the right doctrinal stuff, but without a tender and humble heart God does not hear and revival will not come. Remove godly sorrow from the bread of conversion and our converts just won't rise.

Now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death (2 Cor 7:10).

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