Jas 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
Afflicted- humbled, weakened, depressed, downcast, low, oppressed.
Afflicted- to be wretched that is realize one´s own misery.
Why do you suppose we are told to - 'be afflicted' ?
To be humbled, weak, depressed, downcast, low, oppressed, understanding our own misery?
Not only to be afflicted but to mourn and weep, to let our laughter turn to mourning, and our joy to heaviness?
So many want to believe we are only ever to be happy and I'm not saying we shouldn't, but we HAVE to comprehend our own worthlessness, don't we? We are in fact totally worthless in and of ourselves. We have NO righteousness of our own, none. We make the mistake of thinking that we have righteousness. We do. We like to think we have goodness all of our own. We don't want to realize that we owe EVERYTHING first to OUR CREATOR who gave us life, and secondly to our REDEEMER.
Our Redeemer.
To be in need of a Redeemer means only one thing, doesn't it?
To be in need of a Savior means only one thing, right?
re·deem (r-dm)
tr.v. re·deemed, re·deem·ing, re·deems
1. To recover ownership of by paying a specified sum.
To RECOVER ownership- the unredeemed have lost their owner.
2. To pay off (a promissory note, for example).
To PAY off a debt. The unredeemed have a DEBT.
3. To turn in (coupons, for example) and receive something in exchange.
The unredeemed do NOT receive anything.
4. To fulfill (a pledge, for example).
The unredeemed are NOT fulfilled.
5. To convert into cash: redeem stocks.
There is NO conversion for the unredeemed.
6. To set free; rescue or ransom.
The unredeemed are NOT set free, they are NOT rescued, they are NOT ransomed.
7. To save from a state of sinfulness and its consequences.
The unredeemed are NOT saved.
8. To make up for: The low price of the clothes dryer redeems its lack of special features.
The unredeemed are NOT made up for.
9. To restore the honor, worth, or reputation of: You botched the last job but can redeem yourself on this one.
The unredeemed will NOT have their honor, worth, or reputation restored.
To be in need of redemption means you are UNREDEEMED.
To need a Savior means you are UNSAVED.
We HAVE to realize our true STATE. Without that realization we are just playing games, that's all and nothing more. Without the honest realization of our state completely stripped of a Savior, a Redeemer, then we cannot fully comprehend our need of being saved, of being redeemed. We tend to believe we are good enough. We have good in us that warrants that redemption. We were brought to life and that entitles us to saving, but it doesn't. Just because we exist does not mean we deserve to exist for eternity, yet so many believe they are guaranteed eternal life just because they are alive.
We have to truly realize our unworthy state because if we don't we don't truly realize our need to be saved.
When we are afflicting our souls we are afflicting them because we understand our HELPLESSNESS.
The Day of Atonement for those living prior to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was a very SOLOMN occasion.
Read this--all of it and then read it again--
Lev 23:23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
Lev 23:25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 23:26 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a DAY of ATONEMENT: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall AFFLICT your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 23:28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
Lev 23:29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be AFFLICTED in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
Lev 23:30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.
Those who did NOT afflict their souls would be CUT off from their people, they did NOT receive the atonement. Those who did ANY work in that day were DESTROYED.
Why?! This sounds so harsh and yet the lesson to be learned is so incredibly important that it could be no other way, no other way at all.
Why?
Because those who do NOT understand their TRUE NEED of saving, will NOT be saved! Those who believe they have work of their own they can do to earn salvation, that some goodness in them will get them eternity WILL BE DESTROYED! This is the lesson we need to learn!
Yes, we need to be AFFLICTED.
We need to MOURN.
We need to WEEP.
Our laughter needs to turn to MOURNING.
Our joy needs to turn to HEAVINESS.
Jas 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
We need this because we need to comprehend our NEED. We truly are helpless. Is it any wonder we need to be as little children totally dependent upon our HEAVENLY FATHER?
Please LORD, help us to comprehend! Please LORD give us understanding! Help us LORD, please HUMBLE US! Teach us to afflict our souls, to mourn, to weep in realization of our desperate and COMPLETE need of YOU!
All in YOU LORD! ALL IN YOU! ALL YOUR LOVE!
Afflicted- humbled, weakened, depressed, downcast, low, oppressed.
Afflicted- to be wretched that is realize one´s own misery.
Why do you suppose we are told to - 'be afflicted' ?
To be humbled, weak, depressed, downcast, low, oppressed, understanding our own misery?
Not only to be afflicted but to mourn and weep, to let our laughter turn to mourning, and our joy to heaviness?
So many want to believe we are only ever to be happy and I'm not saying we shouldn't, but we HAVE to comprehend our own worthlessness, don't we? We are in fact totally worthless in and of ourselves. We have NO righteousness of our own, none. We make the mistake of thinking that we have righteousness. We do. We like to think we have goodness all of our own. We don't want to realize that we owe EVERYTHING first to OUR CREATOR who gave us life, and secondly to our REDEEMER.
Our Redeemer.
To be in need of a Redeemer means only one thing, doesn't it?
To be in need of a Savior means only one thing, right?
re·deem (r-dm)
tr.v. re·deemed, re·deem·ing, re·deems
1. To recover ownership of by paying a specified sum.
To RECOVER ownership- the unredeemed have lost their owner.
2. To pay off (a promissory note, for example).
To PAY off a debt. The unredeemed have a DEBT.
3. To turn in (coupons, for example) and receive something in exchange.
The unredeemed do NOT receive anything.
4. To fulfill (a pledge, for example).
The unredeemed are NOT fulfilled.
5. To convert into cash: redeem stocks.
There is NO conversion for the unredeemed.
6. To set free; rescue or ransom.
The unredeemed are NOT set free, they are NOT rescued, they are NOT ransomed.
7. To save from a state of sinfulness and its consequences.
The unredeemed are NOT saved.
8. To make up for: The low price of the clothes dryer redeems its lack of special features.
The unredeemed are NOT made up for.
9. To restore the honor, worth, or reputation of: You botched the last job but can redeem yourself on this one.
The unredeemed will NOT have their honor, worth, or reputation restored.
To be in need of redemption means you are UNREDEEMED.
To need a Savior means you are UNSAVED.
We HAVE to realize our true STATE. Without that realization we are just playing games, that's all and nothing more. Without the honest realization of our state completely stripped of a Savior, a Redeemer, then we cannot fully comprehend our need of being saved, of being redeemed. We tend to believe we are good enough. We have good in us that warrants that redemption. We were brought to life and that entitles us to saving, but it doesn't. Just because we exist does not mean we deserve to exist for eternity, yet so many believe they are guaranteed eternal life just because they are alive.
We have to truly realize our unworthy state because if we don't we don't truly realize our need to be saved.
When we are afflicting our souls we are afflicting them because we understand our HELPLESSNESS.
The Day of Atonement for those living prior to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was a very SOLOMN occasion.
Read this--all of it and then read it again--
Lev 23:23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
Lev 23:25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 23:26 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a DAY of ATONEMENT: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall AFFLICT your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 23:28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
Lev 23:29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be AFFLICTED in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
Lev 23:30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.
Those who did NOT afflict their souls would be CUT off from their people, they did NOT receive the atonement. Those who did ANY work in that day were DESTROYED.
Why?! This sounds so harsh and yet the lesson to be learned is so incredibly important that it could be no other way, no other way at all.
Why?
Because those who do NOT understand their TRUE NEED of saving, will NOT be saved! Those who believe they have work of their own they can do to earn salvation, that some goodness in them will get them eternity WILL BE DESTROYED! This is the lesson we need to learn!
Yes, we need to be AFFLICTED.
We need to MOURN.
We need to WEEP.
Our laughter needs to turn to MOURNING.
Our joy needs to turn to HEAVINESS.
Jas 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
We need this because we need to comprehend our NEED. We truly are helpless. Is it any wonder we need to be as little children totally dependent upon our HEAVENLY FATHER?
Please LORD, help us to comprehend! Please LORD give us understanding! Help us LORD, please HUMBLE US! Teach us to afflict our souls, to mourn, to weep in realization of our desperate and COMPLETE need of YOU!
All in YOU LORD! ALL IN YOU! ALL YOUR LOVE!
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