Repent, Regret, and Grieve
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Repent, Regret, and Grieve (Contents)
Part 1 – The Language of Sorrow in Scripture Part 2 – True Repentance: The Change of Heart Part 3 – False Repentance and Worldly Regret Part 4 – When God “Regrets”: Understanding Divine Sorrow Part 5 – The Grief of God’s Spirit Part 6 – The Prophet’s and Apostle’s…
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Part 1 – The Language of Sorrow in Scripture
1. Introduction Throughout the Bible, words translated as repent, regret, and grieve describe both divine and human responses to sin, failure, and suffering. Understanding the precise meaning of these terms is essential for interpreting God’s moral emotions and humanity’s call to conversion. English versions often use the same word for…
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Part 2 – True Repentance: The Change of Heart
1. Introduction Repentance lies at the centre of biblical faith. Both Testaments declare that restoration to God begins not with ritual but with an inward turning of the heart. In Hebrew thought the verb שׁוּב (shûb) means “to turn back,” while the Greek μετάνοια (metanoia) literally means “a change of…
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Part 3 – False Repentance and Worldly Regret
1. Introduction While Scripture repeatedly calls for genuine repentance, it also records many instances of false repentance or worldly regret—emotional sorrow that fails to produce true transformation. The distinction is vital: true repentance turns to God, whereas worldly regret turns inward. This part explores the nature, examples, and consequences of…
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Part 4 – When God “Regrets”: Understanding Divine Sorrow
1. Introduction Among the most thought-provoking statements in Scripture are those describing God as “regretting” or “repenting” of an action. Verses such as Genesis 6:6 (“The LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth”) and 1 Samuel 15:11 (“I regret that I have made Saul king”) seem to…
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Part 5 – The Grief of God’s Spirit
1. Introduction The Scriptures reveal not only that God sorrows over sin in general but also that His Spirit can be grieved personally. This truth, articulated in both the Old and New Testaments, discloses the Spirit’s divine personality and emotional depth. Far from depicting divine weakness, the grief of the…
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Part 6 – The Prophet’s and Apostle’s Grief: Sharing in Divine Sorrow
1. Introduction Throughout Scripture, God’s chosen messengers experience profound emotional and spiritual pain as they confront the sin of their people. Their grief is not merely personal disappointment but a participation in God’s own sorrow over rebellion and lost fellowship. Prophetic tears and apostolic anguish thus reflect the moral empathy…
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Part 7 – Jesus’ Compassion and Tears: The Perfect Expression of Divine Sorrow
1. Introduction In the person of Jesus Christ, divine sorrow reaches its fullest revelation. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus displays profound compassion, grief, and empathy — emotions that reveal not human weakness but divine love incarnate. As “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15), His tears are the tears of…
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Part 8 – From Grief to Grace: The Purpose of Divine Sorrow
1. Introduction Throughout Scripture, divine sorrow is never aimless or uncontrolled. God’s grief is redemptive, not reactionary. His sorrow reveals the moral depth of His love and His relentless commitment to restore what sin has broken. Unlike human emotion, which may collapse into bitterness or despair, divine sorrow moves purposefully…
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Part 9 – The Human Response: Repentance that Heals
1. Introduction Divine sorrow calls for a human response. Throughout Scripture, God’s grief over sin invites repentance rather than despair. Humanity’s healing begins not in denial or guilt, but in returning to God’s heart. True repentance transforms pain into restoration, turning divine lament into divine joy. This part examines how…
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Part 10 – The End of Sorrow: Divine Restoration and Eternal Joy
1. Introduction The biblical narrative that begins in divine grief concludes in divine gladness. From the tears of Eden to the joy of the New Jerusalem, Scripture traces a redemptive arc in which God’s sorrow over sin is ultimately transformed into everlasting joy with His redeemed people. This final part…