Spiritual Brokenness

The second stop in the process of sanctification.

We see in the John Bunyan novel The Pilgrim’s Progress the process of sanctification in those that dare take God at His word. The central character is Christian, a married man with children, who enters the realm of holy discontent. Christian and his family live in a town ruled by an oppressive overlord who dictates everything they can and cannot do. Christian knows there is more to his family’s life, so he sets out on a journey to find the truth.

Christian’s holy discontent is represented by his inner turmoil, the rumblings from deep within him sponsored by the Holy Spirit. His progression to spiritual brokenness is represented by his decision by faith to leave his family behind and pursue a pilgrimage to holiness. He knows not what he will find, but he knows by faith that a better future for his family in union with God exists.

Isaiah 57:15 ESV  For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Dying to ourselves is the only pathway to living from an indwelt Jesus, and spiritual brokenness is the stairway to heaven. We see in the Beatitudes of Matthew 5 the attitudes of spiritual brokenness.

Matthew 5:3-12 ESV  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  (4)  “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  (5)  “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  (6)  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  (7)  “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  (8)  “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  (9)  “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.  (10)  “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  (11)  “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  (12)  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Spiritual brokenness arrests power from the deceiver and limits the influence of ambiguity. You develop spiritual antennas and smell the stench of lies instantly.

Below are some quotes from John Bunyan:

"If my life is fruitless, it doesn't matter who praises me, and if my life is fruitful, it doesn't matter who criticizes me." ~ John Bunyan

"In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart." ~ John Bunyan

"You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed. Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge to Satan." ~ John Bunyan

"The reason why the Christians in this day are at such a loss as to some things is that they are contented with what comes from man's mouth, without searching and kneeling before God to know of Him the truth of things." ~ John Bunyan

"The difference between true and false repentance lies in this: the man who truly repents cries out against his heart; but the other, as Eve, against the serpent, or something else." ~ John Bunyan

Spiritual brokenness leads to holy mourning for Jesus. Are you broken?

My final word on spiritual brokenness belongs to the Prophet Zechariah:

Zechariah 12:10-14 ESV  “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.  (11)  On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.  (12)  The land shall mourn, each family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves;  (13)  the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves;  (14)  and all the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves.

When you finally submit your spirit to Jesus, you receive a new heart. More on this next time.

Your indwelt spiritual slave to Jesus (Gal 2:20)