Tears of the spirit have deep meaning. They are tears of repentance. When you repent, action should follow. You can’t just say you repent and then have nothing change. Action must follow repentance.
We are saved by grace, but if me bear no fruit of action, then that’s a problem. We must bear the fruit of action and works as a result of our faith and repentance.
1 Corinthians 1:24-27
24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
Through your tears of the spirit, you become wise and strong. As long as you have the tears of the spirit, you will overcome yourself and this world. You will change yourself, your family, your city, and this world. When you give the tears of the spirit, you receive the keys of change.
If you want to change, you must give tears of the spirit. No one else can change you. You must bring change to yourself through tears of the spirit.
When you change, those around you will change.
But when your eyes are dry, nothing will change. Nothing will grow.
Prideful people cannot bring tears of the spirit. When you walk in pride, blame, and anger, you cannot bring tears of the spirit. No tears means no repentance. When you bring tears of repentance, you will overcome.
Luke 18:10-14
10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
We need to be like the tax collector. He was humble and contrite before God. But how many of us are like the Pharisee, pointing out other people’s shortcomings and faults? Reminding God of how good we are and how much we do?
We need to learn from the tax collector’s prayer. We need to learn to pray like this. The tax collector knew his sin and how unworthy he was of God’s mercy, forgiveness, and love.
Matthew 26:70-75
70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”
71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72 But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”
73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.”
74 Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!”
Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.
After Peter denied that he knew Jesus, he went out and wept bitterly. Peter cried tears of the spirit. He mourned deeply, repented deeply.
Tears of the spirit come to us when we examine our heart and see our sin.
God used Peter because of these tears of repentance. Judas also betrayed Jesus and regretted his actions. But he never repented. He felt bad but he didn’t bring tears of repentance. He felt so guilty that he killed himself.
You can feel bad or regret doing something without repenting. That regret will bring guilt and condemnation into your heart. That guilt will kill you.
When you feel bad or regret doing something, you need to bring true repentance. Then forgiveness will come. When you bring the tears of the spirit and repentance, your life will change.
Apostle Paul committed many sins against God and the church. But after he was saved, he was a powerful evangelist, teacher, and preacher. He wrote 13 of the books in the New Testament. How was he able to overcome his old self and his guilt? Through prayer of tears.
Acts 20:17-20
17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. 18 And when they had come to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, 19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; 20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house,
He served God with all humility. How? Through tears of the spirit. He was free from pride through tears of the spirit.
Philippians 2:18
18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Paul was a man of tears, a man who wept.
He did not weep for things that he desired in the flesh, for a wife or for money or a nice car. He didn’t cry for any of those kinds of things. He cried for people’s souls. He was concerned about the church. He was concerned for people’s souls.
Tears of the spirit bring new life. There are no tears in the desert and nothing grows. Tears bring life. Tears bring change.
1 Corinthians 10:12
12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
We are not assured of our salvation. We are in a constant battle. We have nothing to be boastful about. We must not be critical of others and their sin because we can easily end up in that same place. Correct others in humility. Don’t be boastful about your relationship with God; you may not be in that same place tomorrow. Walk in humility. Be like the tax collector, not the Pharisee of Luke 18.
God bless you,
Pastor Sun East