The Priceless Vase

A young boy was once told by his father that a certain vase was priceless. The child was forbidden to touch it or even go near the glass case in which it was displayed.

During a trip to the store a few months later, the boy noticed an identical vase that cost only five dollars. From then on, not only did the son doubt his father's credibility, but he also lost all reverence for that "priceless" vase.

In fact, while his father was out one day, the boy decided to take a closer look at the vase. He unlocked the glass door and carefully handled the family heirloom. This vase was much lighter than the one in the supermarket, but there was no doubt about it—it was identical!
As he pondered why his father would lie to him about its value, he heard a car pull up the driveway. In his haste to return it to the cabinet, he struck the fragile vessel on the glass case and shattered the prized possession into a thousand pieces! The child grew pale with fear. Suddenly he remembered that he had five dollars in his bank account and consoled himself with the fact that he could easily replace it.

When the father entered the house, the child flippantly called out, "Dad, I broke that vase thing in the cabinet. It's okay, though. I can get another one at the store with the five dollars I've got in the bank."

His father turned pale with solemnity. Without a word, he approached his son, placed his hands on the boy's shoulders, looked him in the eyes, and said with trembling voice, "Son, that was no cheap imitation vase. That was an antique worth twenty-five thousand dollars!"

Suddenly the seriousness of the boy's disobedience hit him. His mouth went dry. Tears welled in his eyes. He broke down with uncontrollable sobbing, fell into his father's arms, whispering in bitter lamentation, "I'm sorry….I'm sorry!"

His father gently wiped the child's tears and said, "Son, there's no way you are going to be able to pay for that vase. It's going to take everything I've got, but I'll pay for a new one myself."

Conflicting emotions gripped the child—on one hand horror that his father would go to such expense, and on the other hand gratitude that he would do such a thing for him despite his deliberate disobedience. Unutterable relief and unspeakable appreciation consoled his grief.

A Question of Value

Let's now ask a number of relevant questions about the incident. First, what brought sorrow to the child? He felt no remorse for his actions until his father solemnly explained the value of the vase and the cost of replacement.

The boy could never raise that amount of money. Not only did he lack means of payment, but the seriousness of his crime and the stark reality of his disobedience drove him to cry out in despair. He had no other option but to fling himself upon the mercy of his father.

Second, did the father have to break the child's toys to make him sorry for his disobedience? No, the child's possessions and his attitude toward them were, at that point, irrelevant to the situation. The father brought before the child the seriousness of his transgression by speaking of the value of the vase and the cost of its replacement. If he had been overly affectionate toward his toys previously, after such a demonstration of love from his father, no doubt he would have put them into a right perspective.

Third, what would have been the outcome if the child had broken the vase, but the father responded differently? Suppose when the father came home, the boy flippantly called, "I broke the vase thing, but my five dollars will pay for a new one." The father called back, "Son, there's no way you can afford to buy a new one. I'll pay for it myself."

If the father failed to soberly explain the value of the vase and the cost of replacement, his son would lack three crucial attitudes:

1. Genuine sorrow for what he had done
2. Esteem for the replacement vase
3. Appreciation of what his father had done

How to Produce Godly Sorrow

Being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in him, the blind, unregenerate child of disobedience thinks lightly of sin. There is no fear of God before his eyes. Lust, pride, and selfishness are part of his everyday life. His attitude is, "Nobody's perfect!" His five dollars of self-righteousness appeases his accusing conscience.

Yet, as we have seen previously, God has graciously placed within the reach of the church a tool to awaken the sinner to his plight. God has a way to parade before him the value of the vase of the divine Law. For the sinner to produce godly sorrow, we must show him three truths:

1. The value of the Law; that it is holy, just, good, and perfect. (See Romans 7:12; Psalm 19:7.)
2. That he has broken that Law into a thousand pieces, for sin is the transgression of the Law. (See 1 John 3:4.)
3. That divine wrath issues from the judgment bar of almighty God toward him; that his five dollars of self-righteousness may appease his guilty conscience, but it cannot appease eternal justice. (See John 3:36.)

Remember, the father didn't need to break his child's toys to produce genuine sorrow. Breaking his son's toys would have produced sorrow but not repentance. When the father demonstrated the seriousness of the transgression by stating the value of the vase and the cost of replacement, conscience did the rest.

In the same way, the sinner's state of happiness, the worth of his possessions, and the size of his bank balance have little or no bearing on whether or not he will repent.

Economic collapse or tragedy may make a man listen, but it may not make him repent. A sinner may respond to disaster with bitterness or sorrow—but not necessarily godly sorrow. As with the child, the sinner's material possessions will be put in perspective after seeing the love of God demonstrated in Calvary.

The "doom and gloom" message of having to see things get worse before God brings revival has been with the church for some time now. Some Christians mistakenly believe that men will not repent while they are happy. But what really causes men to come to Christ?

We must see that the Law, not tragic circumstances, brings men to salvation. Difficulties may get a man's attention, but the Law is still necessary to drive him to Christ.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/official.Ray.Comfort 2 July 2014 ·
www.livingwaters.com

How to produce godly sorrow.

Godly sorrow that leads to repentance.

OLAADEGBU:


The Priceless Vase

A young boy was once told by his father that a certain vase was priceless. The child was forbidden to touch it or even go near the glass case in which it was displayed.

During a trip to the store a few months later, the boy noticed an identical vase that cost only five dollars. From then on, not only did the son doubt his father's credibility, but he also lost all reverence for that "priceless" vase.

In fact, while his father was out one day, the boy decided to take a closer look at the vase. He unlocked the glass door and carefully handled the family heirloom. This vase was much lighter than the one in the supermarket, but there was no doubt about it—it was identical!
As he pondered why his father would lie to him about its value, he heard a car pull up the driveway. In his haste to return it to the cabinet, he struck the fragile vessel on the glass case and shattered the prized possession into a thousand pieces! The child grew pale with fear. Suddenly he remembered that he had five dollars in his bank account and consoled himself with the fact that he could easily replace it.

When the father entered the house, the child flippantly called out, "Dad, I broke that vase thing in the cabinet. It's okay, though. I can get another one at the store with the five dollars I've got in the bank."

His father turned pale with solemnity. Without a word, he approached his son, placed his hands on the boy's shoulders, looked him in the eyes, and said with trembling voice, "Son, that was no cheap imitation vase. That was an antique worth twenty-five thousand dollars!"

Suddenly the seriousness of the boy's disobedience hit him. His mouth went dry. Tears welled in his eyes. He broke down with uncontrollable sobbing, fell into his father's arms, whispering in bitter lamentation, "I'm sorry….I'm sorry!"

His father gently wiped the child's tears and said, "Son, there's no way you are going to be able to pay for that vase. It's going to take everything I've got, but I'll pay for a new one myself."

Conflicting emotions gripped the child—on one hand horror that his father would go to such expense, and on the other hand gratitude that he would do such a thing for him despite his deliberate disobedience. Unutterable relief and unspeakable appreciation consoled his grief.

A Question of Value

Let's now ask a number of relevant questions about the incident. First, what brought sorrow to the child? He felt no remorse for his actions until his father solemnly explained the value of the vase and the cost of replacement.

The boy could never raise that amount of money. Not only did he lack means of payment, but the seriousness of his crime and the stark reality of his disobedience drove him to cry out in despair. He had no other option but to fling himself upon the mercy of his father.

Second, did the father have to break the child's toys to make him sorry for his disobedience? No, the child's possessions and his attitude toward them were, at that point, irrelevant to the situation. The father brought before the child the seriousness of his transgression by speaking of the value of the vase and the cost of its replacement. If he had been overly affectionate toward his toys previously, after such a demonstration of love from his father, no doubt he would have put them into a right perspective.

Third, what would have been the outcome if the child had broken the vase, but the father responded differently? Suppose when the father came home, the boy flippantly called, "I broke the vase thing, but my five dollars will pay for a new one." The father called back, "Son, there's no way you can afford to buy a new one. I'll pay for it myself."

If the father failed to soberly explain the value of the vase and the cost of replacement, his son would lack three crucial attitudes:

1. Genuine sorrow for what he had done
2. Esteem for the replacement vase
3. Appreciation of what his father had done

How to Produce Godly Sorrow

Being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in him, the blind, unregenerate child of disobedience thinks lightly of sin. There is no fear of God before his eyes. Lust, pride, and selfishness are part of his everyday life. His attitude is, "Nobody's perfect!" His five dollars of self-righteousness appeases his accusing conscience.

Yet, as we have seen previously, God has graciously placed within the reach of the church a tool to awaken the sinner to his plight. God has a way to parade before him the value of the vase of the divine Law. For the sinner to produce godly sorrow, we must show him three truths:

1. The value of the Law; that it is holy, just, good, and perfect. (See Romans 7:12; Psalm 19:7.)
2. That he has broken that Law into a thousand pieces, for sin is the transgression of the Law. (See 1 John 3:4.)
3. That divine wrath issues from the judgment bar of almighty God toward him; that his five dollars of self-righteousness may appease his guilty conscience, but it cannot appease eternal justice. (See John 3:36.)

Remember, the father didn't need to break his child's toys to produce genuine sorrow. Breaking his son's toys would have produced sorrow but not repentance. When the father demonstrated the seriousness of the transgression by stating the value of the vase and the cost of replacement, conscience did the rest.

In the same way, the sinner's state of happiness, the worth of his possessions, and the size of his bank balance have little or no bearing on whether or not he will repent.

Economic collapse or tragedy may make a man listen, but it may not make him repent. A sinner may respond to disaster with bitterness or sorrow—but not necessarily godly sorrow. As with the child, the sinner's material possessions will be put in perspective after seeing the love of God demonstrated in Calvary.

The "doom and gloom" message of having to see things get worse before God brings revival has been with the church for some time now. Some Christians mistakenly believe that men will not repent while they are happy. But what really causes men to come to Christ?

We must see that the Law, not tragic circumstances, brings men to salvation. Difficulties may get a man's attention, but the Law is still necessary to drive him to Christ.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/official.Ray.Comfort 2 July 2014 ·
www.livingwaters.com

The priceless vase.