The 2 Kinds of Brokenness
June 24, 2021
By: Dan Li
In the last few weeks, I have heard a lot of talking about “brokenness” from various Christians, in various ways. It is important for us to understand there are two kinds of “brokenness”, not one. One is godly, one is worldly. One is messed-up, the other was messed-up but is now no longer.
Today, there are many songs that talk of being broken, either plainly in words or in concept. Consider a portion of this Christians song: “…I’m broken inside…”
The truth is, that amongst the “Christians”, there is a lot of “brokenness” today- broken lives, broken homes/families, broken relationships (especially us with God), broken churches, broken pastors, broken nations. But how many are truly broken of their old nature, dead to sin, and alive to Jesus Christ, a new creation in Christ Jesus? Are we the kind of “broken” like a horse that can now be ridden and no longer wild, or are we still wild and in sin, the ‘messed-up’ kind of “broken”?
Definitions Matter:
There is much confusion about what kind of broken will lead to help. Just being “broken”, as in the form of ‘messed-up’ does not lead one to help from God, or make one right with God, certainly not!
Godly Brokenness:
So, let’s define godly brokenness: It is a state where a person, who had been going astray from God in self-will and rebellion to Him, but now has come to the end of himself, having come to his senses by God’s intervention and mercy, sees how he has treated God wrongly and wickedly parted from His ways, make no excuses for their sins, failures, or even their weaknesses but rather confessing them before God while asking for His life instead of their own, they then, lay down themselves and become crucified with Christ, the old man being nailed to the cross with Jesus, putting it to death there. True repentance. The old man, the flesh man, the sin nature, dies in godly brokenness, and no longer lives, and the person becomes alive to Christ, but dead to sin. Genuine humility is present, and having been truly washed from his sins by the blood of Jesus Christ, he is a new creation, knows his sins are forgiven in truth, and can now boldly say that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. These do not live in the shadow of their sin but in the light of their victory in Jesus with thanksgiving, joy, and freedom in Christ Jesus. These now have life, and life more abundantly, and it is no longer them who live, but Christ who lives in them (Gal 2:20).
Worldly Brokenness:
Now, let’s define worldly brokenness: It is a state where a person has gone astray from God in self-will and rebellion to Him, but has not come to the end of himself, nor come fully to his senses by God’s intervention/mercy but instead has a self-realization of being in a bad and destructive state (‘swirling the toilet’) and instead of dying to sin, has gone the way of self-pity, self-concern, and sees himself as a victim in some way for so as to not fully acknowledge his excuselessness in how he has treated God (and probably others) wrongly. He remains alive to sin, not dead to the old man, and not alive to Christ either. He may claim to be a “Christian”, but has not completely surrendered his life to Jesus and put that sin, the old man, the flesh man, the sinful nature, self-care and self-pity to death on the cross with Jesus. This person is self-driven/flesh-driven/Satan-driven (as opposed to led by the Spirit of God), self-ambitious, individualistic (apart from God), rebellious, self-desiring, self-consumed. These demonstrate either outright pride or false-humility in their manner of life. They are unforgiven (even if they say they are forgiven), not living in truth, but rather suppressing truth by their unrighteousness and unrighteous deeds before God- liars. The lying may become so bad that they don’t even know what is true in themselves anymore. Alligator tears but no death to self. These often commit suicide instead of turning-over/committing their life and soul to Jesus for His help, saving, and keeping (killing themselves, but not the flesh-man of sin with Jesus on the cross, retaining their pride).
Broken in the Bible:
The Bible’s term for “brokenness” is “sorrow”, saying there is “worldly sorrow”, and contrasts it with godly sorrow. (2 Corinthians 7). I believe worldly sorrow is self-pity, self-focus, self-concern and is a form of pride, and is brothers with fear/doubt/unbelief. Godly sorrow does not stay in sorrow because of forgiveness of sin, and new hope in Christ because of the forgiveness by God- godly sorrow leads to life (sorrow with cure), but worldly sorrow leads to death (sorrow without cure, stays in it). Godly sorrow is true repentance, worldly sorrow does not repent but feels sorry for one’s self instead.
Sincerity with God:
If we find ourselves with worldly “brokenness”, we need to get real and honest with God really quickly, and admit to God with whatever bit of sincerity that still exists in our heart, no matter how small, shredded and tattered it is, and ask God for His help to escape- you need God’s grace (God’s help). God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble– ask God for true honesty, so that you can speak with Him truly from your heart. God knows your heart in truth, even when you don’t, and better than you do when you do. God is going to destroy the sinners from the world, but it is not what He wants to do, but He surely will- and if a person does not turn to God in true repentance, he will perish apart from God, no “if”, “ands” or “buts” about it. Confess your sins to God, start with your lack of honesty with Him, and ask for His help (His grace that comes to us through Jesus Christ, His Son), and His forgiveness. Admit your are a mess, don’t stare at yourself like an idol, but rather look to Him for help, as Moses lifted up the serpent on the staff in the wilderness, and all who looked upon it did not perish from the bites of the snakes, so also we should look unto Jesus, our help, hope, and salvation. Dump that old man of death through faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior, who gave Himself on the cross in obedience to the Father for our sin, confessing your brokenness, and forsaking your sins, and take up Christ Jesus, He is life! If you get real with God, He will become real to you (Psalms 73:27-28; James 4:8, Heb 11:6)- He will really help you, that’s His promise.
Some advice from Scripture, from Jesus Christ Himself:
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot. 16 So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth. 17 Because thou say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and you know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel you to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness does not appear; and anoint your eyes with eyesalve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will supp with him, and he with Me. 21 To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22 He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.” Revelations 3:15-22
The Normal Christian Experience:
True Christians will not remain “broken” in the sense of messed-up, because God restores them and sets them upon their feet again. But if one will not/refuses to get honest with God, in true sincerity, that person will be “broken” but not a good broken, not a godly broken, but a messed-up broken. Should we be singing the messed-up kind of broken songs as Christians? Is it the normal, expected Christian life to remain worldly-broken? No. Again I say, that true Christians will not remain “broken” in the sense of messed-up, because they will go to God and get His help in sincerity and in true humility, not making excuses for themselves and for their weaknesses perpetually.
What is Not the Normal Christian Experience:
It is not the normal Christian experience to remain in a state of worldly-broken, where you remain living in your sins, doomed to repeat them over and over again- And whoever says that it is, is a liar and is softening your ride to Hell- this is human sympathies, sympathies with the old-man, sympathies with the flesh, and it will lead you to Hell. Have we not read in the Scriptures, that the flesh is enmity against God, and that those in the flesh cannot please God? (Rom 8:6-8,13; James 4:4; Jude 1:22-23; Eph 2:3; Gal 5:17; Rom 13:12-14). You cannot both sympathize with the flesh-man, and also put him to death by crucifying him with Christ on the cross- you cannot do both. We need to ruthlessly put that sinful nature to death on the cross, not sympathize with it. Human sympathies should not be confused with love and compassion from God. God does not sympathize with sin- it cost Him the death and blood of His only Begotten Son of God, to set us free from sin – He Does NOT sympathize with sin, the flesh (the sin nature). Beware of worldly sympathies- they are not true love/compassion! Beware of anything that is soft or easy on the flesh. Beware of any making excuses – take that to the cross! Sympathy with the sin or the flesh (sin nature) is a form of Humanism, “Christian” Humanism, a worship of man or self that looks Christian, and it is an idol before the righteous and holy God. Beware of any teaching that says Christians remain sinning/sinners- Jesus died that we may be free of sin, so let us put those to death on the cross with Christ Jesus, Who died for us.
Dying to Self on the Cross with Jesus:
“It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet He abides faithful: He cannot deny Himself.” 2 Tim 2:11-13
And,
“And He beheld them, and said, “What is this then that is written, ‘The Stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?’ Whosoever shall fall upon that Stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.”” Luke 20:17-18
These are the 2 kinds of broken.
