God has really quickened these passages of scripture to me in the past month or so. Thought I would share.
2 Cor. 7:9-11.
Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
2 Cor. 10:6.
And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
What is our reaction when we sin? What do we think, what do we feel, what do we do? All too often we feel great grief and sorrow over our sin. We cry for forgiveness, and we receive forgiveness. But it is not long before we find ourselves in the same boat again. We cry for forgiveness again. But again, we find ourselves in the same boat. Nothing really changes, and we come to the point of despair. We carry about a great weight of guilt. Our faith is shipwrecked. How can God ever use us, bless us, etc. when we are struggling in this area of our life? We lack genuine joy and peace. We feel like walking death.
Paul makes a strong distinction here. There is a sorrow that comes from our own flesh. It is a worldly sorrow that brings with it nothing but death. But there is a godly sorrow. There is a sorrow that comes from the Holy Spirit Himself. This sorrow brings about repentance, and by the way, joy. If we sorrow with a godly sorrow, it will produce in us carefulness, a clearing of ourselves, godly indignation at our sin, a fear of God, a vehement desire for Him and for His holiness, a zeal for God and holiness, and a heart that wants revenge on our disobedience. It is a life transforming sorrow that ultimately ends in joy and victory.
I have been compelled lately to pray that God give me His sorrow over areas of my life that need to change. I do not want to "feel" badly over my sin, instead I want to have a godly sorrow that brings with it the desire and the power of God to true repentance. Worldly sorrow feels remorse, guilt, and shame for a season. Godly sorrow receives forgiveness offered, and then walks in repentance. Worldly sorrow feels badly about the issue. Godly sorrow compels us to DO something about the issue as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit.
God has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness through Christ. This means that God has given us the ability through the empowerment of His Holy Spirit to overcome every stronghold in our life. Not through being beat senseless by grief, but by sorrowing unto repentance with the sorrow that God can supply.
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Travis
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