Thread by @2runtherace

Godly Sorrow!

What does it mean to have Godly sorrow?

2 Corinthians 7:10
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

There is so much sorrow in this life. The devastation from the recent floods have placed a heaviness of heart on so many.

The state of not only the world, but of those who claim the Name of Christ brings sorrow in our hearts.

Paul wrote the Words above to the church at Corinth. He had previously written a letter of rebuke to them because they were tolerating sin within the church there.

There is a difference of opinion on what he speaks of here, but this comes to mind as it was certainly a strong rebuke.

1 Corinthians 5:1-7
It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.

And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,

In the Name of our LORD Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our LORD Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the LORD Jesus.

Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.

How do we react when we are rebuked for sin in our lives? The letter Paul wrote had caused the Christians there much sorrow.

It did not give Paul pleasure to rebuke them, he even felt sorrowful about it, because it brought them pain, but it had caused them to have a godly sorrow that led them to repentance, so he knew it had been necessary.

2 Corinthians 7:8-9
For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.

You see beloved, when we have a godly sorrow it will cause our heart to be open to the Holy Spirit’s conviction, and instead of making us angry, it will produce repentance!

The response of their hearts after their initial sadness, caused Paul to rejoice!

[9] Now I rejoice, not that ye 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.

John wrote about the joy he had to see his son in the faith walking faithfully with the LORD!

3 John 1:2-4
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Paul explained to Timothy the necessity of what he had done by writing the letter of rebuke to the church at Corinth.

2 Timothy 4:2-8
Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the LORD, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.

The church at Thyatira was proud of their tolerance. Like the Corinthian church they needed to be rebuked by the LORD.

Revelation 2:18-22
And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath His eyes like unto a flame of fire, and His feet are like fine brass;

I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

Godly sorrow, is a deep conviction that produces a change in our hearts, and our lives. It turns us from sin to the LORD in humility and repentance. This is exactly what happened after Paul sent the letter to the Corinthian church.

2 Corinthians 7:11
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.

Instead of being angry with Paul, they were sorrowful about the things he pointed out to them that needed to be changed!

When sin is pointed out to us, how will we respond? Or when we are the ones having to point out sin, how will we be received?

Will we be accused of virtue signaling?

Virtue signaling refers to the act of expressing opinions or stances with the intent of demonstrating our own good character, or righteousness.

We must be careful to always examine our own hearts, and our own actions, before rebuking sin in others.

Matthew 7:3-5
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

The parable Jesus told below could stand as an example of virtue signaling.

Luke 18:10-14
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

In closing, godly sorrow is a deep sense of sadness or grief that arises from recognizing our own sins and the harm they cause. It’s not just about feeling bad for the consequences of our sin, but having a genuine understanding of how sin offends the LORD and others!

It leads to repentance, which means we will turn away from sin with a commitment to change!

Father, Convict us of our sins, and be merciful to us when we turn to You in repentance. May we have godly sorrow that produces repentance in our lives in Jesus Name!
#EyesOnHim

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