Godly Sorrow

by Pastor Mark
July 25, 2024

The danger of wandering

It is easy for anyone to wander and stray from the Lord. This is true even when we think we are walking right with the Lord. The Apostle Paul had warned in his first letter to the Corinthians, “Therefore let him who think he stands take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12)

Yet, despite all the warnings, we do find ourselves falling and struggling with the sins in our lives. We allow the desires of our hearts to get the better of us and we falter along the way. The challenge is to not give up but to deal with our sins more seriously.

Dealing with sin

  1. Our struggle with sin is a long-term concern.
  2. We have many sins that, sometimes, rear their ugly heads if we are not careful.
  3. But we also don’t want to just ask for forgiveness and think we have repented our sins.

Sorrowing in a godly manner

  1. The Corinthians had many sins to deal with.
  2. But they were to learn to sorrow and repent of their sins in a godly manner (2 Corinthians 7:10).
  3. “Repentance” (metanoia) means “to have a change of mind”.
  4. It indicates a vital change of mind concerning our sin…where we grieve deeply over it.
  5. It takes humility to have godly sorrow which we would not regret.
  6. The Lord would bring about deliverance and salvation from our sin.
  7. In contrast, worldly sorrow, where there is no true repentance, leads to death.

Features of true repentance

Paul used the Corinthians as an example of what genuine repentance is (2 Corinthians 7:11).

1. Diligence

  1. Greater diligence was found in the Corinthians to walk in righteousness.
  2. There came increased earnestness to keep away from sin.

2. Clearing of themselves

  1. It was like putting up a defence (apologia) to clear themselves of the offence.
  2. They sought to prove that they were no longer in sin.

3. Indignation

  1. There was anger directed against the sin that they had fallen into.
  2. Indignation against anything or anyone who had influenced them to fall.

4. Fear

  1. There was a healthy fear of falling into sin again.
  2. They also had a fear for the Lord who was watching over them (2 Corinthians 7:1).

5. Vehement desire

  1. There came a deep longing to be truly cleansed of their sin.
  2. A fervent desire to make the necessary changes.

6. Zeal

  1. A greater zeal to continue to live for the Lord.
  2. A fervour of spirit not to return to sin.

7. Vindication

  1. There was proof and justification that they were no longer in sin.
  2. They had been exonerated of the sin that once affected them.

Let us be challenged to deal with our sins as thoroughly as the Corinthian church did by ensuring that we have sorrowed in a godly manner leading to genuine repentance.

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