2 Corinthians 7:10
S–For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death.
H–Paul writes this letter to the Corinthian church and in it he is talking to a community of faith that has been through a lot of turmoil and perhaps is beginning to turn a corner. In this verse Paul distinguishes a difference between grief that comes from the sin that is present in our lives. He says there is “godly grief” and “worldly grief” and one leads to salvation and the other to death. Its as if this godly grief produces a change, an true acknowledgment and desire to turn away and live differently. Where as the worldly grief is like an “I’m sorry only because I got caught” with no real desire to change other then to escape the consequence and that this kind of grief leads to death.
A–Most of us think that “godly grief” is repentance and that we must acknowledge our sin only because God sees it (or someone else does) and if we want to escape the consequence we need to at least act like we are sorry. The focus for us in this type of grief is not one of we want to change but that we want to be freed from the consequences of our actions. This is not to be alive; to have this kind of grief about our sin actually produces the very thing we are trying to avoid, death. On the other hand there is this godly grief that is true, raw acknowledgment of where we are and who we are and a desire to be changed into something different. The focus of godly grief is not to escape the consequence but to be changed from the inside out and it is the change that is the journey of salvation today, tomorrow, and for all eternity.
P–Lord my prayer today is not that I would grieve my sin just to escape the consequence but that my sin would grieve my heart so much that I would desire to be changed and transformed into something new and different that would look more like you and your salvation then the dead end street of the world I live in. Amen.
E–Godly grief leads to a change that is the journey of salvation.
Peace, Pastor P
chadpullins@connect2crossroads.com; www.wedesiremore.com
Thank you does not seem suffice as your words brought me encouragement, comfort and challenge for growth in my pain today. My family is in crisis and God, whether they want to admit or not, is at the center of it. I can only hope they take the time to read your post and discern it appropriately for their life as I am trying to do for my own.
thank you for you kinds words, I give Him all the credit, in spite of me…praying for you and your family Glenna
Good job,this is the kind of word that if the world can (understand) it would realy change the hearts,and minds.Keep up the God work.I was blest.