Monday, August 29, 2011
2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
I'M SORRY
These words are familiar because they are spoken frequently today. Still, these two simple words are used in different ways to mean different things. For example: When someone we care about grieves the death of a loved one, we use these words to comfort. When a child hurts another child in word or deed, well meaning parents will require that they "say they are sorry." They obediently respond (perhaps sullenly) with these two words. When a well-known athlete is caught breaking the law or in a morally reprehensible position they will immediately call a press conference and issue a formal apology for embarrassing family, friends and employer.
It's not just everyone else, either, is it? When it comes to sin, we human beings are good at saying "I'm sorry" when we really mean "I'm embarrassed" or "I'm sorry I got caught." We are good at saying "I'm Sorry" without really saying that we regret that what we have done is offensive to God.
This is what the Apostle Paul would call "worldly sorrow" and it's not the kind of sorry that God would have us to be. Very often the sorrow of the world isn't really sorrow over sin at all. But the sorrow of the world produces death because it offers no solution for sin. What is the most common answer to "fix" wrongdoing? Promise to do better next time and make up for it.
God-pleasing sorrow grieves over sins committed as offensive to GOD while also trusting in Jesus' sacrifice to make it right. Godly sorrow leads to repentance and forgiveness and is not to be regretted -- no matter how painful.
Godly sorrow remembers: "Jesus sinners doth receive."
