The Heart of Repentance

(announce about pastor prays in the summer and ask people to send a photo with names of family members if they are not currently in the directory)

Introduction

ILLUST - Brad and I playing soccer in the living room after mom told us not to play soccer in the house. We broke a lamp. Did I experience repentance — or just regret that I had done something wrong? Did I care about the lamp — no, it was an ugly lamp. I had regret that I was going to be in trouble.

I almost titled this message, “The Heart(S) of Repentance” because Paul shows us two different dispositions of the heart as it relates to repentance.

Heart FOR Repentance

Heart OF Repentance

He will also describe the difference between a heart of true repentance and a heart of regret.

We read a smaller section of the larger passage we will be covering today (7:2-16), and as we continue through our series in 2 Corinthians we will begin to pick up speed, often covering an entire chapter per week.

Key words in the passage:

Grief

Comfort

Joy

And it all centers around repentance.

2 Corinthians 7:4 “4 I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.”

why? v5 - FOR (gar)

2 Corinthians 7:5–11 “5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within.

This is a pick up from where Paul left off in 2:13:

2 Corinthians 2:1 ESV

1 For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you.

2 Corinthians 2:12–13 ESV

12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.

2 Corinthians 7:5–11 “5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within.

Fear without - external pressures

Fear within - struggles, temptations, and difficulties that hit the mind and cause fear.

6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. 8 For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. 9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.

Have a Heart FOR Repentance (5-9)

9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting.

I was surprised by Paul’s heart for repentance.

Paul wrote a “harsh” letter to the Corinthians not to “tell them off,” but in hopes they would repent.

A heart for repentance wants to see repentance not revenge.

All throughout this letter, you can almost feel Paul’s love for the Corinthians — even though they had hurt him deeply.

Have you ever been hurt deeply by someone you loved / you trusted?

Have you secretly wished for their best or for their worst? Do you want to se the weight of their guilt lifted through repentance or have you only wanted your “pound of flesh?”

Would you rather see them repent or receive revenge?

This doesn’t mean everyone will repent. It doesn’t mean you remove all boundaries towards someone who is unrepentant.

But in the end, would you rather see them find Jesus or fail miserably?

A heart for repentance rejoices with restoration of the relationship.?

A heart for repentance matches God’s heart.

Earlier this year we walked through the story of Jonah which displayed God’s heart to see people repent before seeing them destroyed.

Ezekiel 33:11 ESV

11 Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

When writing to the church to explain why Jesus seems to be delaying his return, Peter gives the reason:

2 Peter 3:9 ESV

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

You can have a heart for repentance before they display an act of repentance.

*Is there someone for whom you are harboring a desire for revenge instead of having a heart for repentance?

Ask the Spirit to soften your heart AND ask the Spirit to soften theirs!

Maintain a Heart OF Repentance (10-11)

Paul is joyful that the Corinthians have truly repented of their past actions toward Paul and simply regretted how he feels.

Paul differentiates between true repentance and a feeling of regret.

10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

grief = sorrow - I like the word sorrow better than grief - Greek has no separate words for sorrow and grief (as we know it)

Worldly Grief

Worldly grief is self-centered.

“The chief characteristic of worldly sorrow is that it is fundamentally self-centered. Worldly sorrow revolves around the pain sin causes to oneself rather than the offense and dishonor it is to God. Listen to the words of Philip Hughes in describing worldly sorrow: “It is not sorrow because of the heinousness of sin as rebellion against God, but sorrow because of the painful and unwelcome consequences of sin. Self is its central point” (273).”

Worldly grief is concerned with consequences not relationships.

Worldly grief is more concerned with getting caught by someone than getting right with someone.

If they had not been caught, they would not have been concerned.

Ex: Esau selling (despising) his birthright for stew

Genesis 27:34 ESV

34 As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!”

Esau did not cry because he realized he had done something wrong with despising his birthright. Instead, he cried because of the consequences of selling his birthright.

Worldly grief is expressed in regret.

We will see that the outworking expression of godly grief is repentance whereas worldly grief expresses itself in the much shallower and temporary feeling of regret.

Satan wants you to feel guilty. He wants you to experience regret and remorse, but not repentance.

Warren W. Wiersbe

Worldly grief ends in death.

Because worldly grief is focused on self, it can’t be atoned for by self. It may be the death of a relationship.

How do you test if your sorrow is worldly or godly? 

worldly sorrow happens only when caught

Test: what happens if you were never caught?

The great enemy of repentance is justification - not the great theological concept of declaring us right before through Christ - no, Satan stole this word - so we might say our evil deed are “just as if I did what was right”

Worldly sorrow can receive no grace - true?

Worldly sorrow (because it is focused on self) causes you to attempt to atone for sin on your own 

seems fine if it is a small offense (stole candy / return candy) but impossible in some cases - Judas 

Godly Grief

kata theon - different from worldly grief, this phrase could be translated grief according to God.

10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret,

Godly grief is sorrow for sin because you see it as God sees it and how it affects your relationship with He and others.

Whereas worldly

What is repentance?

change of mind - meta - noe 

But not only an intellectual change 

We might say a change of heart but it is not only emotional 

The mind was the director of one’s life and actions. 

Similar to (or even synonymous in LXX) to shuv in Hebrew which means to turn and go a different direction

there is a change of mind, change of heart, and change of ways 

That is why in the classic psalm of repentance, Psalm 51, David says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”

Godly grief agrees with God and calls sin - sin.

Godly grief doesn’t spend time justifying actions as much as it leans into the justification of Jesus.

Godly grief is humble enough to respond to the correction of Spirit internally or externally through others.

The Corinthians repented after they received the letter from Paul that pointed out their sin

Godly grief is earnest to be open and right with God and not hidden with sin.

11 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment!

Godly grief seeks to make things right.

At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.”

How to Repent:

Agree with God, grieve with God, turn toward God, walk with God

It begins with the change of mind.

The beginning of repentance is the confession of guilt.

John Calvin (French Reformer)

The outcome of this repentance, this godly sorrow, is JOY.

Worldly grief is sorrow for what the sin cost me; godly grief is sorrow for what the sin cost God.

It cost him the life of his Son.

We can only come to the Table with a heart of repentance. Take a few moments to prepare your heart.

Conclusion

Does your heart match God’s heart for repentance?

Are there people you would rather see receive revenge than repent?

*What sin have you been rationalizing and justifying instead of repenting?

*What changes do you need to make this week to have a softened heart to respond to the Spirit?

False Guilt

Satan would love to convince the believer that her godly sorrow was worldly sorrow and not covered by grace. He will try to convince the repentant believer that there is still more to pay. That the sin He doesn’t care which error you believe as long as it slows your walk with Christ. 

If you have repented of your sin, do not hold onto false guilt!