2 Corinthians 7:10–12

Intro

“I don't do regrets. Regrets are pointless. It's too late for regrets. You've already done it, haven't you? You've lived your life. No point wishing you could change it.” - Lead singer of Motorhead

“There's no point in regretting things. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime. Life's too short to worry about things I've said.” - Robbie Williams, English pop singer

Make it a rule of life never to regret and never to look back. regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can't build on it; it's only good for wallowing in.  - Katherine Mansfield, 20th century short story writer and poet from New Zealand Each of these quotes is revealing of one thing; for the most part, the today does not want to have anything to with sorrow or regret. I can remember being in a conversation some time ago with a well-meaning co-worker and we were talking about sorrow and deservedness of good things, in the conversation I can remember saying, “I know that I am doing better than I deserve.” And the other person said something like, “Don’t say that! You deserve the best! Do something nice for yourself. I believe you don’t deserve to feel sad, you deserve to feel happy and to pursue what makes you most happy.” The person was of course doing their best to try and encourage me with myself…but what was apparent was that this person felt that sadness was bad. Regret was bad.

I have many regrets. Some of them still upset me at night. To quote one of our own, “When people say they have no regrets, I say, ‘Really?”

But not all regret and sorrow is godly.

Our text for tonight would put forth something quite different. As we’ll see in our passage, there is a kind of sorrow that is according to the will of God. There is a sorrow that God wants you to experience, because the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces something in the believer that glorifies God and has saving, eternal benefits.

Context

We’ve been in 2 Corinthians for quite a while. We’ve gone slowly. It’s helpful to revisit the larger context so we have an understanding of the large picture of what’s happening.

There are opponents to Paul's ministry in the Corinthian church. There was a particular leader who opposed Paul as God's apostle and he incites rebellion. The church refuses to support Paul and instead joins this man's team. Paul writes a more sever letter to them (not found), rebuking them and calling them to repentance (7:8–12), including discipline of the offender. Paul sends Titus to follow up on the severe letter, and Titus brings back good news to Paul which fills him with joy (v.6,7); by God's grace, his letter had produced its desired effect.

The Corinthian church largely repented by disciplining (ex-communicating) the leader. In chapter 2, Paul instructs the Corinthians to forgive this person, so as to not give an opportunity to the Devil (2 Corinthians 2:5–11). Not only that, but the Corinthian church desires a renewal of fellowship with Paul

It's Titus who reports back to Paul about their godly grieve that's led to repentance. Paul's letter grieved the Corinthians. Paul is thankfully filled with joy at their repentance. He's proud of them and grateful for the Lord has done in them. In verses 10-12, he draws a contrast between two kinds of grief and what they produce. This will be the focus of what we examine in our study of v.10-12.

I really only have one point — The Fruit of Godly Grief. And, I will do my best to offer some points of application as we move through the text.

The Fruit of Godly Grief

Godly Grief

2 Corinthians 7:10 - For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. (ESV)

Paul is amplifying the previous verse by drawing a contrast between the kind of grief the Corinthians are experiencing and a different kind—worldly grief. Not only are they contrasted, but what they produces or this could be translated what they work, is different.

What of godly grief? How do we know we have it? How was Titus and by way of communication, Paul able to look at the sorrow or grief of the Corinthians and say, “That’s from God!”

The simple answer is, because their grief produced repentance. In the case of the Corinthians, this was a sorrow that came about, because the way that they were attacking towards Paul called the certainty of their salvation into question. And, instead of continuing in sin, by God’s grace, they resolved to reverse their conduct and live for God…and open their hearts in love, to Paul.

And someone might say, “Yes, but these Corinthians were Christians…repentance is something you do when you come to Christ, so that you can be saved. How has godly grief produced repentance.”

Repentance is all of life!

What was the call of the forerunner of our Lord, but that the Pharisees and all who would come to the Son, “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.”

The very first line of Martin Luther’s 95 theses was: "Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance."

Heidelberg Catechism (Answer 89) gives a good definition of godly grief. Godly grief "is to be genuinely sorry for sin, to hate it more and more, and to run away from it."

And so, Paul is rejoicing at the godly grief of the Corinthians because it’s produced repentance…and this repentance is not an indicator that their walk with Christ has had a setback---A Christian who is regularly repenting of sin is a Christian who is gaining ground…progressing…and leaving little room for the devil to gain an advantage in their life!

Our repentance, church, is one of things that evidences the working out of 1 Corinthians 1:18, in our lives:

1 Corinthians 1:18 - [18] For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (ESV)

and

2 Corinthians 2:15

[15] For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, (ESV)

This is what Paul means when he says that their godly grief produced repentance that lead to salvation --- The Corinthians and us church, were saved, are saved, are being saved — present tense — and will be saved from the wrath to come. And, we evidence this by experiencing godly grief over our sin and turning and repenting.

KIDS: We should hate our sin more than we hate the discipline that comes because of our sin.

Application: A simple question to ask yourself…and this is so easy (maybe not for some) to miss especially in the middle of a pandemic when we’re all, for the most part, unto ourselves — What have we repented of lately? One question I’ve begun asking my family is, “Is there any way I’ve sinned against you lately, so that I can repent and seek forgiveness?” Are we keeping short accounts church? Or, has entertainment drowned out the voice of God in our lives? When is the last time we’ve asked God with the Psalmist, “Search me dnd see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

God promises us, through Paul, that this kind of repentance comes without regret. (trans. is repentance not to be repented of) -- Followers of Christ don't second guess their "decision" to follow Christ, because their "decision" is a fruit of the Holy Spirit! This all of God. God grants the grief. God grants the repentance. God saves. God produces in us, thankfulness and keeps us from "turning back".

Think of the prodigal son, who after turning back from his wasted journey into the world was received unconditionally by this father…How he did not regret that he’d come back home!

I’m sad to say I know several who, for a time, seemed to repent and the cares of the world choked out the truth and they regretted all that they thought they’d lost for following Jesus. Back to the world they went…how deadly tragic.

We pray with Isaiah:

Isaiah 55:6–9

[6] “Seek the LORD while he may be found;

call upon him while he is near;

[7] let the wicked forsake his way,

and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,

and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

[8] For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

[9] For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts. (ESV)

There is no sin repented of that God does not forgive! He is compassion and gives of Himself. He pardons the sinner, because He did not pardon the Son.

GOSPEL: If you find yourself listening to this or watching this and you’re not a Christian…there is a grief that God desires you to experience. It’s grief over your sins against him, fear of his judgment that brings you to repentance…because repentance brings you to the Cross, where Jesus Christ, by taking on your sin in his body and soaking up the full outpouring of God’s wrath—that we deserve—makes amends for all! Christ has paid for your sin, he bore your sin and was crushed for your iniquities. What should give you sorrow (all of us) is not the earthly consequence of our sin, but the fact that the sinless, innocent Son of God was crushed for our eternal crimes against The Father. This is an invitation to the cross.

Worldly Grief

And what of worldly grief? What’s the difference? Grief that comes from the world is a remorse brought about by losing the world’s approval and losing the world’s gifts. And instead of leading to repentance without regret, it leads to a determination to regain that approval or those possessions…it values the world, not God. Worldy grief says “His approval is all I have. If I lose it, I’m lost.” Something other than God is at the center. And what does Paul say; the only thing this produces is death, or divine judgment.

Application: For those who tend to the more despairing side...you will know whether your grief is Godly, by what it produces. Be mindful of the devil -- he can mask grief the leads to death with all kinds of spiritual nuance, all the while, it's being used to devour you.

Examples of ungodly grief:

In the Bible:

Judas and Peter -- both rejected and denied the Lord Jesus on the same night. Judas led the guard to Jesus in Gethsemane for a few nickles. Peter publicly disowned Jesus in the courtyard because he was afraid of a little girl. Both men regretted what they had done.

Peter was forgiven and went on to preach at Pentecost and lead the church. Judas was not forgiven and ended up committing suicide.

Judas regret did not lead to repentance, Peter’s did. Judas’ guilt was real and terrible. But he did not believe in Jesus and was condemned.

Worldly grief is sad over the terrible thing you did minus / without believing that Jesus’s death will atone for him.

John Bloom says this, “A person who has godless grief believes he is either beyond forgiveness or that he must atone for his own sin in order to please God. His regret leads to death—a living death of condemnation (sometimes suicide) and eventually spiritual death.”

In our own life:

Self-pity – I can’t believe I did this. And you’re grief leads to death because you don’t believe that Jesus took your shame.

Personal embarrassment – What are others going to think about me now? And your grief leads to death because you will not believe that Jesus’ is your righteousness and God sees you as He sees the Son.

Shameful regret – I will never be able to forget what I have done. And your worldy grief leads to death because you fail to remember or refuse to be reminded that God has cast your sins into the sea of His forgetfulness.

Unbelieving guilt – I can’t forgive myself. And your grief leads to death because your forget the Cross, where Chrit paid for all your sin.

While how we express it varies, world grief always produces the same result — death, always spiritual, sometimes physical.

Worldly grief happens anytime any of the idols we have propped up, fail us. Deep regret...no change.

Application: For those who tend to the more despairing side...you will know whether your grief is Godly, by what it produces. Be mindful of the devil -- he can mask grief that leads to death with all kinds of spiritual nuance, all the while, it's being used to devour you and keep you from the Cross.

One fruit of worldy grief. There is many fruits of Godly grief! Look at the seven fruits repentance, brought about by godly grief, has produced.

The Seven Fruits of Godly Grief

In the lives of the Corinthians, Paul sees that their godly grieve has had a marked affect on them. Look at v. 11:

1. It produces earnestness / diligence (v.11,12) -- rejects indifference towards Paul and becomes intentionally serious about the way they are living towards one another.

Paul says, this is actually why he wrote them in the first place (v.12)

It's not for the sole offender, or Paul the offended that he writes. He writes so that, through godly grief, the Corinthians might be woken up to love for Paul, another believer. This is to their benefit! It's in repentance that God grants us to see how much we actually love one another...

APPLICATION: Repentance can be the seemingly small fire that warms our whole heart to love another believer.

"in the sight of God" - The Corinthians are accountable to God, for how they deal with Paul.

2. It produced "an eagerness to clear yourselves" / vindication of yourselves - the Corinthians had been apathetic as to their complicity against Paul, they now strove to prove their loyalty to Paul. True repentance is marked by a desire to clear your name of the stigma of your sin, a yearning to have a reputation for righteousness rather than for iniquity.

APPLICATION: Our repentance is visible to others! It’s public!

3. It produced indignation - against the offender and against themselves for supporting him. Turning from undue hatred of Paul to a proper hatred of the sin of the offender and their sin of accepting it.

APPLICATION: Quite simply, do we hate our sin enough to say “forgive me”? Story: Larry.

As one commentator puts it, “Repentance knows nothing of self-esteem.”

4. It produced fear of God’s judgment as they had sinned against a holy God. Turning from fear of man to fear of God.

APPLICATION: Is the day of judgement in view for us?

5. It produced longing to make things right. Turning from a loathing of Paul to longing to make things right.

APPLICATION: Are you disturbed by the distance your sin puts between you and God and you and the body?

6. It produced zeal to honor Paul and to do things right.

7. It produced punishment demonstrated in their willingness to see Paul’s offender properly dealt with. Turning from refusing to exercise church discipline to embracing Paul's instruction.

APPLICATION: In our repentance, our we willing to do hard things, knowing that they will lead to life and greater joy in God…not just for us, but for others as well?

Paul says, in verse 12, that all that’s been repented of, out of godly grief, has been done in the sight of God.

in the sight of God" - The Corinthians are accountable to God, for how they deal with Paul.

APPLICATION: So are we...one to another.

More concerning to Paul than his own vindication is whether or not the Corinthian church is walking uprightly before the Lord. It just so happens that, in this instance, their standing before the Lord is directly connected to how they love (or don't love) the Apostle Paul.

Final Thoughts

What good has grief done in our godliness. Have you prayed for it. Has he granted it to you? Don’t run from it, allow it to lead you to the Cross. Lives keeping with repentance produce all kinds of fruit, to the glory of God.

Let’s Pray