Thought from today’s Bible reading from 2 Corinthians 5-9.
It is common for one to feel guilty after doing something that is wrong. Whether it is due to conscience, negative consequences, or shame that comes from others learning of our actions, we often feel remorse over our sins. Only after one’s conscience is seared does he no longer feel such guilt (1 Timothy 4:2). But while this guilt (sorrow) over our actions may be common, not all of it is necessarily helpful. Notice what Paul told the brethren in Corinth:
“For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while—I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:8-10).
In his first letter to these brethren, Paul rebuked them for several sins. Naturally, they were sorrowful (they had a sense of guilt and remorse) after Paul brought these sins to their attention and condemned them. Fortunately, the Corinthian brethren had the right kind of sorrow.
Paul mentioned two different types of sorrow in this passage:
- “Sorrow that is according to the will of God” – This sorrow comes when one sees that he has violated the law of God and is not right before Him. This sorrow recognizes the perfect standard and that all will be held accountable according to that standard. Therefore, this godly sorrow will lead one to repentance and making himself right before God.
- “Sorrow of the world” – This sorrow comes when one ignores God and His law and focuses instead on himself and the world. This sorrow leads not to correction, but depression. Instead of recognizing one’s failure to meet God’s standard, the sorrow of the world causes one to try to feel better about himself by ignoring God’s standard or trying to justify sin. The sorrow of the world does not lead one to repentance. Therefore, it leads to death.
When we violate the law of God and are faced with our sin, our conscience will help us to sorrow over that sin. But we must be sure that this is godly sorrow, leading to repentance; rather than worldly sorrow, leading us further away from the Lord.
Tomorrow’s reading: 2 Corinthians 10-13
[I’m using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you’d like to follow along, too.]
Daily Notes & Observations contains all 365 articles from this series and is available in paperback from Gospel Armory.
