2 Corinthians 7

2 Corinthians 7 (NKJV)

1Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

The Corinthians’ Repentance

2Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one.

3I do not say this to condemn; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.

4Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.

5For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears.

6Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,

7and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.

8For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while.

9Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.

10For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

11For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

12Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.

The Joy of Titus

13Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.

14For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I am not ashamed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, even so our boasting to Titus was found true.

15And his affections are greater for you as he remembers the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him.

16Therefore I rejoice that I have confidence in you in everything.

Galatians 6:1

Galatians 6:1 (NKJV)

1Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

Psalm 141:4–5

Psalm 141:4–5 (NKJV)

4Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice wicked works With men who work iniquity; And do not let me eat of their delicacies.

5Let the righteous strike me; It shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; It shall be as excellent oil; Let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.

Jude 1:22–23

Jude 1:22–23 (NKJV)

22And on some have compassion, making a distinction;

23but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

Scripture readings

Devotional 📖

Metanoian - after mind - repentance. An improved spiritual state resulting from deep sorrow for sin

In 2 Corinthians Chapter 7, what we see is a reference to the 1st letter that Paul sent to the Corinthians church (1 Corinthians). Having heard that their response to the letter and his rebuke of them tolerating sin was sorrow, he says that though it was not his explicit intention to make them sad, he’s glad that they were sorrowful because their sorrow led to repentance.

Repentance is a Spirit-guided reorientation of mind and heart that leads to a transformed life. It’s not an intellectual shift where you mentally know something is bad or a work that earns salvation. It’s a God-enabled turning that comes with true faith in salvation. Basically, we can’t repent without the Spirit highlighting to us our sin and showing us how to turn away from that.

The church in Corinth was broken over their sin and their godly sorrow led to true repentance. They began to examine themselves and make sure they were clean in the matter Paul had pointed out. They grew in zeal, passion, diligence and holiness because they took his correction and pivoted by the Spirit. Sometimes we haven’t repented, we’ve just mentally shifted, and it’s evident in the lack of transformation in our lives. Transformation is evidence we’ve truly repented and true repentance is accompanied with deep sorrow. The likeliness of us going back to sin we’re not broken over is incredibly high.

The payment for sin is death. Sin is a stumbling block that stops us from deep intimacy with the One who loves us so much He died for us. Unless we understand the death that sin causes and the harm it causes to our relationship with God, we will go back to it.

When we are corrected the end result should be genuine repentance, a complete turning away from the thing that hurt people and broke God’s heart. Sorrowing in a godly manner should produce holiness, righteous anger, reverence, passion and zeal for the things of God. If it produces offence, bitterness, and a self-righteousness that despises correction and seeks to condemn the individual that corrected us, then we haven’t sorrowed in a godly manner. In the same way, when we correct someone, it should make them want to turn to God not away from Him.

Ephesians 4:15 - above all, speak the truth in love…

Prayer 🙏

Holy Spirit, make me sorrowful over sin in me and sin in the world. Teach me how to love righteousness and hate wickedness. Teach me how to repent and not to rejoice in evil, but when right and truth prevail. I don’t want to tolerate sin in my own life or when I see it elsewhere. Help me because I can only do this with you.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Godly sorrow leads to repentance

Devotional 📖

Prayer 🙏