Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to life and no regret.
Worldly sorrow brings death.
2 Cor 7:10
So what does godly sorrow look like?
It is a sorrow that arises from seeing sin as God sees it in our lives.
We are genuinely sorry that we committed that sin
in the Presence of His Infinite Majesty.
It's how we view the evil of sin committed against our Holy God.
It is not that this sorrow feels disgrace and pain;
feels loss and contempt.
No, godly sorrow arises within us from a
View of the Evil of Sin against a Good God.
David knew it: Psalm 51:4 "Against YOU, and YOU only have I sinned,"
even though David had
committed the enormous sin of adultery and murder of his lover's husband.
God is looking for hearts that are contrite in their sin
not just caught in their sin. Isaiah 66:2
If we are shamed into believing we are a mess,
we may not change much.
If we shame our children,
our husbands into a better life,
they don't change either.
"Genuine sorrow for sin leads the soul to God,
and conducts the sinner, through the Redeemer
to obtain the pardon and peace which only
HE can give to a wounded spirit." Albert Barnes (Notes on the Bible)
"All true and genuine repentance is that which regards sin as deriving its main evil from the fact that it is committed against God." Albert Barnes
One can be overwhelmed with sin, so very conscious of their guilt,
and it might not lead to God. I've seen it.
You may be so ashamed of the effects of your sin ---
that you are caught yet you have not landed in His Arms.
"All worldly sorrow does is produce more distress and destroys our peace, mars our happiness... Our heart pines away under the influence of the unalleviated sorrow; or under its influence people often lay violent hands on themselves and take their lives. Life is often closed under the influence of such sorrow." Albert Barnes
O God, where we are living in pain and shame and making others pay for their behavior, open our eyes to see sin like You do and work repentance in us. It is just like our God to awaken our dead hearts. Godly sorrow leads to repentance, regeneration, reform. Jehoshaphat knew that kind of reform in 2 Chron 19:2-3 where the prophet confronts him of his wrong and tells him of the good still found in him. Where good still stirs in our humbled hearts, O God please work repentance. And help us be Jehoshaphats who "set our face to seek our LORD." 2 Chron 20:3.
What I face at this juncture of my life is overwhelming, painful, confusing, feeling a little abandoned. 2 Chron 20:12 is engraved on the necklace I wear this very day: We are powerless in what we face. We don't know what to do but our eyes are on You. Work in us, O Good God, ongoing godly repentance. Repentance. Regeneration. Reform. Help us see things as You do, not as the world does.
2 Chronicles 20:12 - There are times when I just don't know what to do, but my eyes are on Him, because He does. vs 15 The battle is not MINE but GOD'S. I have no need to fear. vs 17 The LORD is with me.
ReplyDeleteNise' well said...I echo your words.
ReplyDeleteI am seeing up close how repentance that is real and from God works it's way in my son's heart and life. Wow....what a gift and what a testimony to see scripture lived out before me. I am thinking it's easier to see worked out in his life than it is in mine. All, I do know is that it is a beauty to behold the Lord work.
Standing firm and still to watch the Lord work and fight your battles is an awesome joy.
Mary Lou, Something in me wants to think up every good word, every good lesson, every good verse, to share with my children to keep them committed to the God they all love. But why? This post has undone me. Why do I want my kids to get caught in what they are doing wrong? I want them exposed.Wait!!! God is taking care of them!!! This battle is not mine. He does want me to offer them His life. I just love what is going on in your son. That is godly repentance! So touched by that! Rejoicing with you!
ReplyDeleteTimely word for me today. I need to keep my mouth shut and watch what God does. I want so badly for my kids to see, to walk closely with the Lord, but I cannot do it. God's timing is hard to wait for, but to see real repentance and changed hearts is the only goal. We have as long as the Lord allows. And we can't rush the eternal works that matter most.
ReplyDeleteKeep our eyes focused on You, Lord. Take us by the hand one step at a time. Walk us straight into Your loving Arms.
My prayers are with you all for a good weekend and joy to fill you as you look to Him. Love, A
It is hard to not want to give our adult children every good scripture,story etc to keep our children close to the Lord. As with us, it is truly only the Lord can convict us and hold us, ourselves. God's timing is so marvelous. I hear words out of my son's mouth that I never dreamed I would hear. He has been very open and forthright. I do know that he is just like me and very fragile and can so easily be tempted to fall. He has an extreme weakness with lust and trying to help women who are in "need". He has been hurt really bad and I keep praying that he has truly learned his lesson. What I do know and have seen fleshed out in Dave's life and mine own is that it is only a lasting work when He and He alone does it.
ReplyDeleteAs Annette said, we need to keep our eyes focused on Him and take us by the hand and take one step at a time. I just keep praying that He will draw him close to Himself every day and give him a hunger and thirst for Him. I'm sure all of you pray the same for your children. We do have to remain ever watchful, for our enemy is roaming around seeking to devour and pull any one claiming the name of Christian. Love to all of you. Tomorrow I am "officaily" old...can't even spell it, ha, ha
Mary Lou,
ReplyDeleteYou are officially wise!