2 Corinthains 7:10
Sorrow That Matters
2Cor 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to
salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow
of the world worketh death.
Notice Paul spoke of two kinds of sorrow. One is godly sorrow. The
other is worldly sorrow. He goes on to tell us that godly sorrow is a
link to salvation while worldly sorrow only works to produce death.
That means worldly sorrow can be a step on the road to salvation
while worldly sorrow will take you nowhere. We are already headed
for death and hell so it does not change our course at all.
Don’t get a wrong thought. Worldly sorrow has its place. Parents
spend a lot of attempting to teach their children that they should be
sorry for bad behavior.
If you commit a worldly transgression, worldly sorrow may be
sufficient to fix it; but if your transgression is spiritual—against
God—it will require a godly sorrow to remedy it.
Let’s see some truths about godly sorrow.
I. From where does godly sorrow come?
A. If godly sorrow is need to bring us to Jesus, how do we get
it?
B. I am certainly no expert, but I see three things that might
help.
1. Godly sorrow comes from spiritual truth.
a. There is a connection between godly sorrow and
spiritual truth. God is Spirit so spiritual truth
logically seems important in producing godly sorrow.
b. But for truth to serve us, it needs to be the right
truth at the right time.
(1) I could stand tonight and use an auto mechanics
book as my a text, but it would serve the
purpose for our meeting.
(2) But if you called me when you are broke down on
the side of the road and all I brought was a
Bible sermon, I would not serving your purpose.
(3) If we are wanting to experience godly sorrow, we
must be exposed to spiritual truth.
b. That will come from the Bible, Christ-centered
preaching, and spirit-filled music.
c. That is why in church we must work to keep the main
thing the main thing.
(1) Discussions on politics may produce emotion.
(2) Discussions on social issues may produce
motivation.
(3) Discussions on financial issues may produce
drive.
(4) But being exposed to spiritual truth is the only
source I know of to help produce godly sorrow.
2. Godly sorrow comes with spiritual maturity.
a. You can take a little girl AnnaClair’s age and teach
her good truths about sewing, but I doubt it will do
much good. and tell her how to make
biscuits, but it probably would not impress her
much.
b. You could take a little boy Joshua’s age and tell him
about engine combustion, but it probably would not
impress him.
c. The day may come when whatever child you show these
things wants to know them, but you will have to wait
for them to mature enough to appreciate the truth
you are giving them.
d. So it is with godly sorrow. They must be spiritually
maturity to be have it.
e. How do we build spiritual maturity.
(1) Again, I am no expert, but I believe it is like
we build other maturity.
(2) You build maturity by exposing the immature to
those who are mature.
(3) That is why the friends you let your children
run with is important and that is why the church
you attend is important.
(4) Be in the kind of church that lives like you want
to live.
(5) Make friends with the kind of people that are
what you want to be.
3. Godly sorrow comes through our spiritual Guide.
a. I am not talking about the pastor now, but the Holy
Ghost.
b. Spiritual maturity is SPIRIT maturity.
c. To grow spiritual maturity we need a voice that is not
man’s and guidance that is not human.
d. We cannot have spiritual maturity if the Holy Spirit
is not there.
II. What does godly sorrow produce?
A. Godly sorrow is a link in producing many things, but the next
one up the ladder is conviction.
B. Conviction comes when spiritual truth and godly sorrow
together hit a mark deep within the human soul.
1. They produce an effect within us.
2. What effect?
3. Godly sorrow is a troubling of the soul.
4. That is what conviction is, a spiritually troubled soul.
C. It is difficult to describe, but I would say conviction has
occurred when three things happen:
1. We are convicted when the soul cannot forget.
a. Like a horrid image seen, truth and godly sorrow
have burned trouble into our soul.
b. We cannot sake it, and if in a crowd it lessens its
effect on us, it awakens and stirs afresh when we
are alone or quiet.
2. We are convicted when the soul cannot condone it.
a. Whatever sin truth and godly sorrow have troubled us
about, we cannot justify it, condone it, or in any
way dismiss it.
b. The guilt and condemnation from our sin won’t
subside.
3. We are convicted when the soul agrees with God about our
sin.
D. Sadly, many have been desensitized themselves to feeling
guilt and condemnation; hence, they cannot feel godly
sorrow.
1. There is actually a psychological process where people
are deliberately desensitized in their spirit to things
that they find troubling. (homosexuality, abortion,
drugs)
2. Even sadder, some are desensitizing themselves through
television, video games, music, exposure to sordid
and perverted actions.
III. Conviction can produce repentance.
2Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh
REPENTANCE to salvation not to be repented
of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
A. So spiritual truth brings about godly sorrow,
godly sorrow brings about conviction,
and conviction brings about repentance.
B. Each of these moves us closer to salvation.
1. Repentance means a change of direction.
2. In fact it means to change your mind about something or
to turn in DIFFERENT direction.
a. Truthfully, I have known worldly sorrow to actually
cause a person to turn in a DIFFERENT direction.
b. But godly sorrow will turn you to the RIGHT
direction.
(1) That is because it is spiritual truth being
applies by the Holy Spirit.
(2) It works much better than worldly sorrow being
applies by a worldly spirit.
C. Understand two truths about conviction:
1. God does not send conviction without telling you what you
did wrong.
a. Conviction is a tool God uses to move you back to Him.
b. It is not a whip He uses to beat you down and
discourage you.
c. That is what the devil does.
2. If God sends conviction, He will tell you what He wants
you to do to be forgive.
a. Then He will stop convicting you.
b. If you feel quilt after you have dealt with your sin,
that is not the Holy Ghost either.
c. It may be you and it may be the devil, but it won’t be
the Holy Spirit.
IV. The godly repentance produced by the godly conviction produced
by the godly sorrow produced by the spiritual truth can then
produce salvation.
A. Any of this steps alone will fail.
1. Spiritual truth alone is just religious knowledge. It
may make you smarter but it will not make you saved.
2. Godly sorrow by itself is just sorrow. It may help you
to correct bad behaviors but it cannot remove the bad
behaviors you have already committed.
3. Conviction alone is just depression.
a. You feel terrible but you do not know why or what
to do.
b. By the way, the devil is glad to give you this kind
of conviction, whether you are saved or lost.
c. It will depress, discourage, and defeat you.
d. God never, never sends conviction without telling you
what you are being convicted about.
4. Repentance alone is just turning over a new leaf. Maybe
it will make you a better person but for most of us, it
will only mark another failed attempt in trying to be a
better human being.
B. But all of these steps in order will, I believe, produce
salvation.
C. Salvation takes the changing of our lives out of our hands,
at least to a large degree, and puts it into the hands of
the Holy Ghost.
D. That is what makes Bible statements like these true.
2Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in
Christ, he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new.
John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches:
He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same
bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye
can do nothing.
Hebrews 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded
better things of you, and things that accompany
salvation, though we thus speak.
E. One more step.
V. Salvation washes away the godly sorrow.
A. Godly sorrow was necessary to bring us to Christ, but Christ
removes it when it has completed is purpose.
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not
condemned….
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus….
B. Here is an irony: A person who will not accept the guilt of
his sin will be guilty forever, but the one who does can
have it forgiven, washed away forever.
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