In the previous lesson, we left off with the question, “As you consider both godly sorrow and worldly sorrow, which do you believe you have at present?”
God has not left us to wonder if we have godly sorrow or worldly sorrow. Notice the effects of godly sorrow from 2 Corinthians 7:11 NIV:
2 Corinthians 7:11 (NIV) See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.
Question 1. What did godly sorrow produce in the lives of the Corinthians?
Log in / create an account to enroll or continue where you left off.
What an amazing list of effects of godly sorrow: earnestness, eagerness, indignation, alarm, longing and concern, readiness! If God gives us godly sorrow at the cross, we become very earnest about escaping the trap of the devil in impurity. We become eager to crucify our evil desires. We become indignant, even vexed and outraged at our past life of sin. We are now greatly alarmed to see how the devil has set up strongholds in our minds, and we have a great longing to wash at the cross. We’re concerned about ourselves and are ready to fight to the death with our lusts!
Do you see how godly sorrow prepares us for freedom? Godly sorrow is essential in our lives, as without it, we will not experience the freedom that we seek.
So as we think about godly sorrow and repentance, what do we do if we find that we only have worldly sorrow rather than godly sorrow? How do we get godly sorrow “as God intends”?
Here are some things we can do to find this glorious brokenness and heart-sorrow, which produces such godly effects in our lives. The following is not meant to be a set of steps to accomplish, but rather, they are intended to be a heart attitude before the Lord at all times:
First, go to the cross of Christ and kneel before Him, and look up at the One you have pierced (Zechariah 12:10).
We will not be broken except at the cross of Christ. The willingness of Jesus to be broken for us assists us in finding the brokenness that will set us free. The fact that He became a “Man of Sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3) for us draws us into a godly sorrow over our sins.
As you look at the cross, examine each part of Jesus. See His head crowned with thorns for you, His hands and feet pierced with nails for you. See His back beaten and whipped and furrowed for you. “Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long” (Psalm 129:3). See His blood and tears flowing for you. See Him heaving and gasping for air. See Him breathe His last in death, so that you could breathe your first breath of new life. In all of this, see Him stepping in front of the arrows of God’s wrath for you, being struck with such force that He died!
A song was written about this very way of viewing the cross: take a moment to listen to it.
Question 2. What does it do for your heart just now to survey the cross in this way?
Log in / create an account to enroll or continue where you left off.
Mark writes, "It creates a yearning in me to move away from anything with even a hint of impurity!"