"For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter."–II Cor 7:10-11
"The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it (Luke 16:16)." The saved press into the kingdom of God. In the beginning, you may have much adversity in getting to Christ, or the Master may receive you with hardly any difficulty on your part. But, as we walk by faith, we increasingly learn what it means to seek our Beloved when His manifest presence is gone. This seeking of the Lord amidst sorrow and tribulation is based entirely upon HOPE, and it is the godly sorrow, which "worketh repentance to salvation".
Here in II Cor 7:11, we have EIGHT THINGS, which the Holy Spirit gives us as the fruit of godly sorrow.
1. With CAREFULNESS, the believer looks for Christ to return. We've lost His fellowship by our own unfaithfulness, but in hope we look for His return. We know that all of the righteousness that God requires has already been fulfilled by this One Man, so He can grace us at any time–"For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more thy which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:17)."
2. We CLEAR OURSELVES before God by arguing His covenant of grace. We don't plead our own righteousness or our ignorance in the matter; we plead God's new covenant and its suitableness to give good things to sinful people. The new covenant is called the better covenant because it is established upon better promises (Heb 8:6). The old covenant, the law, the Ten Commandments, and anything that you do to earn God's favor, demands PERFECT OBEDIENCE or it will condemn your eternal soul (II Cor. 3:5-6). The new covenant recognizes our absolute inability to do anything about our sins, and it gives us the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, blood atonement, and confidence that God remembers our sins and iniquities no more (Heb. 8:10-12). Therefore, in the godly sorrow, the sorrow that God gives, we plead the promises and their freeness to sinners.
3. Godly sorrow also works INDIGNATION. This indignation is not anger at God, and it is much more than self-hatred. The Holy Spirit convinces us of sin, and we hate our unbelief (John 16:9). Here I am, in the swine's trough, when my heavenly Father has food enough to spare. Oh! If He asked us to contribute something, then we could bemoan ourselves; but He doesn't ask us to do anything. When they came to the man whose daughter had died and told him the situation was helpless, Christ answered him, "Be not afraid, only believe (Mark 5:36)." Therefore, believers hate the stupidity of Christ-dishonoring unbelief.
4. Godly sorrow produces FEAR, which is the reverence a son has for a loving Father. This fear is included in the covenant of grace, where God says, "And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me (Jer. 32:40)." The sorrow of the world leads a man to hate God, but the sorrow God gives makes us understand and confess, "I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness has afflicted me (Ps. 119:75)." His chastisement is just, in love, and for our benefit. Therefore, we endure chastening with godly reverence… fearing the rod, while submitting to it (Heb. 12:10-11).
5. Godly sorrow works VEHEMENT DESIRE, and this is seeking Christ because we love Him–"… for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned (Song 8:6-7)." Many have fallen in love with good feelings or sovereign grace doctrine, but they eventually return to the world because like Lot's wife, their heart is still in the world. But, the believer has a new heart, new affections, and has seen the GLORY of the most blessed Savior. Therefore, His gospel is your life. You seek Him amidst darkness and temptations to depart because He is whom your soul loveth– "By night on my bed [there's no rest without Christ] I sought him whom my soul loveth… (Song 3, read verses 1-4)."
6. Next, we have ZEAL. Zeal is jealousy for the gospel; it is refusing to "improve" yourself another way. Zeal for the sufficiency of Christ kept Hezekiah faithful when he was taunted for worshipping on one altar (II Chron. 32). But this one altar represents Christ and Him crucified, and it is the one and only place where grace is given. We do not start at the cross, and then because of remaining sin seek peace by our consecration. No, we ever abide at the cross and wait for the blood to give us forgiveness and cleansing– "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."
7. Godly sorrow also produces REVENGE in all who have it. Revenge is when Christ reveals Himself and puts to silence all disobedience. Let men say that this gospel isn't enough to bring a man's soul into submission; we have experienced it–(II Cor. 10:4-5) "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down reasonings [logic] and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." Gospel obedience is the fruit of knowing that I'm righteous through the obedience of Christ. Therefore, I have peace with God, His will, and His providence.
8. Lastly, godly sorrow ends with the believer CLEARING HIMSELF in whatever the matter. The return of Christ's fellowship produces consecration (Ex. 33:16). We're strongest against temptation and most committed to obedience when our communion with Jesus Christ is restored.
If you’re sorrowing because of your unfaithfulness, look to Christ alone and hope in the freeness of the grace of God.
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