Godly Grief Leading to Repentance

For godly grief produces a repentance not to be regretted and leading to salvation, but worldly grief produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10

I’ve mentioned in a few of my notes about judgment and how many Christian circles will avoid judging one another as to not step on any egg shells. But in the above verse, this is exactly why judgment is necessary. It is good for someone to grieve over their sin, as the verse says, it leads them to salvation. What is godly grief though? I think that’s a question to be explored before someone comes to me and accuses me of preaching another gospel.

The example of godly grief is in the same chapter; For even if I grieved you with my letter, I do not regret it—even though I did regret it since I saw that the letter grieved you, yet only for a little while. ⁹ Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God willed, so that you didn’t experience any loss from us. 2 Corinthians 7:8-9 Paul is grieving with the Corinthians knowing that the letter he wrote to them had cut them in a way, a sharp rebuke! But Paul doesn’t remain in his grief, nor does he regret sending a sharp letter to the Corinthian church. In fact the reaction is quite the opposite, in verse 9 Paul rejoices because their grief had lead the Corinthian church to repentance.

This is what godly grief is! Not a state of mourning over sin and never living past the moment “had I’d only have done this, done that, said those words and not looked at the unclean image.” NO! This is worldy grief. It is true, our minds cannot at times escape the sin that we’ve committed against God, and in some blasphemes ways we can often say to ourselves “my Lord can never forgive me for this!” But this is nothing short of worldy grief, it does nothing for the soul except that you’ll continue to run the mouse wheel that goes nowhere. But godly grief is a change of attitude “yes, I did those terrible things, I’ve offended the Lord in ways I do not understand…but I praise Him who died for me and gave me a new life.” This is godly grief and by godly grief I mean that we can look back over our sin but in so doing we can be reminded of the hope that Christ has given us and the way in which He continues to change us.

Godly grief is necessary in the Christian life! It is good to mourn over sin in so much that it leads us to repentance. I implore with anyone who is in sin and who feels like their mourning doesn’t lead them to repentance to talk with their minister or a trusted Christian friend. Our lives should rest on the strength of Christ, knowing that He is good to save! We’re never so far from our Lord when we’ve sinned; a right fear of God is what we all need. Fearing God in so much as that it gives us a right perspective of His sovereignty and we than know that we have only Him to turn to! What a saviour we have!