Without Regret!

(read this slowly and meditatively; the Apostle Paul is writing to the Corinthian believers about his previous letter that was bold and confrontational concerning their sinful behavior; that letter apparently led some to repentance and many who lived more zealously to prove their commitment to Christ)

In 2^nd Corinthians 7, Paul writes, “But God who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. For even if I made you grieve with a letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”

Paul has given us so much to think about here. Godly grief produces genuine repentance…there is a change in behavior that results in lifting of one’s spirit. Note how Paul opens this section: “But God who comforts the downcast…” God will lift the spirit of those who are downcast…He will not leave you there for long…but we must wait patiently as Lamentations 3 reveals…hope is yet to come. Those who repent for worldly reasons, or “worldly grief”, will be unable to experience hope and comfort because they are grieving for the wrong reasons. We cannot make others forgive us, but we can experience forgiveness ourselves from a loving God…if we demonstrate godly grief that produces genuine change of behavior; WITHOUT REGRET! How can we know our grieving is genuine? Grief that leads to genuine repentance (change of behavior), releases us to move forward with our lives. Grief that is temporal, binds us…it holds us down, keeping us enslaved to guilt and remorse.

Paul goes on to encourage these grief stricken believers to excel in acts of grace (don’t give up!). He writes, “prove…that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” 8:8,9