SORROW FOR SIN

2 COR. 7:9-10

A. "FOR GODLY SORROW WORKETH REPENTANCE UNTO SALVATION, A REPENTANCE WHICH BRINGETH NO REGRET; BUT THE SORROW OF THE WORLD WORKETH DEATH" (R.V.)
  1. Our text presents us with one of those contrasts used so effectively by Paul:
    1. Godly sorrow in contrast to the sorrow of the world
    2. The carnal mind in contrast to the spiritual mind - Rom. 8:6-7
    3. He writes about sin unto death in contrast to righteousness - Rom. 6:16-19
  2. In our text Paul contrasts:
    1. Godly sorrow and its fruit
    2. With the sorrow of the world which worketh death B. THIS PRESENT LIFE IS MADE UP, IN PART, OF SORROW WHICH COMES TO ALL SOONER OR LATER IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER
  3. Sorrow - What is it?
    1. "On the sands of life sorrow treads heavily, and leaves a print time cannot wash away" - H. Neele
    2. "Never morning wore to evening, but some heart did break" - Tennyson
    3. "Sorrows gather round great souls as storms do around mountains; but, like them, they break the storm and purify the air of the plain beneath them" - Richter
  4. Human sorrow:
    1. Had its origin in the garden of Eden, said God to Eve, "in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children" - Gen. 3:16
    2. That sorrow was not long in waiting - when Cain killed his brother Abel - Gen. 4:8
    3. History knows of no person but what experienced the sorrow common to all men
    4. Even the Son of God, the glory of heaven is spoken of in the Bible as "a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" - Is. 53:3
    5. Said He, as He entered the shadows of the cross, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful even unto death" - Mark 14:34; Matt. 26:38
    6. Paul seemed to have had his share of sorrow - Phil 2:27; 2 Cor. 2:3 C. OUR TEXT SPEAKS OF TWO KINDS OF SORROW
  5. The sorrow of the world:
    1. There must have been sorrow in the heart of Cain, not because he had sinned against God and his brother, but sorrow because of the affect his deed had on his life - Gen. 4:13-14
    2. Saul, too, had sorrow when Samuel exposed his sin, but it, too, was because of the effect of his transgression, and not because he grieved over the sin he had committed - 1 Sam. 15:24-29
    3. That was the nature of Achan's confession, not penitent of sin, but a discovery that sin meant his destruction - Josh. 7:20-24
    4. The sorrows of the world are the effect of sin and not that of sincere repentance - Rev. 1:7; 6:15-16
  6. The sorrow of a penitent sinner and its effect:
    1. Paul says, "godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation"; Examples: David sorrowed over his sin - Ps. 32:1-11; the prodigal son sorrowed over his sin - Luke 15:17-21; I Kings 8:47-50
    2. When we sorrow over sin, it is because we see how it must grieve the Lord to have us rebel against His will
    3. For we must ever keep in mind that God looks at sin as enmity against His will and that before He can forgive us, we must see sin in the same light
  7. The measure of our sorrow is found:
    1. In our humble recognition of the enormity of sin, we can see what it has cost heaven to atone for it - 2 Cor. 5:21
    2. We need but to pause at the foot of Calvary and see the Lamb of God in pain and agony, to see the terribleness of sin - Is. 53:1-12; Luke 22:23
    3. Godly sorrow brings the fruit of deep and lasting peace into our hearts - Matt. 5:4; Is. 61:1-2
    4. Not only will it bring peace to us, but it will bless us with a sense of eternal appreciation of redemption through Jesus Christ our Lord - Rev. 5:9-14
    5. So, if God allows our lives to be touched with some sorrow, let us not faint, but let us remember that whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth


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