Expositor's Dictionary of Texts Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Sorrow for Sin2 Corinthians 7:10 All sorrow for sin is not godly sorrow, and does not always work repentance. Sorrow for sin may issue either in spiritual life or in spiritual death. I. Now there may be many reasons why men sorrow for sin. (1) Some men sorrow for sin because they look upon sin not so much as a crime as a ruin. They think of what they have lost through their sin, and as they look upon their ruin they hate the sin. (52) In the second place, some men grieve over sin because of the loss of character. (3) Other men grieve over sin because of the loss of self-esteem; they are the hot tears which flow from pride. There is a great difference, for instance, between Saul's 'I have played the fool,' and the poor publican's 'God be merciful to me a sinner'. Now it is quite true that even these sorrows for sin may produce a certain reformation, but the reformation is only temporary; it will only last so long as the emotion lasts; when the emotion evaporates the reformation will be at an end. No, as St. Paul tells you, the true sorrow is a godly sorrow; or, as the Greek word literally means, a sorrow according to God, a sorrow according to God's measure, a sorrow which He is working out. II. Well then, how are we to get this godly sorrow? (1) It is produced by God the Holy Ghost; it is only the spirit of grace and supplication that can produce it, it is only the omnipotent power of the Holy Ghost that can bring water out of this flinty rock. (2) It is accompanied with prayer. (3) It is caused by looking at the Crucified. (4) This sorrow for sin is very individualising. Each has to go apart. We ought to sorrow for sin, we ought to sorrow for sin far more than we do, but, after all, it is not the sorrow which is going to atone—it is the blood of Jesus Christ God's Son. —E. A. Stuart, The One Mediator and other Sermons, vol. xi. p. 145. References.—VII. 10.—Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xlvi. No. 2691. D. L. Moody, The Fulness of the Gospel, p. 31. W. H. Evans, Short Sermons for the Seasons, p. 72. R. Allen, The Words of Christ, p. 28. Expositor (4th Series), vol. vi. p. 309; ibid. (5th Series), vol. vii. p. 276; ibid. vol. ix. p. 437. VII. 10, 11.—J. J. Blunt, Plain Sermons, p. 142. VII. 11.—J. S. Maver, Christian World Pulpit, vol. lix. p. 46. VII. 12.—Expositor (6th Series), vol. i. p. 108. VIII.—Ibid. (4th Series), vol. v. p. 343. VIII. 4.—Ibid. (6th Series), vol. viii. p. 390. VIII. 6.—Lyman Abbott, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xlviii. p. 119. W. Brock, Midsummer Morning Sermons, p. 12. A. Tucker, Preacher's Magazine, vol. x. p. 275. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxxvii. No. 2234. VIII. 8.—W. H. Harwood, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xlv. p. 294. Expositor (6th Series), vol. iii. p. 277. Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.
I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.
Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.
Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;
And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.
For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.
Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
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.
Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.
Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all.
For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth.
And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.
I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things. Nicoll - Expositor's Dictionary of Texts Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission. Bible Hub |
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