Dwell in the Word: 2 Corinthians 7:2-16

Think on these questions as you dwell in 2 Corinthians 7:2-16:

1. Paul differentiates between godly grief and worldly grief, emphasizing that godly grief leads to repentance and salvation while worldly grief leads to death. How can individuals distinguish between these two types of grief in their personal lives? What practices or attitudes can help foster godly grief when confronted with sin or wrongdoing?

2. The letter to the Corinthians resulted in the church's repentance, which brought Paul great joy. How can leaders or individuals in positions of influence strike a balance between challenging others regarding their shortcomings and encouraging genuine repentance without causing undue grief or condemnation?

3. The transformation of the Corinthians from their initial state of grief to repentance and joy underscores the significance of addressing sin. In what ways can this narrative serve as a guide for contemporary churches or communities in addressing and reconciling issues within their midst? How can the process of correction and repentance be approached with grace and restoration in mind?

Transcript:

 So, this passage here from 2nd Corinthians helps us piece together a lot of what has happened since the first letter to the Corinthians, right? He sent that letter. Uh, challenging them, calling them to repentance, and then we see here written out, uh, what happened. How, how they eventually did come to repentance, and how proud Paul is of them.

How much joy this is giving him. And so, Paul starts out, even though there's a difficulty in the church in Corinth again that he is writing this letter. He is asking them to make room in their hearts for them. Um, he said, hey, we haven't wronged you, we've corrupted no one, we haven't taken advantage of anyone.

He's saying, hey, I love you, I care for you. And he says that he has great pride for them. And this gives him joy. He is so happy about the church in Corinth, what they have done, how they have turned away from their issues, how they have sorted them out. He is very happy with them again. He finds joy in this.

So, he starts to sort of tell how this all happened, how he received word. Uh, it's hard for us to remember the olden days when you couldn't just call somebody or send them a text. To let them know what had happened. He had sent this letter. It had been a while and then finally Titus brings this word Saying that they have they have um, they were grieved by what Paul wrote but at the same time They turned from their sin.

And so, Paul  is saying hey, I didn't mean to grieve you with the letter I don't regret the letter even though I did at one point because I saw that it, it was hard for you, but then we see in verse nine, 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.

And this was the point of Paul's letter. Paul wasn't writing this letter to condemn them, right? He was writing it to call them to repentance. And that is what happened. And Paul found great, great joy in this. And we see here, Paul says in verse 10, I haven't highlighted if you're watching on video.

But it's important. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret. Whereas worldly grief produces death. What Paul is saying is that this godly grief leads you to turn away from your sin. Whereas worldly grief, you just are stuck in it. You mourn over. Instead, godly grief is going to turn you, cause you to turn the other direction and move away from your sin.

And so that is the application for us in this passage, isn't it? Uh, there are times where you and I have been confronted with. Things that we've done areas of sin in our life and we maybe didn't have a godly grief We were like, well, who are you to tell me and that wasn't good for our souls, was it?

But when we have godly grief We realized that we were wrong the spirit convicts us of our sin and we turn from it and we produce Good fruit from telling others. You're right. I was in the wrong and I needed to turn to God. I need to know not only ask him for forgiveness, but I need to ask you for forgiveness.

This is a good thing in our lives. It's a sign of God working in us through his word and spirit. And so maybe we remember this, that when we are confronted with our sin, whether it's from someone else or whether it's from God's word, Even though we grieve, may we desire to have this godly grief that turns us away from it, that causes us to run the other direction, that changes our mind about how the way we are behaving and the way we are living, and instead gives us this great desire to run towards God and submit ourselves to His law and His will.