By Danny Saunders
I’d like to introduce you to Jay Rayner. Jay Rayner has set up an apology Website. That’s right an apology Website. How it works is people can log on to www.the-apologist.co.uk & register an apology, they can say sorry to anyone for anything & so unburden themselves of all the guilt & sorrow for things they’ve done. This site has been set up out of Britain and thousands of people have logged in to say sorry for all sorts of things & to make their confessions.
This is the article from the Age that reported on this apology Website. One particular paragraph that caught my attention is the paragraph I’ve highlighted up there. It says: "Many apologies on the Website, to be fair, pay scant heed to the formal notion of actual repentance."
This is interesting because the article doesn’t go on to explain what this means. What is the formal notion of actual repentance? I’d love to know what the reporter actually meant by this. What does ’actual repentance’ involve? In what ways is ’repentance’ a formal notion & how does ’repentance’ differ to just saying sorry or apologizing? How is a sorry or an apology different to repentance?
Well I’ve read this article & I’ve gone on-line & checked out the Website but nowhere does it tell me what real repentance is all about. [pause]
Now this is where our passage this morning comes in. Thank God for the Apostle Paul because he knows what repentance is all about. Let’s look at verse 10 because this is really the heart of the passage, it says:
10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death.
So what is Paul saying about repentance? He’s saying that it comes as a result of godly grief, which means here godly sorrow, it leads to salvation & it brings no regrets. And he makes a contrast here with worldly sorrow, he says worldly sorrow produces, or leads to death.
So the message of this talk today is that … worldly sorrow & Christian repentance are two very different things. Christians need to exercise godly sorrow leading to repentance & salvation. So if you forget everything else, please remember this main point …
If we remember back to 2 Cor chapter 2 we can recall the context of this passage - remember that Paul couldn’t visit the church at Corinth & so he wrote to them instead. His letter caused him anguish to write because he knew it would cause them pain. & this was because the letter was about church discipline in relation to public, unrepentant sin. So Paul reminds his readers here in verses 8 and 9 what the context is:
He says he doesn’t regret writing his harsh letter, he did regret it at the time because he understands that it hurt them – but in the end he doesn’t regret it because he realises that this hurt & grief led to their repentance – so now he actually rejoices, he rejoices because they felt godly grief & this godly grief led to repentance & so in the end, even though at first the letter shocked them & hurt them – the end result was godly sorrow leading to repentance & so they weren’t harmed in any way. This repentance was a good & godly thing & so Paul rejoices.
& then in v.10 Paul tells us why godly sorrow & repentance are good things, this is the heart of his message to us in this passage:
10 …godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death.
So here’s the contrast again. Worldly sorrow & Christian repentance are two very different things. But we have to ask – how are they different? How is saying sorry or apologizing different to repentance? How is worldly sorrow different to godly sorrow? How do we tell the difference?
Well, even our newspaper article recognised a difference between saying sorry and real repentance. Remember the quote?: "Many apologies on the Website, to be fair, pay scant heed to the formal notion of actual repentance."
Is this right? Are they really empty confessions? Can we see in www.the-apologist a worldly sorrow that leads to death?
Well let’s test what Paul is saying about godly sorrow & worldly sorrow. I have some examples here of confessions & apologies made on the Website.
1. Sorry Maggie, [35seconds]
- this sounds a lot like gloating, rather than a true confession – there’s not much sorrow going on, let’s read the second confession…
2. Sorry Mr Blair & all the Taxpayers… [30 sec]
I think we call these "mental health days" in Australia. I’m sure I’ve had a few of those in my time. The 5th confession down is a little more serious…
3. I’m sorry that I got pregnant…[25 sec]
In all seriousness this seems like a paralyzing sorrow, a sorrow that has no escape, no release & no forgiveness, this is a sorrow that’s full of regret & seems to be eating away & gnawing at this woman that in a sense it does lead to death - a total breakdown of normal functioning.
Our next apology reveals a shallowness & emptiness.
4. To All The Woman I’ve Had….[43 sec.]
Now obviously this is an apology that’s worth nothing. A sorrow that’s fleeting & forgotten. This is an insincere & empty apology. It sounds like this man is really saying what we often here in society today - "I’m not sorry I did it, I’m sorry I got caught."
What these apologies show & what the success of this Website shows is that people are craving forgiveness. People in our society are paralysed with guilt & fear. As humans when we’re hurt or abused or when we hurt others or do the wrong thing, we need healing & forgiveness. Guilt & sorrow remain with us & it seems we can’t move on unless there is healing & forgiveness.
What these apologies also show is there are others in our society who couldn’t care less, they’re not really sorry because they can’t help themselves. The truth is they’re slaves to sin & will always give in to their passions & desires. In moments of remorse these people probably realise what they’re doing is wrong, but these moments pass & are quickly forgotten.
Well let’s explore these ideas further. Why is it that worldly sorrow brings death but godly sorrow brings repentance, salvation & no regret? Why is worldly sorrow different to repentance?
In simple terms, worldly sorrow brings death because it’s a sorrow & a guilt that remains unforgiven. God has made humans in his image. God is a God of holiness, justice & love. So whether we like it or not, when humans do the wrong thing, when we sin, when we ignore God & live as if he doesn’t exist – our consciences tell us there’s a problem, this is how God has wired as up & this is why we crave forgiveness & feel guilt. But when this guilt doesn’t receive forgiveness, it will usually end up in self-pity. Life is so unfair.
On the other hand there are people who are so enslaved by sin that they’ve suppressed their consciences to the point where any remorse they may have is empty & fleeting. This sorrow is worth nothing & will usually end up as self-vindication and self-righteousness. I have done nothing wrong.
So unforgiven guilt & empty remorse are types of worldly sorrow that lead to death because there’s no recognition or acceptance of sin & so no repentance & no forgiveness of sin. Worldly sorrow simply shows that God is just and right to condemn and judge – worldly sorrow shows guilt – it shows that people are at fault, they have sinned & are guilty, but they refuse to turn to Jesus & so be saved, they remain dead in their sins. Their worldly sorrow leads to death because ultimately physical & spiritual death are the results of living a life that refuses to accept the forgiveness offered by Jesus Christ.
Now on the other hand, godly sorrow is where God is at work in your life so that you recognise wrongdoing for what it is, you accept that when you do wrong you are a sinful person who is in need of forgiveness. This leads to repentance which is a confession of sin before God, being sorry for sin & having a desire to change.
This sorrow leads to salvation because we can be forgiven, because Jesus came into the world to die for sin in our place – godly sorrow doesn’t lead to death because Jesus dies for us, Jesus takes the punishment for sin that we deserve & in return we get salvation, so we have no regrets when we repent & give our sin to God, because our sin is dealt with, it’s gone. Of course we still die physically but we won’t be judged for our sin because Jesus has taken this judgment for us & because he rose again, we also will rise again to eternal life with God.
So this passage is all about how we respond to sin in our lives. We’ve all sinned & fallen short of God’s standards. Whether our consciences reveal that to us in our guilt or whether we’ve suppressed that guilt & buried our heads because we love our sin & want to keep doing it, the truth remains that we’ve all sinned.
Worldly sorrow will lead to death because our sin remains unforgiven. Without repentance & turning to Christ we remain dead in our sins. So Romans 6:23 says- For the wages [ie. the reward/results/outcome] of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Godly sorrow leads to repentance and to salvation, because repentance is turning to Christ to be saved. Rom 10:9-13 says, 9...if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved….13 For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
So the gospel is the reason for the contrast. How we respond to the gospel determines how we deal with the sorrow of sin & guilt in our lives. The gospel is the reason for the contrast.
But how do we tell the difference between worldly sorrow & godly sorrow? Well the answer is that we don’t ever stop responding to the gospel. The cross of Jesus Christ should always be before us so that we’re always responding in repentance and faith. But this is not cheap grace, this isn’t something to full back on as an excuse to never change our lives & do whatever we want. We were bought with the great cost of the blood of Christ, God’s own Son & we’re called to take up our cross & follow him.
The idea is that Christians will grow in the likeness of Jesus. When we become Christians we’re justified in God’s sight & our sins are wiped clean but God then expects us to grow in sanctification, in holiness, to become more & more like Jesus. This should be the goal & aim for all of us.
Paul says elsewhere that we should prove our repentance by our deeds. [Acts 26:20b]. And here in 2 Corinthians he rejoices at the signs of their repentance. Look in verse 11:
11 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves guiltless in the matter.
The Corinthian church had turned the corner. Their repentance had led them to want to do what’s right, to change their behavior. They want to see justice done, they want to put things right. They’re concerned & eager to clear themselves, to do the right thing & amend their ways. This is godly sorrow leading to repentance.
Repentance isn’t just feeling sorry, stopping or even changing your mind. Repentance involves a complete turn around, a complete change & alteration in your life. Repentance makes an impact & involves actual change. Anything less is at best an empty confession based on cheap grace or at worst an empty worldly sorrow that will trap you & lead to death.
Jesus said if your hand causes you to sin cut it off, if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out & throw it away [Matt 5:27-30]. James says that the tongue is a restless evil, full of deadly poison [Js 3:1-12]. What they’re calling for is a radical repentance. A repentance that raises the alarm, that is concerned to change, that takes sin seriously. This is a repentance that changes & alters your life because it cuts sin out, it throws sin away, it deals with the problem & it moves on, not going back again & again to the same old problem.
Repenting of sin is like having a skin cancer on your hand that must be cut out. Drastic action is required. It’s not something you want to leave around to play with and pick at. Playing with sin is simply worldly sorrow, but being so concerned to cut it out & be done with it, is godly sorrow producing repentance.
So worldly sorrow is like the "Stop" sign. Your sorrow, guilt & remorse bring you to a stop, but after a moment’s reflection you just keep going. The sorrow, guilt & remorse remain with you because the sin remains with you. It isn’t dealt with nor forgiven. But godly sorrow & repentance is like the "Wrong way, go back" sign. You meet Jesus at the cross & you receive salvation & the forgiveness of your sins as a free gift of God. But God then calls you to repent & to live for him & true repentance involves turning around, changing your life & direction, to live a life pleasing to God and to become more like Jesus.
Well how are we going to help each other to change our lives, to become more like Jesus & to truly repent? God has given us the power of the cross & he promises us the power of the Holy Spirit to help us to change our lives and live for him.
& this passage also shows us the role of friends & the expectations of our leaders that should inspire us - just as it did with Paul and Titus & the church in Corinth.
Imagine for a minute that Chris has gone away on long service leave. He’s due to come back to Wattle Park but he’s been delayed. He arranges for a locum to fill in – let’s call him Titus – so Chris tells Titus all about the people of Wattle Park, what passion they have for the gospel & how proud he is of them. Even in the hardships of travel, Chris’s thoughts of the people of Wattle Park sustain him and console him – so much so that he boasts about how good you all are to Titus & he sends Titus to you because he can’t make it himself. & what a comfort & encouragement it is to Chris when Titus emails Chris to tell him that everything he said was right, it was all proved true. They are obedient to the gospel, they have dealt with issues with love & godly sorrow, they have moved on & changed their ways. & so Chris rejoices all the more because, even though he’s not there with you he can have complete confidence in his church, that even without him the church is striving to live in obedience to the gospel & to God’s word.
What we can get from this is that we need people to keep us accountable, to ask us the tough questions. & we need the expectations of others to hold us up to a standard that’s acceptable. Like it or not as Christians, society expects a lot from us. We’re not perfect but we’re expected to live godly lives & this is an expectation that we also find in the Bible. Remember repentance requires change. It’s not merely a repeated confession, this would be a stop sign that you come to each Sunday but then move on from & forget from Monday to Saturday.
So this is why we have small groups. People who come together to study the Bible and pray together midweek to help us in our Christian lives. If you’re not in a small group I’d encourage you to talk to Chris & get in one.
And for most of us these groups might not be enough to help us change our lives & live each day for Christ. & so that’s why we encourage daily prayer & Bible reading guides – this is a way you can commit each day to God & seek his help for the temptations you’ll face each day & for the decisions you’ll have to make.
Another great thing to do is to tee-up smaller groups of 2 or 3 where you can meet each week & pray together. These could just be support groups or actual accountability groups where you can confess sins, get things off your chest & seek prayer & support to make real changes in your life. I meet with 2 other guys every Friday morning for breakfast. We have a list of questions that we ask each other & so I know that they’ll be asking me about particular areas of my life. This expectation helps in times of temptation, I don’t want to let these people down each time I meet with them.
The point of all this is that we’re human. We do make mistakes. We’re not perfect. We’ve been given salvation as a free gift. But if we’re really serious about living up to the standards God sets for his people then we need help. We need God’s help, the Spirit’s help & we also need the help & love & support of our Christian family & friends, so we need the help of each other & these types of groups or personal times with God will help us live this out & be accountable.
So today’s passage is a wake up call. Paul wrote to the Corinthians because he was confident they would repent & do the right thing. Every now & again we need a wake up call. Is our confession in church a mere Stop sign, something soon forgotten when we leave church? Or do we treat each message we hear as part of an ongoing change of direction – when we hear from God’s word & we commit to changing our lives in line with his Word & his will for us?
So how will you respond to this message this morning? Are you committed to becoming more like Jesus, to true repentance & change in your life OR are you just going through the motions & relying on cheap grace? Let’s commit to being a church that lives for Jesus & desires to see everyone changing & growing in their love for God and for each other.
Reflection time – Psalm 32 – read verse 4 & 5
If you have a heavy heart & want to confess something to God & repent of this & turn away from it & change your life, then please use this time to pray quietly to God, to make this confession & seek his help & power to help you change.
For more sermons from this source go to home.vicnet.net.au/~sttheos/
