Lesson #30

2CORINTHIANS 7
Lesson #30
GODLY SORROW AND REPENTANCE

• Memory Verse: Psalms 119:76

• In 2Cor 5:18-19 Paul told us that believers have the ministry of reconciliation. In this chapter, we see the results of this kind of ministry of reconciliation.
• In 1Corinthians Paul reprimanded the church for not dealing with a specific case of sin in the church. This was the situation of incest, where a man had an immoral relationship with his stepmother. Titus reported to Paul that this man had repented and felt deeply sorry for his sin with much tears.
• Paul begins chapter 7 with this situation in mind.

• Read 2Cor 7:1-4
• To which promises does Paul refer in verse 1?
• At the end of chapter 6 Paul told us about the promises of God available to the believer in the new covenant:
• =1= God will be our God and we shall be His people.
• =2= The Christian should be free from the filth of the world system.
• =3= God will receive the repentant believer.
• =4= God will be our Father and we will be His children.
• Notice that #1 and #4 are similar. When we come to Jesus Christ for salvation, we are cleansed of our sins the minute we receive Him into our hearts. However, as believers we still commit sins from time to time. As the Holy Spirit convicts us of those sins, we need to repent and separate ourselves from those worldly sins. (#2) Then God will receive fellowship with the repentant believer (#3). After that repentance, God can treat the believer like a loving father would treat his son (#4).
• Notice that man’s part is to separate himself from worldliness, while God’s part is to cleanse and forgive.
• Read Heb 12:13-14
• What is the difference between filthiness of the flesh and filthiness of the spirit? (1)
• These two categories are the sins of the world from which the believer must separate himself.
• The sins (filthiness) of the flesh are those sins that involve the body.
• Drunkenness, gluttony, sexual sins of all kinds, etc.
• The sins (filthiness) of the spirit are those sins that involve the spirit of man.
• Gossip, slander, vanity, pride, conceit, unbelief, covetousness, jealousy, anger, etc.

• Read 2Cor 7:5-11 The report from Titus
• In this passage we see Paul’s great relief and comfort on receiving Titus’ report. Thanks to God Titus’ report comforted Paul.
• Titus told Paul of the determination of the people to make things right in the church. (7)
• Titus told Paul of their mourning over their sins. (7)
• Titus told Paul how they loved Paul in spite of his severe letter of correction. (7)
• At first Paul was sorry he had written the letter of 1Corinthians so harshly because it made them sad. However, he knew it was necessary to speak to them harshly because it got their attention. He also knew that their sorrow was for a short time. (8)
• Now, in 2Corinthians Paul was rejoicing, not because his letter made them sad, but because it brought them to repentance and correction. (9)
• Paul’s motive was not to damage them but to bring healing.

• Read 2Cor 7:10-16
• Godly sorrow: The definition of repentance:
• Biblical repentance is not simply to feel sorry for your sins because usually sorrow over sin is only a bad feeling for having been caught in sin, or a sorrow because now you must suffer the consequences of those sins.
• This is worldly sorrow that results in spiritual death. Spiritual death is eternal separation from God.
• Then, if that is not godly sorrow, what is godly sorrow?
• Godly sorrow is to see sin the way God sees it.
• Sin is repulsive to God, and He cannot tolerate sin in His presence. God is a holy God, and in Him there is no evil or sin. Sin separates man from God. For this reason, to have any kind of personal relationship with God, a person must first deal with the sin problem.
• The only way to deal with the personal sin problem is to recognize that we are sinners from God’s perspective, to sorrowfully acknowledge those sins, and to receive Jesus Christ, who paid the price of punishment for those sins, and to repent of those sins by turning in the opposite direction. By turning to Christ one is turning in the opposite direction away from the world and the sins of it. When we receive Christ, he cleanses us from our sins so that we can live a new life in a new way by the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Seeing sin from God’s perspective leads to making a decision to turn in the opposite direction so that the sin is not repeated.
• Godly sorrow leads to repentance and repentance results in salvation:
• This is the model of the new birth experience that in one moment a person goes from being a non-believer to being a believer that now has salvation in Jesus Christ.
• This is the model of the Christian life. When the Holy Spirit convicts the believer of sin, he repents by turning from his sin to continue to walk with the Lord in salvation.
• Read Rom 2:4
• This verse tells us that God’s goodness leads to repentance.
• Therefore, from 2Cor 7:10 and Rom 2:4 repentance is a cooperative work between man and God. Without the conviction of the Holy Spirit in man’s heart and the godly sorrow that results in the heart of man, repentance never would occur.
• Without repentance, there is no salvation. (2Cor 7:10)
• Paul felt assured that the man in the Corinthian church that had lived in a sinful relationship with his stepmother had truly repented with a godly sorrow. How do we know that his repentance was authentic? (11)
• Read Heb 12:16-17
• He became more aware of sin so that he would be more careful with his life in the future.
• His sins were cleared.
• He had a godly indignation toward sin.
• He had a healthy fear of God realizing that repentance was better than consequences.
• He had a strong desire to be obedient to God.
• He was determined with zeal to change his life.
• God, in Jesus Christ, had avenged the wrong by paying the punishment for sin.
• Now the situation was cleared and that man was forgiven.
• Paul’s motives for reprimanding the church for their lack of action in that situation:
• Paul did not reprimand the church only for the sake of that man.
• Paul did not reprimand the church only for the sake of the victim in that situation.
• Paul reprimanded the church for the sake of the body of Christ. (12)
• Paul suffered with the church and now he rejoiced with them.
• Paul and Titus were rejoicing with the church for this victory over sin. (13)
• Paul boasted to Titus about how this church did the right thing. (14)
• That church was very nervous when Titus first came to Corinth with the letter of correction. However, when Titus left Corinth, there was a great affection between Titus and the church.
• Application:
• God placed a great trust in the hands of Christians when he called us to preach the gospel and minister reconciliation to people.
• Within this great trust, God gives us all that we need to fulfill the ministry of reconciliation:
• He gives us the strength and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• He gives us His Word of truth to preach.
• He gives us the gifts of the Holy Spirit so that we can minister effectively.
• He gives us love to touch the hearts of those that need reconciliation.
• He lets us see the end result of reconciliation.
• He gives us the joy and comfort when the ministry of reconciliation works repentance and victory over sin.
• It is the end result and victorious joy that makes this ministry worth the effort.

HOMEWORK
2CORINTHIANS 8
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• Application of 2Cor 7
• What is the most important thing you have learned from this chapter?
• Why is this thing the most important for you?

• Preparation for 2Cor 8
• Read 2Cor 8:1-6
• With what attitude did the Christians in Macedonia give for the Jerusalem famine?
• Read 2Cor 8:7-15
• Why is giving to God called a grace?
• What did the Corinthian Christians promise Paul the previous year?
• What is the principle of giving in this chapter?
• Read 2Cor 8:16-24
• What does giving money to God prove?

Memory Verse: Luke 6:38