“Godly sorrow brings repentance”

For those following along with the study of John the Baptist, I wanted to take a break to post this amazing truth written by Charles Spurgeon.  Among the many things God has taught me, and the many, many more I have yet to learn, it’s the impact of the verse from the Apostle Paul from 2 Corinthians listed in the title and below.  As Christians we need to be at the place in our walk with God of detesting sin that anytime we may slip up and sin it brings about such remorse that we’re literally brought to tears.  With recognition of the amazing grace that Jesus has gifted each of us who believe in Him and the shameful death that He endured for the sake of our sins, how could we not be so heartbroken with any sin we commit.  My prayer is that each of us will realize the impacts of this truth and know that the only way to truly be healed from sins is to confess them, and repent. 

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“Godly sorrow brings repentance” II Corinthians 7:10

By Charles H. Spurgeon

Genuine, spiritual mourning for sin is the work of the Spirit of God.  Repentance is too choice a flower to grow in nature’s garden.  Pearls grow naturally in oysters, but penitence never shows itself in sinners except divine grace works it in them.  If thou hast one particle of real hatred for sin, human nature’s thorns never produced a single fig.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh.

True repentance has a distinct reference to the Savior.  When we repent of sin, we must have one eye upon sin and another upon the cross, or it will be better still if we fix both our eyes upon Christ and see our transgressions only, in the light of His love.

True sorrow for sin is eminently practical.  No man may say he hates sin, if he lives in it.  Repentance makes us see the evil of sin, not merely as a theory, but experimentally-as a burnt child dreads fire.  We shall be as much afraid of it, as a man who has lately been stopped and robbed is afraid of the thief upon the highway; and we shall shun it-shun it in everything-not in great things only, but in little things, as men shun little vipers as well as great snakes.  True mourning for sin will make us very jealous over our tongue, lest it should say a wrong word; we shall be very watchful over our daily actions, lest in anything we offend, and each night we shall close the day with painful confessions of shortcoming, and each morning awaken with anxious prayers, that this day God would hold us up that we may not sin against him.

Sincere repentance is continual.  Believers repent until their dying day.  This dropping well is not intermittent.  Every other sorrow yields to time, but this dear sorrow grows without growth, and it is so sweet a bitter, that we thank God we are permitted to enjoy and to suffer it until we enter our eternal rest.

About the author

Christian saved by grace through faith.

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