Today, we’re going to talk about that feeling you get when you do something wrong. In 2 Corinthians 7:10-13, the word for that feeling is “grief” – an intense emotional pain. Since we’ve all done things we regret, we’re probably all familiar with grief.
Between 1 and 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul had written a letter addressing the church’s wrongdoing. In the process, he caused them grief. He made them feel bad about what they had done.
Just earlier (2 Corinthians 7:8), Paul explained that he didn’t feel any regret about what he had done. In today’s passage, he explains more about it.
What this will do for us is give us insight into a couple things. It will help us understand better those emotions we feel after we’ve done something wrong. It will also help us better understand other people who struggle with such negative feelings.
Two Ways to Feel Bad About What You’ve Done
The Bible is full of very nuanced and precise teaching about our emotions – which are notorious for being hard to understand. Verse 10 is one of those Scriptures:
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
Grief over your wrongdoing isn’t necessarily good. There is a way to feel bad about what you’ve done in a way that is bad. One way is very beneficial for you. The other way is not.
How can you tell the difference between good grief and bad grief?
According to this passage, here’s the difference between good and bad grief:
- Good grief produces repentance that leads to salvation. If what you’re feeling causes you to confess your sin and turn away from it, if it prompts you to change your lifestyle, then it’s good grief. Good, godly grief points you away from your wrongdoing to Christ.
- Bad grief leads to death. If what you’re feeling causes you to regret what you did but doesn’t ultimately send you into the arms of Jesus for forgiveness, then it’s bad grief. Bad, worldly grief leads only to death.
Why Paul Didn’t Regret Grieving the Corinthians
Feeling bad because you did something wrong may or may not be wrong. It depends on what those feelings produce. You can see how helpful this is for understanding ourselves and our interactions with others.
In verse 11, Paul goes on to say how helpful this grief was for the Corinthians. Their feeling of remorse energized them toward repentance and salvation.
For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.
For the Corinthians, grief led them to repentance. This brought great comfort to Paul, as he wrote in verses 12-13:
So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. Therefore we are comforted.
Paul didn’t regret his letter that caused the Corinthians grief because it led them to repentance and a reconciled relationship.
To sum it all up . . .
There’s a good way and a bad way to feel bad about what you’ve done wrong. The good way sends you toward God and other people. It leads to repentance and a restored relationship with God and other people. Bad grief does the opposite. It sends you away from God and other people, not leading to repentance.
Next time you feel bad about something you’ve done wrong, remember this passage. Ask yourself, “What kind of grief am I feeling?” Lord willing, it will be godly grief that enables you to repent.
Devotional streamed on Facebook Live – Monday, Apr. 20 @ 3:00 PM
