Godly Sorrow Brings Joy

"Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death." (II Corinthians 7:9-10)

Our churches are full of born-again believers who sometimes disobey and disappoint God. Doing so causes guilt and sorrow as expressed by David, who in pleading for forgiveness asked God to give him a "clean heart" and to restore "the joy of thy salvation." (Psalms 51:10, 12) That we sometimes disobey and disappoint God does not make us hypocrites, unless we try-in-vain to justify our sins. Rather, we are struggling pilgrims living among an "untoward generation" and who sometimes give in to Satan’s wiles. Yet God, who is gracious and merciful has given us a way to recover. The good news for struggling believers is that God allows us to repent with "godly sorrow" according to His forgiving grace. When we repent, he forgives, and our sorrow and guilt is replaced by joy and peace.

- Elder Michael Ivey