GODLY AND WORLDLY SORROWS 2

GODLY AND WORLDLY SORROWS 2

Text: Genesis 3:1-13
Memory text:
“He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭28‬:‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Worldly sorrow is selfish, self-centered, and not directed towards God. It is just concerned about the consequences of one’s sins, which may include the loss of one’s reputation or the loss of a position or a status. A person may just feel bad because he lost his job or he was suspended from his office and not because of the sin he committed that led to such disciplinary action. He only gets bothered about the embarrassment and shame he will face among his friends and in the organization when punished for his sins. It is the sorrow of self-pity, of being caught, or the repercussion of one’s wrongdoing. He is less concerned about the damage he has done to the holiness of God and how he has grieved the indwelling Spirit.
This kind of sorrow is destructive because it is not marked by repentance, which leads to salvation (2 Cor 7:10). Without humility, no exaltation. There is no repentance without humility. Like Thomas Watson said, “Til sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.”
Sorrow in itself is not repentance. It is possible to be sorrowful and not repentant of one’s sins but it is not possible to be repentant and not sorrowful over one’s sins. Worldly sorrow comes with no repentance. The sinner may show a verbal or external attitude of repentance but no heart or genuine repentance.
The marks of worldly sorrow include self defense, self justification and blame game, scapegoating or excuse making.
Adam and Eve are good examples of worldly sorrow. Rather than acknowledging their sin and repenting, they became blame throwers. Adam threw blame on the woman for giving him the forbidden fruit and even on God who gave him the woman as a wife! The woman also blamed the serpent who told her to violate God’s express command! Their sin uncovered God’s glory covering them, they saw their nakedness and became ashamed. And since they were only bothered about their shame, they fled from God rather than fleeing to Him for a cover. Thus, worldly sorrow pulls down, extinguishes hope, and convinces us to yield to further sins.
Friends, do you like scapegoating, giving excuses, or justifying yourself when you are confronted with your sins? Do you like adding “but”, even after you have apologized? Are you more bothered about the consequences of your sins than on the pain you have caused God?

Prayer points
1. Father, let Your honour be my concern always even when I am being punished for my sins, in Jesus’ name.
2. Father, deliver me from excuse making and scapegoating when I am confronted with my sins, in Jesus’ name.

Today’s declarations
1. Godly sorrow produces genuine repentance in me and which leads me back to God.
2. Worldly sorrow does not produce repentance but leads to death because it is self-centered, self-defensive, self-justifying, and scapegoating.

Contact: pastor@thf.org.ng