THE REPROVING DOCTRINE TO GODLY SORROW
2Co 7:8 For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.
2Co 7:9 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.
2Co 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
One of the most important aspect of the son being “transformed by the renewing” of his mind is the son coming to the realization that his conduct as a son “in Christ” is not becoming of who God has made him to be “in Christ.” And it is the reproving doctrine found at the outset of Romans 12 through 16 that gives the son the foundational doctrine whereby the son can now transform his thinking according to the things that the Father values and esteems so that he can now learn to rebuke and put away the things of this world which “worketh death” towards his sanctification and edification as being “conformed to the image of His Son.” For as we come to understand our sanctified position “in Christ” all the more, we begin to identify the things that we do in the course of our sanctified lives that are not the “good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God; which ought to ‘work’ a “godly sorrow” within the son knowing that his behavior and conduct as one who is being “transformed” is not befitting.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
For as the “godly sorrow” begins to work within the son, he identifies his ungodly ways by ‘proving’ (or judging) what is the “good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God,” and what is ‘good, and acceptable, and perfect, ungodly ways of this world. It then is designed to “worketh repentance to salvation” (this salvation deals with the son being ‘saved’ from the functional death caused to his sanctification, and the son being made “sorry after a godly manner” more than he ought to be because his sanctified walk is not what it ought to be “in Christ”) unto the son’s renewing mind to cause a repented course of action within in him, and actually cause not only a “godly sorrow” within him, but it should produce a godly “shame” within him as well.
1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
1Co 6:4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
1Co 6:5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
A “wise man” in Christ is one who has learned to now think like God does, and to do things His way also, he is able to “prove” (or judge) the difference between things of this world, by the things that the Father values and esteems. But as we can see in the first epistle written to the Corinthians, the Corinthians being “babes” in Christ, had a lot to learn about this doctrine, and the things that Paul taught them by the first epistle began to make the saints “sorry” because of their conduct, because the “godly sorrow,” and the godly “shame” is designed to ‘work’ a positive reaction within the son’s sanctified growth.
1Co 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
1Co 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
Moreover, it is the “knowledge of God” that guides the son so that his good “godly” manners are not being “corrupt” by this world’s thinking, and ways. And because of man’s pursuit for this world’s ways, and “knowledge,” the hindrance to our sanctified growth is in jeopardy of being ‘stalled,’ or not being able to bring forth the “fruit” that the son’s sanctification is designed to operate by in the first place.
Rom 6:20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
Rom 6:21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
For being “ashamed” after a “godly manner” is designed to cause a positive effect within the saint, and the reproving doctrine of our Father’s word will work “effectually” within the son as he gains the “salvation” from bringing the ungodly “shame” unto himself as one who has “the knowledge of God.” And oftentimes we can act as our own worst “enemy,” seeing as we cause our own “godly sorrow” because of our failure to be “transformed by the renewing” of our minds, or because we allow ourselves to continue to go back unto “those things” whereof we are now ashamed.
2Th 3:14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
2Th 3:15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
And as Paul reproves and exhorts the Corinthians (and ourselves also) about their ungodly conduct, and the “repentance to salvation” from being “ashamed” by “godly sorrow,” he understands that his (actually the Father’s through Paul) chastisement of these saints is the beginning process to a successful sanctified growth as a son, and the beginning to our being “conformed” to the image of His Son.” And when we do experience “godly sorrow,” or become “ashamed” because our sanctified walk has ‘hit a pot hole’ as we walk the path towards our sonship goals, it is the “mercies of God,” and His knowledge, that motivates, and assists the son so that he gains the “repentance to salvation” so that he can continue to put off “those things,” because he has come to see all the “things” that is his “in Christ.”
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Finally, it is about the son understanding and appreciating the fact that God did “foreknow” him, “predestinate” him, “called” him, “justified” him, and “glorified” him; and it is by “these things” (or mercies) that we “prove” that this world’s thinking, ways, and standards cannot compare to what we already have “in Christ” because unlike this world our Father is “for us” as we allow His word to work effectually within us.
2Co 7:11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
Rod Jones