2 Corinthians 7:10-13

                                                             2 Corinthians 7:10-13

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.  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.  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.

 

Discipline is not common or easy but it serves a vital purpose.  It is unfortunate that it is so seldom practiced in a biblical manner today.  Sin must be taken seriously and when it is not the entire body of Christ suffers including the offending parties.  This passage demonstrates the ultimate goals of discipline against which we can measure its effectiveness.

 

DISCIPLINE SHOULD LEAD TO REPENTANCE: The first goal of discipline is repentance.  The steps of individual, group, and public exhortation and confrontation are all designed to bring about true repentance.  Sin will always cause some kind of grief.  This grief can be a step in the right direction, or it can be a façade.  Paul alerts us to two different kinds of grief over sin: godly and worldly.  It is important to distinguish the two.  Godly grief will always lead to repentance and demonstrates genuine salvation in the life of the sinner.  Worldly grief is simply sorrow for having been discovered or regret about the consequences, but sorrow and regret are not repentance.  This kind of response demonstrates a lack of salvation and leads to death.  When there is true repentance there will be an earnestness for restoration, indignation over sin, fear of the Lord, longing for godliness, zeal for purity, and a willingness to accept and face the consequences of sin.  When we are confronted with sin, we can make excuses, strive to justify it, or we can truly repent of it and take the steps necessary to turn from it.

 

DISCIPLINE SHOULD LEAD TO RESTORATION: The ultimate goal of discipline is restoration.  The wisdom of God is demonstrated in His ability to use the sins of men for His own glory and the good of the body.  The final result of discipline should be a love, unity, and purity that exceeds the levels existent before the offense occurred.  When biblical discipline takes place it should bring a person closer to the Lord and bring the persons involved closer to one another.  It is clear that this was the result in Corinth.  Paul is able to rejoice and express his love to the church because true restoration has taken place.  There is no place in the church for bitterness, hurt feelings, or resentment over the discipline process.  

 

APPLICATION: Don’t try to justify or explain sin away; repent of it.  Distinguish between godly and worldly grief when confronted by sin or confronting others with their sin.  When exercising discipline be ready to forgive and restore when true repentance has been demonstrated.

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