Godly Sorrow After a Godly Sort

“Godly sorrow” is a Biblical term that carefully describes the “fear of God.” Apostle Paul adds to that term “after a Godly sort” so there would be no confusing it with worldly sorrows. Worldly sorrows are debilitating while “Godly sorrow” is life changing in the positive. If we can truly understand “Godly sorrow” or its companion “the fear of God”, we will seek it with all of our heart. True “Godly sorrow” is nothing less than the white-hot fire of His Holy Spirit convicting and purging the soul of man unto the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Biblical righteousness is not the good works of men. We can keep every word of Holy Scripture and remain impure and unclean in our hearts unless the work is wrought by the Word, the Blood, and by the Spirit. The Bible uses one word to describe the action of all three and that word is “grace.”

I saw an example of this yesterday. My queen, Juanita, has a new gas oven with a full grate on top. Her ancient cast iron frying pan was marking the grate so I had to do a cleansing of the old faithful. I soaked it for hours and then put it in the fireplace with a roaring fire. Cupped over the flame upside down, it turned white hot. When I turned it right side up still in the flame, I saw a beautiful sight. The pan was almost translucent. The flames beneath were creating the dance of sparks on the inside of the frying pan. It appeared that the fire was coming through the pan. After cooling a while on the hearth, to Mom’s dismay, I took it to the white sink. After all the ash was removed it appeared brand new. It actually looked like a new cast iron frying pan. Last night in the wee hours, the Spirit said to me, “That is what I want to do with you.” I said, “Yes, that’s what I want.” “Godly sorrow”, for all my humanness, took hold of my heart.

The Spirit, by Paul, said to the Corinthian church, “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. 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"(2 Corinthians 7:9-11) It is only when we can see the frailty and helplessness of our flesh that God can begin the deep work of inner change in His children.

Our righteousness at its best is “filthy rags.” “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6) The Apostle Paul knowing this fact said, “…not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.” (Philippians 3:9b-10) A Christian’s greatest discovery is when they discover the true nature of self and abhor it. This is the basis of “Godly sorrow” and the “fear of God.”
From this vantage point, we begin to cry out for a righteousness far beyond ourselves. It is not only available, it is His will and passion for us. He did not just die to save us from hell, He died to save us from ourselves. Many have been the shipwreck of believers that never experienced “Godly sorrow” or left it in their success or carelessness.

The beautiful life that follows “Godly sorrow” is almost indescribable. The Spirit’s penman said, “What carefulness it wrought.” All arrogance and self-conceit is despised in this Godly state. Careless words strike terror to the heart of a tender and careful spirit. He continues, “…what clearing of yourself, yea, what indignation…” He only speaks of our judging ourselves and the readiness to daily sanctify all actions, words and deeds. The joy of such Divine purity as He floods our souls is akin to Heaven. Our only anger is of our own flesh, and this anger is not harsh but pure and delightful because of its results.

The Spirit then said, “…yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire…” It’s overwhelming when the “fear of God” drives us into His arms of grace, and we stand both in awe of Him and cling to Him simultaneously. The words “vehement desire” speak of a passion for God that can only be wrought by the Holy Ghost and only when the heart is melted before Him. The closing picture of this work of grace is, “…yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge…” Our love for God and His kingdom becomes consuming love. The word “revenge” reveals this love for Him and all of His that drives us to reach out to our enemies and to amend the failures of our past.

“Godly sorrow” will allow the Holy Spirit to set you free of the “helpless self” that has been your master. The liberty of such living is boundless. The Holy Spirit is searching the human family for such willing souls. The fire that danced in my frying pan cannot be compared to the fire of Pentecost that God has sent to ignite the spirit, soul and body for the Kingdom. “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 14:17)

Only the grace of God can make us translucent so the sparks from the “other side” can shine through.