Godly Sorrow

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Today we’re going to talk about Godly Sorrow. Let’s turn to 2 Cor 7:8-11; the Apostle Paul writing to the church in Corinth said, For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. Let’s turn to Psalm 51:1-17, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 

For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight—that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me by your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise. I just would like to point out verse 7: Purge me with hyssop; hyssop is what they used to put the blood of the Passover Lamb on the door posts in Egypt; it signifies the Blood of Jesus cleansing us from all sin. Let’s turn to Psalm 32:1-11, Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer. I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him. 

You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! 

Let’s turn to Mat 21:42-44. In verse 42 Jesus said, Have you never read in the Scriptures, The Stone which the builders rejected has become the Chief Cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes? Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. 

And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder. Jesus Christ is the Chief Cornerstone. When you come to Jesus, and you fall upon Him, and you give yourself to Him, coming to Him with weeping, with godly sorrow, repenting of your sins; when you come to Jesus, you will be broken, you will be broken, and you will be changed, and you will be conformed to his image: from faith to faith, and glory to glory. It is not easy, but you will bring forth fruit as you are conformed to his image more and more. The Bible says, Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of your faith, who, for the joy set before Him; right!, for the joy set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high!  Hallelujah! Thank you Jesus! Amen! Glory!

Let’s turn to Psalm 38: 15-22, For in You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God. 

For I said, Hear me, lest they rejoice over me, lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me. For I am ready to fall, and my sorrow is continually before me. For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin; or, I will be sorry for my sin. But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong; and those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied. Those also who render evil for good, they are my adversaries, because I follow what is good. Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! Psalm 126:5, They that sow in tears shall reap in joy! Godly sorrow works true repentance. True repentance brings forth joy. Worldly sorrow brings forth death. Let’s go to Psalm 107:31-43,  Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, and praise Him in the company of the elders. He turns rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground; a fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of those who dwell in it. He turns a wilderness into pools of water, And dry land into watersprings. There He makes the hungry dwell, that they may establish a city for a dwelling place, 

and sow fields and plant vineyards, that they may yield a fruitful harvest. He also blesses them, and they multiply greatly; and He does not let their cattle decrease. When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, affliction and sorrow, He pours contempt on princes, and causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way; yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction, and makes their families like a flock. The righteous see it and rejoice, and all iniquity stops its mouth. Whoever is wise will observe these things, and they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord. Verse 1, Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever! Psalms 39:12-13, and 40:1-4,  Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; do not be silent at my tears; for I am a stranger with You, a sojourner, as all my fathers were. Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength, before I go away and am no more. I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth—praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord. Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Let’s go to Psalm 116:1-9,  I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. The pains of death surrounded me, and the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul! 

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He helped me. Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.  I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. 

As you can see, we’re beginning to talk about Jesus. Let’s go to Hebrews 5:6-9. In verse 6 it says, You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek; who, in the days of his flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of his godly fear; though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. 

Godly sorrow is just as it says: sorrow that is godly, sorrow that is in truth; you know you have sinned, or you are truly sorry about a situation, and you call upon the Lord in truth, acknowledging the truth of his Word. There is true repentance. There is a true crying out for justice, or mercy. There is a true understanding that God is merciful, and a hope and expectation that He will hear our cry and respond in his great love and grant us grace. And especially, because of the sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ on the Cross, there is faith in our hearts as we call upon Him. And then when He responds, there is a washing and a cleansing. Justice comes, mercy is granted, and there is a great rejoicing. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Jesus was sorrowful and heavy in his great trial of affliction and suffering on our behalf in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the Cross. But it was on the Cross that He overcame all the sin and iniquity, and all the sickness and pain, and all the power of darkness, as He offered Himself willingly to suffer and die there. The Scripture says that He said, It is finished, and He gave up his Spirit. Then He descended into the lower parts of the Earth, in death, where He cried unto the Father: Therefore did my heart rejoice and my tongue was glad, moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope, because you will not leave my soul in Hell, neither will you suffer your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to Me the ways of life. You will make Me full of joy with your countenance. Jesus was full of joy when the Father, on the third day, raised Him from the dead; not only for Himself, but for all of us who would trust in Him and be raised with Him from all the sin and grief and sorrow and death of this wicked world, into his glorious Kingdom, to live with Him and the Father forever! Hallelujah!

Interpretation of a message in tongues:

I am with you my children, those of you that love Me, those of you that are trusting in my Son and his sacrifice for your sins; his Blood was shed to wash you clean; white as snow from all sin. When you have sin, if you will come to Me in godly sorrow, truly sorry for your sins, his Blood is more than enough to wash you white as snow and cleanse you from that sin, and I will remember it no more. It will be blotted out of the books. You will be washed clean. As you trust in his sacrifice for your sins, his Blood will cleanse you, and I will cleanse you of all that unrighteousness, and you will have joy as you enter into my presence, as you are restored into fellowship with Me, says the Lord.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah Father, hallelujah! Hallelujah! Praise you Father! Praise you Father! Praise you Father! Thank you Father for godly sorrow working true repentance!