Randy Green's Blog - Posts Tagged "pity-party"
Violin Music – Part 1
For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter [2 Corinthians 7:10-11].
I believe each of us can remember times like this:
I went to visit a friend. He appeared a bit bummed out, hair disheveled, grizzled whiskers look, sunken eyes with hanging bags—an all-around haggard appearance. His clothes matched his face too: raggedy, patches showing, obviously in search of the lost iron.
I was taken aback and queried, “What gives, bro? You look the mess!”
Wrong question to ask. Wrong question indeed. I spent the next who knows how long getting an ear full. I don’t believe there was a topic in all creation I didn’t hear about!
He began, “Oh, man, the world is all wrong. I just cannot catch a break. The TV’s on the blink, the car needs repairs, my cat was run over, and the dog chewed up my shoes.”
If you think that was it, sorry to disappoint you! He continued, “I lost my job, and the bill collectors rented the house next door so as to be near me. My wife went back to her mother and took the kids. What’s next?!”
Admit it. You’ve encountered such a scenario once or twice yourself, haven’t you? Well, guess what? You were invited to a pity party with lots of violin music. All you needed to do to attend was to join in with the sympathizing. Your attendance was much appreciated, but it probably accomplished nothing worthwhile.
Pity parties are usually thrown because the one issuing the invitations feels sorry for himself. He might very well have a right to do so. That per se isn’t the problem with pity parties. The problem is they just don’t accomplish anything…unless it be to drive people to drinking!
When problems attack, either we can sit around and mope or else we can do something constructive about them. Moping and throwing pity parties only compounds the problems by dwelling on the problems as if they last forever and are unsolvable. The accompanying violin music merely serves the same function as Job’s three “friends”!
The Apostle Paul addressed this very issue in the two verses quoted at the beginning of this study. He even followed Biblical Hebrew poetic convention in doing so. He employed parallelism in his narrative form of writing, antonymous parallelism to be exact. Let’s diagram it:
A. the sorrow that is according to the will of God
B. produces a repentance without regret
A. the sorrow of the world
B. produces death
Notice the two “A’s” and the two “B’s” at the front of each of those four lines. The “A’s” depict two opposite types of sorrow, while the “B’s” portray two opposite results of sorrow. On the one hand there is godly sorrow, on the other worldly sorrow.
Godly sorrow is demonstrated by its result, viz., repentance. This repentance brings with it no regrets for having to repent, and no regrets for being made sorrowful in the first place. This type of sorrow doesn’t throw pity parties and invite everyone to play violin music.
If I have true godly sorrow, I accept that I did something wrong and was made sorrowful because of it. In consequence I own up to my sin and repent. I receive the sorrow as justly deserved. I am thankful that it accomplished its desired effect in me, viz., my repentance and restoration into fellowship with the Lord and with anyone whom I wronged.
We are out of time today, so we will pause and return to the topic on the morrow. Enjoy some quiet time with the Lord Jesus now, okay?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
I believe each of us can remember times like this:
I went to visit a friend. He appeared a bit bummed out, hair disheveled, grizzled whiskers look, sunken eyes with hanging bags—an all-around haggard appearance. His clothes matched his face too: raggedy, patches showing, obviously in search of the lost iron.
I was taken aback and queried, “What gives, bro? You look the mess!”
Wrong question to ask. Wrong question indeed. I spent the next who knows how long getting an ear full. I don’t believe there was a topic in all creation I didn’t hear about!
He began, “Oh, man, the world is all wrong. I just cannot catch a break. The TV’s on the blink, the car needs repairs, my cat was run over, and the dog chewed up my shoes.”
If you think that was it, sorry to disappoint you! He continued, “I lost my job, and the bill collectors rented the house next door so as to be near me. My wife went back to her mother and took the kids. What’s next?!”
Admit it. You’ve encountered such a scenario once or twice yourself, haven’t you? Well, guess what? You were invited to a pity party with lots of violin music. All you needed to do to attend was to join in with the sympathizing. Your attendance was much appreciated, but it probably accomplished nothing worthwhile.
Pity parties are usually thrown because the one issuing the invitations feels sorry for himself. He might very well have a right to do so. That per se isn’t the problem with pity parties. The problem is they just don’t accomplish anything…unless it be to drive people to drinking!
When problems attack, either we can sit around and mope or else we can do something constructive about them. Moping and throwing pity parties only compounds the problems by dwelling on the problems as if they last forever and are unsolvable. The accompanying violin music merely serves the same function as Job’s three “friends”!
The Apostle Paul addressed this very issue in the two verses quoted at the beginning of this study. He even followed Biblical Hebrew poetic convention in doing so. He employed parallelism in his narrative form of writing, antonymous parallelism to be exact. Let’s diagram it:
A. the sorrow that is according to the will of God
B. produces a repentance without regret
A. the sorrow of the world
B. produces death
Notice the two “A’s” and the two “B’s” at the front of each of those four lines. The “A’s” depict two opposite types of sorrow, while the “B’s” portray two opposite results of sorrow. On the one hand there is godly sorrow, on the other worldly sorrow.
Godly sorrow is demonstrated by its result, viz., repentance. This repentance brings with it no regrets for having to repent, and no regrets for being made sorrowful in the first place. This type of sorrow doesn’t throw pity parties and invite everyone to play violin music.
If I have true godly sorrow, I accept that I did something wrong and was made sorrowful because of it. In consequence I own up to my sin and repent. I receive the sorrow as justly deserved. I am thankful that it accomplished its desired effect in me, viz., my repentance and restoration into fellowship with the Lord and with anyone whom I wronged.
We are out of time today, so we will pause and return to the topic on the morrow. Enjoy some quiet time with the Lord Jesus now, okay?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Violin Music – Part 2
For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter [2 Corinthians 7:10-11].
We stopped yesterday on the topic of godly sorrow vs. worldly sorrow. We were in the midst of analyzing godly sorrow. Let’s continue there now.
If I have true godly sorrow, I won’t shuffle the feet and mumble under my breath, “If I’ve ever done anything to hurt you, I didn’t mean to.” That is no apology. Suchlike talk doesn’t express repentance and seek forgiveness. It doesn’t own up to my responsibility for wrongdoing. It is not prompted by godly sorrow, dear friends. Its motivation is to convince myself that I am a godly person and in that way to make myself feel better, but without any real belief that I’ve done wrong.
We understand godly sorrow all the better by comparing it with worldly sorrow. In the case of worldly sorrow I do throw a pity party and invite everyone I know to play me violin music. I even play some choice tunes on the violin myself! I bemoan my fate and rue the day I was born. I paint pictures of gloom and doom and wallow in the mire of self-pity.
The longer the party lasts, the closer to death I am driven…while the chauffeur driving me to that destination plays more violin music on the car radio! Worldly sorrow, you see, isn’t really sorry for anything related to the person enduring the sorrow, unless it be his own pathetic condition. He experiences only self-pity, not pity for others.
In the second verse of our quoted text, Paul itemizes several details we can employ to know whether our sorrow is godly or worldly. Let’s list them:
1. what vindication of yourselves
2. what indignation
3. what fear
4. what longing
5. what zeal
6. what avenging of wrong
After presenting this list, Paul noted the results of those six details: In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
Here’s the context for the two verses. The Christians in Corinth faced sin in their church. Were they complicit in the sin or no? Paul challenged them to judge the sinner and absolve themselves of complicity in the sin.
The Corinthian Christians were wounded by Paul’s castigation of both the sin and the sinner, but even more by his castigation of them for winking at the sinner in his sin. They saw the error of their ways and demonstrated they were not participants in the sin by judging the sinner and prompting him to repent and be forgiven. In doing so they “vindicated themselves”.
After receiving Paul’s rebuke they became “indignant” about the sin and “feared” God’s judgment on them, as well as on their sinning brother. They “longed” for his repentance and restoration, and accordingly they “avenged” the wrong, doing so with “zeal”. In doing all this (i.e., “in everything”), you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
Do you see how pity parties demonstrate worldly, not godly, sorrow? Do you see how violin music only leads us to cry in our beer, but never to repent and be forgiven for our sin? Godly sorrow puts the onus on us for sinning against God and doing wrong to God and/or man.
Worldly sorrow, contrariwise, feels sorry for self. We are misunderstood. It’s our parents fault: they didn’t raise us right. It’s the world’s fault: we’re poor, we’re women, we’re minorities. And then there’s the ace card: the devil made us do it…etc. etc. ad nauseum ad infinitum.
Let’s keep this distinction in mind and heart, the next time we are hurting. Sometimes it is the fault of others, but even then it’s our choice whether to experience godly sorrow or worldly sorrow. Wallow in self-pity or do what is in our power to make things right, that’s our choice. And in all things we must be sure to give glory to God, rather than seek our own revenge. Can I get an amen?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
We stopped yesterday on the topic of godly sorrow vs. worldly sorrow. We were in the midst of analyzing godly sorrow. Let’s continue there now.
If I have true godly sorrow, I won’t shuffle the feet and mumble under my breath, “If I’ve ever done anything to hurt you, I didn’t mean to.” That is no apology. Suchlike talk doesn’t express repentance and seek forgiveness. It doesn’t own up to my responsibility for wrongdoing. It is not prompted by godly sorrow, dear friends. Its motivation is to convince myself that I am a godly person and in that way to make myself feel better, but without any real belief that I’ve done wrong.
We understand godly sorrow all the better by comparing it with worldly sorrow. In the case of worldly sorrow I do throw a pity party and invite everyone I know to play me violin music. I even play some choice tunes on the violin myself! I bemoan my fate and rue the day I was born. I paint pictures of gloom and doom and wallow in the mire of self-pity.
The longer the party lasts, the closer to death I am driven…while the chauffeur driving me to that destination plays more violin music on the car radio! Worldly sorrow, you see, isn’t really sorry for anything related to the person enduring the sorrow, unless it be his own pathetic condition. He experiences only self-pity, not pity for others.
In the second verse of our quoted text, Paul itemizes several details we can employ to know whether our sorrow is godly or worldly. Let’s list them:
1. what vindication of yourselves
2. what indignation
3. what fear
4. what longing
5. what zeal
6. what avenging of wrong
After presenting this list, Paul noted the results of those six details: In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
Here’s the context for the two verses. The Christians in Corinth faced sin in their church. Were they complicit in the sin or no? Paul challenged them to judge the sinner and absolve themselves of complicity in the sin.
The Corinthian Christians were wounded by Paul’s castigation of both the sin and the sinner, but even more by his castigation of them for winking at the sinner in his sin. They saw the error of their ways and demonstrated they were not participants in the sin by judging the sinner and prompting him to repent and be forgiven. In doing so they “vindicated themselves”.
After receiving Paul’s rebuke they became “indignant” about the sin and “feared” God’s judgment on them, as well as on their sinning brother. They “longed” for his repentance and restoration, and accordingly they “avenged” the wrong, doing so with “zeal”. In doing all this (i.e., “in everything”), you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
Do you see how pity parties demonstrate worldly, not godly, sorrow? Do you see how violin music only leads us to cry in our beer, but never to repent and be forgiven for our sin? Godly sorrow puts the onus on us for sinning against God and doing wrong to God and/or man.
Worldly sorrow, contrariwise, feels sorry for self. We are misunderstood. It’s our parents fault: they didn’t raise us right. It’s the world’s fault: we’re poor, we’re women, we’re minorities. And then there’s the ace card: the devil made us do it…etc. etc. ad nauseum ad infinitum.
Let’s keep this distinction in mind and heart, the next time we are hurting. Sometimes it is the fault of others, but even then it’s our choice whether to experience godly sorrow or worldly sorrow. Wallow in self-pity or do what is in our power to make things right, that’s our choice. And in all things we must be sure to give glory to God, rather than seek our own revenge. Can I get an amen?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Violin Music – Part 1
For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter [2 Corinthians 7:10-11].
I believe each of us can remember times like this:
I went to visit a friend. He appeared a bit bummed out, hair disheveled, grizzled whiskers look, sunken eyes with hanging bags—an all-around haggard appearance. His clothes matched his face too: raggedy, patches showing, obviously in search of the lost iron.
I was taken aback and queried, “What gives, bro? You look the mess!”
Wrong question to ask. Wrong question indeed. I spent the next who knows how long getting an ear full. I don’t believe there was a topic in all creation I didn’t hear about!
He began, “Oh, man, the world is all wrong. I just cannot catch a break. The TV’s on the blink, the car needs repairs, my cat was run over, and the dog chewed up my shoes.”
If you think that was it, sorry to disappoint you! He continued, “I lost my job, and the bill collectors rented the house next door so as to be near me. My wife went back to her mother and took the kids. What’s next?!”
Admit it. You’ve encountered such a scenario once or twice yourself, haven’t you? Well, guess what? You were invited to a pity party with lots of violin music. All you needed to do to attend was to join in with the sympathizing. Your attendance was much appreciated, but it probably accomplished nothing worthwhile.
Pity parties are usually thrown because the one issuing the invitations feels sorry for himself. He might very well have a right to do so. That per se isn’t the problem with pity parties. The problem is they just don’t accomplish anything…unless it be to drive people to drinking!
When problems attack, either we can sit around and mope or else we can do something constructive about them. Moping and throwing pity parties only compounds the problems by dwelling on the problems as if they last forever and are unsolvable. The accompanying violin music merely serves the same function as Job’s three “friends”!
The Apostle Paul addressed this very issue in the two verses quoted at the beginning of this study. He even followed Biblical Hebrew poetic convention in doing so. He employed parallelism in his narrative form of writing, antonymous parallelism to be exact. Let’s diagram it:
A. the sorrow that is according to the will of God
B. produces a repentance without regret
A. the sorrow of the world
B. produces death
Notice the two “A’s” and the two “B’s” at the front of each of those four lines. The “A’s” depict two opposite types of sorrow, while the “B’s” portray two opposite results of sorrow. On the one hand there is godly sorrow, on the other worldly sorrow.
Godly sorrow is demonstrated by its result, viz., repentance. This repentance brings with it no regrets for having to repent, and no regrets for being made sorrowful in the first place. This type of sorrow doesn’t throw pity parties and invite everyone to play violin music.
If I have true godly sorrow, I accept that I did something wrong and was made sorrowful because of it. In consequence I own up to my sin and repent. I receive the sorrow as justly deserved. I am thankful that it accomplished its desired effect in me, viz., my repentance and restoration into fellowship with the Lord and with anyone whom I wronged.
We are out of time today, so we will pause and return to the topic on the morrow. Enjoy some quiet time with the Lord Jesus now, okay?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
I believe each of us can remember times like this:
I went to visit a friend. He appeared a bit bummed out, hair disheveled, grizzled whiskers look, sunken eyes with hanging bags—an all-around haggard appearance. His clothes matched his face too: raggedy, patches showing, obviously in search of the lost iron.
I was taken aback and queried, “What gives, bro? You look the mess!”
Wrong question to ask. Wrong question indeed. I spent the next who knows how long getting an ear full. I don’t believe there was a topic in all creation I didn’t hear about!
He began, “Oh, man, the world is all wrong. I just cannot catch a break. The TV’s on the blink, the car needs repairs, my cat was run over, and the dog chewed up my shoes.”
If you think that was it, sorry to disappoint you! He continued, “I lost my job, and the bill collectors rented the house next door so as to be near me. My wife went back to her mother and took the kids. What’s next?!”
Admit it. You’ve encountered such a scenario once or twice yourself, haven’t you? Well, guess what? You were invited to a pity party with lots of violin music. All you needed to do to attend was to join in with the sympathizing. Your attendance was much appreciated, but it probably accomplished nothing worthwhile.
Pity parties are usually thrown because the one issuing the invitations feels sorry for himself. He might very well have a right to do so. That per se isn’t the problem with pity parties. The problem is they just don’t accomplish anything…unless it be to drive people to drinking!
When problems attack, either we can sit around and mope or else we can do something constructive about them. Moping and throwing pity parties only compounds the problems by dwelling on the problems as if they last forever and are unsolvable. The accompanying violin music merely serves the same function as Job’s three “friends”!
The Apostle Paul addressed this very issue in the two verses quoted at the beginning of this study. He even followed Biblical Hebrew poetic convention in doing so. He employed parallelism in his narrative form of writing, antonymous parallelism to be exact. Let’s diagram it:
A. the sorrow that is according to the will of God
B. produces a repentance without regret
A. the sorrow of the world
B. produces death
Notice the two “A’s” and the two “B’s” at the front of each of those four lines. The “A’s” depict two opposite types of sorrow, while the “B’s” portray two opposite results of sorrow. On the one hand there is godly sorrow, on the other worldly sorrow.
Godly sorrow is demonstrated by its result, viz., repentance. This repentance brings with it no regrets for having to repent, and no regrets for being made sorrowful in the first place. This type of sorrow doesn’t throw pity parties and invite everyone to play violin music.
If I have true godly sorrow, I accept that I did something wrong and was made sorrowful because of it. In consequence I own up to my sin and repent. I receive the sorrow as justly deserved. I am thankful that it accomplished its desired effect in me, viz., my repentance and restoration into fellowship with the Lord and with anyone whom I wronged.
We are out of time today, so we will pause and return to the topic on the morrow. Enjoy some quiet time with the Lord Jesus now, okay?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Violin Music – Part 2
For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter [2 Corinthians 7:10-11].
We stopped yesterday on the topic of godly sorrow vs. worldly sorrow. We were in the midst of analyzing godly sorrow. Let’s continue there now.
If I have true godly sorrow, I won’t shuffle the feet and mumble under my breath, “If I’ve ever done anything to hurt you, I didn’t mean to.” That is no apology. Suchlike talk doesn’t express repentance and seek forgiveness. It doesn’t own up to my responsibility for wrongdoing. It is not prompted by godly sorrow, dear friends. Its motivation is to convince myself that I am a godly person and in that way to make myself feel better, but without any real belief that I’ve done wrong.
We understand godly sorrow all the better by comparing it with worldly sorrow. In the case of worldly sorrow I do throw a pity party and invite everyone I know to play me violin music. I even play some choice tunes on the violin myself! I bemoan my fate and rue the day I was born. I paint pictures of gloom and doom and wallow in the mire of self-pity.
The longer the party lasts, the closer to death I am driven…while the chauffeur driving me to that destination plays more violin music on the car radio! Worldly sorrow, you see, isn’t really sorry for anything related to the person enduring the sorrow, unless it be his own pathetic condition. He experiences only self-pity, not pity for others.
In the second verse of our quoted text, Paul itemizes several details we can employ to know whether our sorrow is godly or worldly. Let’s list them:
1. what vindication of yourselves
2. what indignation
3. what fear
4. what longing
5. what zeal
6. what avenging of wrong
After presenting this list, Paul noted the results of those six details: In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
Here’s the context for the two verses. The Christians in Corinth faced sin in their church. Were they complicit in the sin or no? Paul challenged them to judge the sinner and absolve themselves of complicity in the sin.
The Corinthian Christians were wounded by Paul’s castigation of both the sin and the sinner, but even more by his castigation of them for winking at the sinner in his sin. They saw the error of their ways and demonstrated they were not participants in the sin by judging the sinner and prompting him to repent and be forgiven. In doing so they “vindicated themselves”.
After receiving Paul’s rebuke they became “indignant” about the sin and “feared” God’s judgment on them, as well as on their sinning brother. They “longed” for his repentance and restoration, and accordingly they “avenged” the wrong, doing so with “zeal”. In doing all this (i.e., “in everything”), you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
Do you see how pity parties demonstrate worldly, not godly, sorrow? Do you see how violin music only leads us to cry in our beer, but never to repent and be forgiven for our sin? Godly sorrow puts the onus on us for sinning against God and doing wrong to God and/or man.
Worldly sorrow, contrariwise, feels sorry for self. We are misunderstood. It’s our parents fault: they didn’t raise us right. It’s the world’s fault: we’re poor, we’re women, we’re minorities. And then there’s the ace card: the devil made us do it…etc. etc. ad nauseum ad infinitum.
Let’s keep this distinction in mind and heart, the next time we are hurting. Sometimes it is the fault of others, but even then it’s our choice whether to experience godly sorrow or worldly sorrow. Wallow in self-pity or do what is in our power to make things right, that’s our choice. And in all things we must be sure to give glory to God, rather than seek our own revenge. Can I get an amen?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
We stopped yesterday on the topic of godly sorrow vs. worldly sorrow. We were in the midst of analyzing godly sorrow. Let’s continue there now.
If I have true godly sorrow, I won’t shuffle the feet and mumble under my breath, “If I’ve ever done anything to hurt you, I didn’t mean to.” That is no apology. Suchlike talk doesn’t express repentance and seek forgiveness. It doesn’t own up to my responsibility for wrongdoing. It is not prompted by godly sorrow, dear friends. Its motivation is to convince myself that I am a godly person and in that way to make myself feel better, but without any real belief that I’ve done wrong.
We understand godly sorrow all the better by comparing it with worldly sorrow. In the case of worldly sorrow I do throw a pity party and invite everyone I know to play me violin music. I even play some choice tunes on the violin myself! I bemoan my fate and rue the day I was born. I paint pictures of gloom and doom and wallow in the mire of self-pity.
The longer the party lasts, the closer to death I am driven…while the chauffeur driving me to that destination plays more violin music on the car radio! Worldly sorrow, you see, isn’t really sorry for anything related to the person enduring the sorrow, unless it be his own pathetic condition. He experiences only self-pity, not pity for others.
In the second verse of our quoted text, Paul itemizes several details we can employ to know whether our sorrow is godly or worldly. Let’s list them:
1. what vindication of yourselves
2. what indignation
3. what fear
4. what longing
5. what zeal
6. what avenging of wrong
After presenting this list, Paul noted the results of those six details: In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
Here’s the context for the two verses. The Christians in Corinth faced sin in their church. Were they complicit in the sin or no? Paul challenged them to judge the sinner and absolve themselves of complicity in the sin.
The Corinthian Christians were wounded by Paul’s castigation of both the sin and the sinner, but even more by his castigation of them for winking at the sinner in his sin. They saw the error of their ways and demonstrated they were not participants in the sin by judging the sinner and prompting him to repent and be forgiven. In doing so they “vindicated themselves”.
After receiving Paul’s rebuke they became “indignant” about the sin and “feared” God’s judgment on them, as well as on their sinning brother. They “longed” for his repentance and restoration, and accordingly they “avenged” the wrong, doing so with “zeal”. In doing all this (i.e., “in everything”), you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
Do you see how pity parties demonstrate worldly, not godly, sorrow? Do you see how violin music only leads us to cry in our beer, but never to repent and be forgiven for our sin? Godly sorrow puts the onus on us for sinning against God and doing wrong to God and/or man.
Worldly sorrow, contrariwise, feels sorry for self. We are misunderstood. It’s our parents fault: they didn’t raise us right. It’s the world’s fault: we’re poor, we’re women, we’re minorities. And then there’s the ace card: the devil made us do it…etc. etc. ad nauseum ad infinitum.
Let’s keep this distinction in mind and heart, the next time we are hurting. Sometimes it is the fault of others, but even then it’s our choice whether to experience godly sorrow or worldly sorrow. Wallow in self-pity or do what is in our power to make things right, that’s our choice. And in all things we must be sure to give glory to God, rather than seek our own revenge. Can I get an amen?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Violin Music – Part 1
For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter [2 Corinthians 7:10-11].
I believe each of us can remember times like this:
I went to visit a friend. He appeared a bit bummed out, hair disheveled, grizzled whiskers look, sunken eyes with hanging bags—an all-around haggard appearance. His clothes matched his face too: raggedy, patches showing, obviously in search of the lost iron.
I was taken aback and queried, “What gives, bro? You look the mess!”
Wrong question to ask. Wrong question indeed. I spent the next who knows how long getting an ear full. I don’t believe there was a topic in all creation I didn’t hear about!
He began, “Oh, man, the world is all wrong. I just cannot catch a break. The TV’s on the blink, the car needs repairs, my cat was run over, and the dog chewed up my shoes.”
If you think that was it, sorry to disappoint you! He continued, “I lost my job, and the bill collectors rented the house next door so as to be near me. My wife went back to her mother and took the kids. What’s next?!”
Admit it. You’ve encountered such a scenario once or twice yourself, haven’t you? Well, guess what? You were invited to a pity party with lots of violin music. All you needed to do to attend was to join in with the sympathizing. Your attendance was much appreciated, but it probably accomplished nothing worthwhile.
Pity parties are usually thrown because the one issuing the invitations feels sorry for himself. He might very well have a right to do so. That per se isn’t the problem with pity parties. The problem is they just don’t accomplish anything…unless it be to drive people to drinking!
When problems attack, either we can sit around and mope or else we can do something constructive about them. Moping and throwing pity parties only compounds the problems by dwelling on the problems as if they last forever and are unsolvable. The accompanying violin music merely serves the same function as Job’s three “friends”!
The Apostle Paul addressed this very issue in the two verses quoted at the beginning of this study. He even followed Biblical Hebrew poetic convention in doing so. He employed parallelism in his narrative form of writing, antonymous parallelism to be exact. Let’s diagram it:
A. the sorrow that is according to the will of God
B. produces a repentance without regret
A. the sorrow of the world
B. produces death
Notice the two “A’s” and the two “B’s” at the front of each of those four lines. The “A’s” depict two opposite types of sorrow, while the “B’s” portray two opposite results of sorrow. On the one hand there is godly sorrow, on the other worldly sorrow.
Godly sorrow is demonstrated by its result, viz., repentance. This repentance brings with it no regrets for having to repent, and no regrets for being made sorrowful in the first place. This type of sorrow doesn’t throw pity parties and invite everyone to play violin music.
If I have true godly sorrow, I accept that I did something wrong and was made sorrowful because of it. In consequence I own up to my sin and repent. I receive the sorrow as justly deserved. I am thankful that it accomplished its desired effect in me, viz., my repentance and restoration into fellowship with the Lord and with anyone whom I wronged.
We are out of time today, so we will pause and return to the topic on the morrow. Enjoy some quiet time with the Lord Jesus now, okay?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
I believe each of us can remember times like this:
I went to visit a friend. He appeared a bit bummed out, hair disheveled, grizzled whiskers look, sunken eyes with hanging bags—an all-around haggard appearance. His clothes matched his face too: raggedy, patches showing, obviously in search of the lost iron.
I was taken aback and queried, “What gives, bro? You look the mess!”
Wrong question to ask. Wrong question indeed. I spent the next who knows how long getting an ear full. I don’t believe there was a topic in all creation I didn’t hear about!
He began, “Oh, man, the world is all wrong. I just cannot catch a break. The TV’s on the blink, the car needs repairs, my cat was run over, and the dog chewed up my shoes.”
If you think that was it, sorry to disappoint you! He continued, “I lost my job, and the bill collectors rented the house next door so as to be near me. My wife went back to her mother and took the kids. What’s next?!”
Admit it. You’ve encountered such a scenario once or twice yourself, haven’t you? Well, guess what? You were invited to a pity party with lots of violin music. All you needed to do to attend was to join in with the sympathizing. Your attendance was much appreciated, but it probably accomplished nothing worthwhile.
Pity parties are usually thrown because the one issuing the invitations feels sorry for himself. He might very well have a right to do so. That per se isn’t the problem with pity parties. The problem is they just don’t accomplish anything…unless it be to drive people to drinking!
When problems attack, either we can sit around and mope or else we can do something constructive about them. Moping and throwing pity parties only compounds the problems by dwelling on the problems as if they last forever and are unsolvable. The accompanying violin music merely serves the same function as Job’s three “friends”!
The Apostle Paul addressed this very issue in the two verses quoted at the beginning of this study. He even followed Biblical Hebrew poetic convention in doing so. He employed parallelism in his narrative form of writing, antonymous parallelism to be exact. Let’s diagram it:
A. the sorrow that is according to the will of God
B. produces a repentance without regret
A. the sorrow of the world
B. produces death
Notice the two “A’s” and the two “B’s” at the front of each of those four lines. The “A’s” depict two opposite types of sorrow, while the “B’s” portray two opposite results of sorrow. On the one hand there is godly sorrow, on the other worldly sorrow.
Godly sorrow is demonstrated by its result, viz., repentance. This repentance brings with it no regrets for having to repent, and no regrets for being made sorrowful in the first place. This type of sorrow doesn’t throw pity parties and invite everyone to play violin music.
If I have true godly sorrow, I accept that I did something wrong and was made sorrowful because of it. In consequence I own up to my sin and repent. I receive the sorrow as justly deserved. I am thankful that it accomplished its desired effect in me, viz., my repentance and restoration into fellowship with the Lord and with anyone whom I wronged.
We are out of time today, so we will pause and return to the topic on the morrow. Enjoy some quiet time with the Lord Jesus now, okay?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Violin Music – Part 2
For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter [2 Corinthians 7:10-11].
We stopped yesterday on the topic of godly sorrow vs. worldly sorrow. We were in the midst of analyzing godly sorrow. Let’s continue there now.
If I have true godly sorrow, I won’t shuffle the feet and mumble under my breath, “If I’ve ever done anything to hurt you, I didn’t mean to.” That is no apology. Suchlike talk doesn’t express repentance and seek forgiveness. It doesn’t own up to my responsibility for wrongdoing. It is not prompted by godly sorrow, dear friends. Its motivation is to convince myself that I am a godly person and in that way to make myself feel better, but without any real belief that I’ve done wrong.
We understand godly sorrow all the better by comparing it with worldly sorrow. In the case of worldly sorrow I do throw a pity party and invite everyone I know to play me violin music. I even play some choice tunes on the violin myself! I bemoan my fate and rue the day I was born. I paint pictures of gloom and doom and wallow in the mire of self-pity.
The longer the party lasts, the closer to death I am driven…while the chauffeur driving me to that destination plays more violin music on the car radio! Worldly sorrow, you see, isn’t really sorry for anything related to the person enduring the sorrow, unless it be his own pathetic condition. He experiences only self-pity, not pity for others.
In the second verse of our quoted text, Paul itemizes several details we can employ to know whether our sorrow is godly or worldly. Let’s list them:
1. what vindication of yourselves
2. what indignation
3. what fear
4. what longing
5. what zeal
6. what avenging of wrong
After presenting this list, Paul noted the results of those six details: In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
Here’s the context for the two verses. The Christians in Corinth faced sin in their church. Were they complicit in the sin or no? Paul challenged them to judge the sinner and absolve themselves of complicity in the sin.
The Corinthian Christians were wounded by Paul’s castigation of both the sin and the sinner, but even more by his castigation of them for winking at the sinner in his sin. They saw the error of their ways and demonstrated they were not participants in the sin by judging the sinner and prompting him to repent and be forgiven. In doing so they “vindicated themselves”.
After receiving Paul’s rebuke they became “indignant” about the sin and “feared” God’s judgment on them, as well as on their sinning brother. They “longed” for his repentance and restoration, and accordingly they “avenged” the wrong, doing so with “zeal”. In doing all this (i.e., “in everything”), you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
Do you see how pity parties demonstrate worldly, not godly, sorrow? Do you see how violin music only leads us to cry in our beer, but never to repent and be forgiven for our sin? Godly sorrow puts the onus on us for sinning against God and doing wrong to God and/or man.
Worldly sorrow, contrariwise, feels sorry for self. We are misunderstood. It’s our parents fault: they didn’t raise us right. It’s the world’s fault: we’re poor, we’re women, we’re minorities. And then there’s the ace card: the devil made us do it…etc. etc. ad nauseum ad infinitum.
Let’s keep this distinction in mind and heart, the next time we are hurting. Sometimes it is the fault of others, but even then it’s our choice whether to experience godly sorrow or worldly sorrow. Wallow in self-pity or do what is in our power to make things right, that’s our choice. And in all things we must be sure to give glory to God, rather than seek our own revenge. Can I get an amen?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
We stopped yesterday on the topic of godly sorrow vs. worldly sorrow. We were in the midst of analyzing godly sorrow. Let’s continue there now.
If I have true godly sorrow, I won’t shuffle the feet and mumble under my breath, “If I’ve ever done anything to hurt you, I didn’t mean to.” That is no apology. Suchlike talk doesn’t express repentance and seek forgiveness. It doesn’t own up to my responsibility for wrongdoing. It is not prompted by godly sorrow, dear friends. Its motivation is to convince myself that I am a godly person and in that way to make myself feel better, but without any real belief that I’ve done wrong.
We understand godly sorrow all the better by comparing it with worldly sorrow. In the case of worldly sorrow I do throw a pity party and invite everyone I know to play me violin music. I even play some choice tunes on the violin myself! I bemoan my fate and rue the day I was born. I paint pictures of gloom and doom and wallow in the mire of self-pity.
The longer the party lasts, the closer to death I am driven…while the chauffeur driving me to that destination plays more violin music on the car radio! Worldly sorrow, you see, isn’t really sorry for anything related to the person enduring the sorrow, unless it be his own pathetic condition. He experiences only self-pity, not pity for others.
In the second verse of our quoted text, Paul itemizes several details we can employ to know whether our sorrow is godly or worldly. Let’s list them:
1. what vindication of yourselves
2. what indignation
3. what fear
4. what longing
5. what zeal
6. what avenging of wrong
After presenting this list, Paul noted the results of those six details: In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
Here’s the context for the two verses. The Christians in Corinth faced sin in their church. Were they complicit in the sin or no? Paul challenged them to judge the sinner and absolve themselves of complicity in the sin.
The Corinthian Christians were wounded by Paul’s castigation of both the sin and the sinner, but even more by his castigation of them for winking at the sinner in his sin. They saw the error of their ways and demonstrated they were not participants in the sin by judging the sinner and prompting him to repent and be forgiven. In doing so they “vindicated themselves”.
After receiving Paul’s rebuke they became “indignant” about the sin and “feared” God’s judgment on them, as well as on their sinning brother. They “longed” for his repentance and restoration, and accordingly they “avenged” the wrong, doing so with “zeal”. In doing all this (i.e., “in everything”), you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
Do you see how pity parties demonstrate worldly, not godly, sorrow? Do you see how violin music only leads us to cry in our beer, but never to repent and be forgiven for our sin? Godly sorrow puts the onus on us for sinning against God and doing wrong to God and/or man.
Worldly sorrow, contrariwise, feels sorry for self. We are misunderstood. It’s our parents fault: they didn’t raise us right. It’s the world’s fault: we’re poor, we’re women, we’re minorities. And then there’s the ace card: the devil made us do it…etc. etc. ad nauseum ad infinitum.
Let’s keep this distinction in mind and heart, the next time we are hurting. Sometimes it is the fault of others, but even then it’s our choice whether to experience godly sorrow or worldly sorrow. Wallow in self-pity or do what is in our power to make things right, that’s our choice. And in all things we must be sure to give glory to God, rather than seek our own revenge. Can I get an amen?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
