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Incarnate Emotions (Advent 2022)

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INTRODUCTION

An essential part of the Christian confession is that Jesus of Nazareth is “fully God” and “fully man.” If you sometimes wonder why the Nicene Creed and the Definition of Chalcedon are so specific and so detailed, it is because there are numerous ways to slip off the point and into heresy.

One of the easier ways to do this is to imagine Jesus as having a human body, but being “God on the inside.” But no. We confess that Jesus was and is entirely human, and a good way to reinforce this in our minds is to consider what the Scriptures teach about the emotional life of Christ.

THE TEXT

“That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him” (Acts 10:37–38).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The apostle Peter is preaching to the household of Cornelius, and in the course of his message he reminds them of something they already knew—how after the baptism of John, the message of Christ spread from Galilee and throughout all Judea (v. 37). The first part of the message was that God anointed Christ with the Spirit and power, and as a consequence He “went about doing good” (v. 38). He went about doing good, which was a capital offense. God was with Him, and He healed all those who were oppressed by the devil. Peter goes on to proclaim the cross and resurrection (vv. 39-40), but our concern here is the Incarnation, the precondition of that vicarious substitution.

SOME GUARDRAILS FIRST

As we will see in a moment, Christ experienced true human emotion. But we have to hold two things together. He was truly human, but He was also sinlessly human. When we experience the analog emotions that Christ felt, we need to remember that there is a sinful component in it for us that was not present for Him. But at the same time, the writers of Scripture were able to describe His emotional responses with human vocabulary.

For example, we are commanded in Ephesians to be angry—“be angry and sin not” (Eph. 4:26). But in the next breath we are told to put away all bitterness, wrath, anger, and clamor (Eph. 4:31). This is because there is a righteous anger from above . . . and then there is the other kind. “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” (James 1:20).

COMPASSION

The gospel writers frequently mention how the Lord was internally moved with compassion. This internal state routinely resulted in an external blessing for someone. “And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean” (Mark 1:41; cf. Matt. 20:34; Luke 7:13). This happens in numerous instances. There is one time when Jesus Himself refers to His own compassion, and that is before He fed the multitude. “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far” (Mark 8:2–3). We have numerous occasions where the Lord exhibits a spontaneous pity that was provoked by the misery of the people who were coming to Him. He did good to them because He wanted to. “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).

ANGER

We just noted that Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus. But sympathy for Mary and Martha was not the only emotion He felt there. We are told twice that Jesus groaned in His spirit (John 11:33,38). But a better translation of this, even if it seems disrespectful, is that Jesus raged in His spirit, He raged in Himself. Against whom? Against His great enemy, death.

And in the incident with the man who had a withered hand, we are told that the Lord was angry and grieved with their hardness of heart (Mark 3:5). But note that when Jesus got angry, the end result was that a withered hand was healed. When man in the flesh gets angry, the end result is a hole in the sheetrock.

We are not told expressly that He was angry when He cleansed the Temple, but He almost certainly was. He was consumed with zeal for His Father’s house the first time (John 2:17), and the task before Him was enormous, and required great motivation.

And there is another occasion where a lesser form of “anger” was displayed. When His disciples were being grown-up and very officious, and were keeping little children away from Him, we are told that Jesus was vexed, annoyed, greatly displeased (Mark 10:14).

SORROW AND EXULTATION

Christ went to the cross—for you and for me—with a strange combination of emotions within His breast. When He contemplated the cross, He exulted in His spirit (Luke 10:21). For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross (Heb. 12:2). At the same time, He went into the black shadow with His eyes fully open to the price that He would pay. The emotional side of it was agitation, perplexity, and disquietude (John 12:27; 13:21). What He experienced was agony. “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44). Was the Lord despondent and appalled? He was. “And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy” (Mark 14:33).

TRUE SALVATION

Christ was sent by the Father to save His elect. And so when Christ came to earth, He came to save all of you, and not just a portion of you. Our tendency is to think of our humanity, in its broken and shattered state, as the true meaning of what it means to be a real human. But no—the unfallen Christ is the ultimate meaning of true humanity. And so in the resurrection, it will not be the case that all your emotions will be freeze-dried and stored in a cooler somewhere.

No, you will be men and women forever. You will be restored men and women, and you will be truly human, all the way through, like the Lord Jesus.

“When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream” (Psalm 126:1).

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Earthy & Holy (Advent 2022)

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INTRODUCTION

During the course of Advent, we are celebrating the Incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. I say celebrating, not mourning. In contrast to a number of Christian traditions, we do not treat this season as a penitential season, but rather a season of anticipation and longing. We celebrate the Incarnation itself, with the deliverance it brought to us, when we come to Christmas itself. But in faith we celebrate the promise of deliverance as we prepare ourselves for the full celebration.

But what is entailed in that promise? The Incarnation highlights two things that we need to have anchored firmly in our minds. First, it underscores the essential goodness of the material creation. The Word of God took on human flesh. Second, it emphasizes the depth of our sin and rebellion. This is what it took to deliver us from our unholy condition. And so the Incarnation must be seen and understood as simultaneously earthy and holy.

THE TEXT

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1–4).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The reason we are able to celebrate in Christmas joy is because light has appeared in a very dark place. That light is liberation from guilt and condemnation. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (v. 1). But this is not for those who merely say they are in Christ Jesus. There is no condemnation for those who do not walk after the flesh, but rather after the Spirit (v. 1). The condemnation we are no longer under is the condemnation of “sin and death” (v. 2). The thing that set us free is the “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (v. 2). In this deliverance, God did for us what the law could not do (v. 3). The law could not perform because it was weakened, hampered, crippled, by the flesh (v. 3). God did this by sending His own Son into the world in the likeness of sinful flesh—not sinful flesh, but the likeness of it (v. 3). God then condemned, in that sacrifice, sin “in the flesh” (v. 3). He did this so that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in those who do not walk according to the flesh, but rather according to the Spirit (v. 4).

FLESH AND FLESH

Throughout his letters, the apostle Paul uses the word flesh in two distinct ways. The word is sarx, and it can simply mean a material, living body. “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the sarx” (Romans 1:3). Jesus took on a human body, in other words. He truly was descended from David.

But Paul also uses the word to describe the principle of sin that is resident within us. “For when we were in the sarx, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death” (Romans 7:5).

So in our text, this is why he says “in the likeness of sinful flesh.” This means Jesus was truly and fully a human being—the sinfulness excepted.

AN UNLIKELY MARRIAGE

So what Christmas represents is a celebration of materiality and earthiness, on the one hand, and a rejection of unholiness on the other. This is a sensate holiness, in other words. We are called, as Christians, to be earthy—not worldly.

This is very hard for sinners to grasp, particularly religious sinners. We think we understand holiness, but we tend to veer into a rejection of stuff—as though we though the sin was resident in the matter itself. But Jesus, in the Incarnation, took on a body that was just as material as yours. “THAT which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life” (1 John 1:1). They heard Him speaking, they saw Him in the flesh, and they touched Him with their hands. No, the sin is not in the molecules.

But then sinners veer in the other direction, and think that if the material realm is good, it must be good as our hearts naturally conceive it. But our hearts are where the problem lies.

THE LIFE I LIVE IN THE BODY

So imagine a platter of fudge in front of you. Christmas fudge, the kind you like. Is there a possibility of sin here? Absolutely, but the problem is not in the fudge. It is never in the stuff itself.

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh [sarx] I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).

We are to set our minds on things above:

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:2).

Now as we do this, it liberates us from the sinfulness of what is going on down here (Col. 3:5). But it also enables us to put on the new man (Col. 3:10), which brings with it a host of practical and very earthy responsibilities (Col. 3:12-17). Being spiritual does not entail becoming a ghostly wraith that floats around the house, beaming at everyone with a ghastly grin. You really need to knock that off.

TOO HEAVENLY MINDED?

You have perhaps heard the expression that someone was “so heavenly minded they were no earthly good.” This does happen, and we must guard against it. But if we have taken the lessons of the Incarnation seriously, something else will happen. We will set our minds in the heavens, and with our hands and arms we will pick up material things, and we will do good with them. When I say “pick up material things,” think of Dad carrying all those presents to the car. Think about all the love represented there.

“If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next” (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity).

So I would always remind you to think of Christ. Set your minds on Christ. Prior to the Incarnation, before the Word was sent into the world, He was entirely heavenly minded. But remaining that way would have left us in our sins. And so He dwells in everlasting joy now, at the right hand of the Father. But He got there by taking on a material body, which He still has. The Incarnation was permanent, not temporary, and this means that the sanctification of matter was permanent. Being heavenly minded therefore means an ongoing affirmation of material holiness.
Our task is not to “be holy.” Our assigned task is to be “holy with stuff.”

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Get To, Not Got To (Authentic Ministry #18)

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INTRODUCTION

We are continuing our series in 2 Corinthians, but we are doing so mindful of this “giving season” that we are in. We are all active participants in this matter of giving and receiving, and so this is wonderful time to practice the spirit of generosity. Like other virtues, this is not something that just happens all by itself.

THE TEXT

“I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:8–9).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Paul begins here by saying that he is not issuing “a commandment” (v. 8). This is a stirring up of love, and not an exercise of raw authority. Paul is using the generosity of the Macedonians to stir up the Corinthians, just as he had earlier used the Corinthians to stir up the Macedonians (v. 24). He wants to test the sincerity of their love (v. 8), a point that he repeats again in v. 24. And then he comes to the foundation of all true generosity. Because they knew the gospel, they knew about this. Paul says “ye know.” What did they know? They knew the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 9). And what did this grace entail? The Eternal Word of God, infinitely wealthy, became finitely poor, and He did this so that we, through His poverty, might be made rich (v. 9).

WEALTH AND POVERTY

Notice that Paul does not say that through the riches of Christ we are made rich. What makes us rich is the poverty of Christ. We were already poor, and Christ joined us in that condition. We had been wealthy, and in the Fall had thrown it all away, squandering it. Now we were destitute, bankrupt, starving. Jesus Christ was born into that world, born of a woman, born under the law (Gal. 4:4). Because He shared our poverty, as a consequence we may share in His wealth. But this only works because Christ is a federal or covenant representative.

CHRIST AS HEAD

The human race is fallen because the entire human race rebelled in the Garden of Eden. When our first parents sinned against God there, the entire human race was present. The entire human race acted, and when they acted, the whole race fell—even those who had not yet been born.

When Adam disobeyed, we disobeyed. When Adam ate the fruit, we ate the fruit. When Adam fell into death world, we fell into death world. Not all this means that the human race got into sin covenantally, through our covenant head. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12).

Now the way in is the way out. If we got into sin covenantally, we need to get out covenantally. If the Head of the human race plunged us into sin, then we need a new Head of the human race to get us out. And that is precisely what God provided for us in Christ. He is the second Adam (Rom. 5:14), the final and ultimate Adam.

“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” (Romans 5:19).

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22).

FRIEND OF SINNERS

How did Christ share in our poverty? He was born into a fallen race to begin with. He was of the royal line of Judah, but the perks of that royalty were long since gone. He was not born into an aristocratic family. When He was dedicated at the Temple, His parents offered up two turtle doves, the sacrificial option for poor people (Luke 2:24; cf. Lev. 12:8).

He began His earthly ministry with the baptism of John, which means that He began His ministry by identifying with sinners. Everything that was assumed by Him in the Incarnation was redeemed by Him in His death, burial, and resurrection. In the entire life of Christ (not just in His time on the cross) we see our redemption taking final and complete shape. Remember what we saw in the first chapter— “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

GET TO, NOT GOT TO

So when we come to give a gift, we should make sure that we keep three things in the front of minds at all times. The first thing is to remember how Jesus gave, and how much He gave. “Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ . . .” The second thing is to look at the generosity of other Christians. If we just looked at Christ only, it would be easy to slip off the point and shrug because “I’m not Jesus.” But the Macedonians . . . they weren’t Jesus, but they still gave an amazing gift. “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Hebrews 10:24). When you are tempted to begrudge a need to give, then look around for some forgiven sinner like you, who has a much better set of excuses that you do, and yet does not use those excuses. And last, this kind of thing tests the sincerity of your love. Do you love? Then love gives. Do you love? Then love sacrifices. Do you love? Do you really?

These three actions are the path to a get to, not got to mentality.

Look to Christ, always to Christ. Second, look to your Macedonians. And last, look to your own heart, and if you are tempted to be discouraged by what you see . . . look to Christ again.

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An Aquifer of Generosity (Authentic Ministry #17)

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INTRODUCTION

Our normal pattern during the season of Advent is to bring a series of messages that are geared to the season, thus taking a break from whatever book we were working through at the time. But as it happens, some of the themes in 2 Cor. 8 line up with some of the things I wanted to emphasize in this Advent season anyway. So for a week or two, at least, we are continuing our series. The theme concerned is giving and generosity, quite a fitting topic for Advent.

THE TEXT

“Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also. Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.” (2 Corinthians 8:1–7).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Paul wanted to make sure that the Corinthians knew about the particular nature of the grace that God poured out on the churches in Macedonia (v. 1). In the context of great affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty combined to produce a most generous gift (v. 2). Paul testified that they willingly gave up to their ability to give, and even beyond it (v. 3). As Chrysostom pointed out, in this situation, the Macedonians did the begging, not Paul (v. 4). Not only did they give as Paul’s band had hoped, but they did this in the right order. They donated themselves to God first, and then to Paul’s specific project, and all in the will of God (v. 5). Apparently, Titus was delivering this letter also, and as he had reminded them of their pledge on his previous visit, Paul is now looking for him to complete the giving campaign (v. 6). Paul then makes his pitch. As the Corinthians abounded in numerous graces—faith, speech, knowledge, diligence, and love—so should they abound in this grace of giving monetarily as well (v. 7). The grace bestowed on the Macedonian churches was a grace of giving (v. 1), and Paul is seeking to find the same kind of generosity rising up in the Corinthians (v. 7).

DIFFERENT KINDS OF GIVING

Now by “gifts,” I include pretty much anything going out—time, money, wrapped up presents, hospitality, and so on. Every church should want to develop a culture of generosity, and this is the kind of culture that has many manifestations. This means hospitality. It means unloading moving vans. It means rallying to meet someone’s financial crisis. It means barn-raising events. It means the discipline of loving birthday and Christmas opportunities. It means open-handedness.

Now we are coming into a season of shopping for gifts, and so we should take special care to make sure we understand what we are doing. A gift—as given externally, as seen from the outside—can be one of three things. First, it can be a bribe. Second, it can be an extortion payment. And third, it can be a true gift. Two of them are most unfortunate, and the third is the genuine article. How can we tell the difference?

The bribe is given by a manipulator, or someone who wants somehow to game the system. He gives in order to get. You give presents in order to get presents. You give compliments in order to receive compliments. You donate to the church so that others will see you in that role. This was the sin of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1ff). Jesus warns against it sternly (Matt. 6:1).

An extortion payment is given by someone who is under duress. He gives in order to be left alone. This is the sin that Paul is trying to teach us to avoid in the next chapter (2 Cor. 9:7).

The true gift is what the Macedonians offered here. They gave themselves first to God (v. 5), and then turned to the second stage of the gift. Christmas morning should be the second unwrapping of the gift. You give yourself to God first, and He unwraps you, and then you give your gift to the other person. This person gives to get, in order to be able to give some more. Our aspiration should be for this to become our way of life.

AN AQUIFER OF GENEROSITY

What is happening when this wonderful thing occurs? In this chain of events, God gives first. The word charis (grace, favor, benefit or gift) is used eight times in chapters 8-9. God bestowed His grace on the Macedonians (v. 1), which is where their giving spirit first originated. Paul wants to see the same thing happening in Corinth (v. 7).

Remember that this was a one-time special need offering. We are not talking about the tithe here, or regular giving. This was a relief offering for the saints in Jerusalem. It was off-budget.

As they gave to others in this way, it created a bond of koinonia-fellowship (v. 4). Sharing of goods is fellowship, just as the sharing of food is fellowship. We partake of one another when we give. We are intertwined when we give. When we give, we are being knit together.

For the Macedonians, this geyser of generosity came about in a unique set of circumstances. First, the grace of God came down upon them (v. 1), and then the providence of God surrounded them with a great trial of affliction (v. 2). In that setting, their deep poverty combined with their abundance of joy to erupt in an effusion of giving. The word for deep is bathos, which we get the word bathysphere. Their poverty was down in the Mariana Trench which, when combined with heavenly joy, exploded into a remarkable gift.

IN HIS STEPS

We are going to develop this much more when we get there, but we need to look ahead at the next two verses. When we give to others properly, we are doing so in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus. This is part of what it means to follow Him. Christ was rich, and He became poor as a gift, so that those who were poor might be made rich through Him (2 Cor. 8:9).

There is no generosity without Christ. The engine that drives the economy of generosity is not merchants, or manufacturers, or commercial interests, or anything like that. It is not possible for us to remember the gift of Christ, and not to have a multitude of gifts following.

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Actual Good Grief (Authentic Ministry #16)

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INTRODUCTION

There are three kinds of grief in this passage. The first is Paul’s godly response to the pastoral meltdown at Corinthian. Paul had been entirely “cast down” (v. 6), and this was the troubles out of which the coming of Titus had been the deliverance. Then there is the godly sorrow and grief that follows after sin, and which results in true repentance (v. 10). But the third kind, the sorrow “of the world” leads only to death (v. 10).

THE TEXT

 “Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you. Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears . . .” (2 Corinthians 7:2–16).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The first exhortation here to “receive us” is echoing the earlier summons to open or enlarge their hearts (v. 2). Paul says he has wronged no one, corrupted no one, and defrauded no one (v. 2). This is perhaps an indication of the charges made against him. Paul is not trying to condemn the Corinthians who are on the fence—with all his heart he wants to die and live with them (v. 3) Paul is bold with them because he is overjoyed in them, and filled with comfort (v. 4). We now learn about how torn up Paul was in Macedonia—fears within, quarrels without (v. 5). But Paul was comforted two ways—the first through the coming of Titus (v. 6), and second by the news Titus brought (v. 7). Paul was greatly comforted to learn about the Corinthians “earnest desire,” their “mourning,” and their “fervent mind toward” Paul (v. 7). Although Paul made them sorry with that letter, he did not regret it now (v. 8)—although there were some moments where he did regret it. Their sorrow was just for a season (v. 8)—their sorrow was a fruitful sorrow, not a damaging sorrow (v. 9). For there are two kinds of sorrow and grief—one leads to repentance and salvation, while a worldly sorry just works death (v. 10). He then describes their godly sorrow, the components of which were diligence, clearing themselves, indignation, fear, vehement desire, zeal, and vindication (v. 11). In all this, they went above and beyond. Paul was not aiming at the ringleader in the congregation who had caused the trouble, nor was he defending himself, but rather that they might see his pastoral care for them (v. 12).  This is why the news from Titus about how refreshed he was in them was so good (v. 13). When Paul had bragged about the Corinthians to Titus, this was simply the same kind of truth he spoke to them. And they had not embarrassed him (v. 14). And now Titus is warmly attached to that congregation as well (v. 15). Note that this deep affection is not inconsistent with obedience, and fear, and trembling (v. 15). The whole episode has caused Paul to rejoice in all things (v. 16).

A MESS IN CORINTH, AND ANOTHER ONE IN MACEDONIA

Paul had a meltdown situation in Corinth, which he had sent Titus to deal with by means of a letter. He came to Macedonia, expecting to find Titus there, but he was delayed. But instead of Titus, he found a bad situation there in Macedonia—everywhere he turned he ran into conflict (v. 5).

Internally, Paul was beset with fears that all his work might come crashing down. This was a common concern of his—were all those floggings for nothing? Consider Gal. 4:11; 1 Thess. 3:5; and 2 Cor. 11:28-29.

IN THE PERSON OF TITUS

When Titus came, God was the one who comforted Paul (v. 6). Titus was the instrument, and God was the agent. This expression is likely an allusion to Is. 49:13 in the LXX—where God brings eschatological comfort to His people. The coming of Titus was like that. Christ has a body, and He works good for His people through that body. You are the hands and feet of Christ Himself in the world.

SEVENFOLD REPENTANCE

The repentance of the Corinthians before Titus had been a convulsive and dramatic one. They were not at all trying to preserve their dignity, putting things right without ever having to humble themselves. Remember that Paul mentions their obedience, their fear, and their trembling. This is a combination of a felt and very real authority with deep and open affection—the kind that Paul displayed with his enlarged heart.

The sevenfold repentance could not be described as being in any way nonchalant. They were diligent, they worked to clear themselves, there was real indignation, they feared, they showed vehement desire, they displayed their zeal, and their hunger for vindication. And notice that Titus accepts all of this kind of behavior, as does Paul.

ACTUAL GOOD GRIEF

Paul sharply distinguishes godly sorrow from a worldly sorrow. There are two kinds of sorrow. The fact that you did something wrong, and are sorrow about it, does not by itself mean anything. Suppose you did something that was pretty tawdry, and you are humiliated about it. Every time you think about it, your forehead gets hot. You sinned on Monday, and you are sorry on Tuesday. Comes Friday, and you are still gnawing on your sorrow, like a dog with a bone. You are sorry yesterday, sorry today, and sorry tomorrow. At this rate, you are going to die sorry. That kind of sorrow is one of the things that needs to be repented of.

The godly sorrow that Paul describes right alongside it is a godly sorrow that “works repentance to salvation.” That salvation, remember, is Christ. Godly sorrow drives you where? Godly sorrow leads straight to Christ. Godly sorrow leads you straight to the place of no regrets (v. 10). The way such a thing could ever be possible is that if all our regrets, and all the sins that produce such regrets, are bundled up together and laid on the shoulders of Christ at the moment when He bowed His head and died.

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