November 30 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

2 Corinthians 7:8–10

Devotional

Godly sorrow leads to repentance not to be repented of. It is possible that those who know this godly sorrow do not see how they can ever become right with God. But they still exercise this repentance, for the Lord is worthy of it; He is good. They do not seek salvation before they repent. Even if they were never to receive anything of the Lord, they still could not live anymore with pleasure in the life of sin. But these people will not perish in their sorrow for this sorrow is because of God’s own work. It is not only a sorrow after God, but it is also a sorrow from God. The great miracle of grace is that the Lord empties in order to fill. The aim of godly sorrow is salvation.

Those with a godly sorrow sow with tears and reap with joy. Those who yearn for the Lord will find more than enough in God. If only there would be more of this sorrow, then there would also be more joy in the Lord. This is a sorrow that leads to salvation. They themselves thought it would lead to perdition. But God caused them to feel perdition so as to cause them to receive salvation.

Blessed are those who mourn; they will receive salvation. Not because they mourn, but because they will be comforted. True sorrow cannot find any satisfaction in itself. Why then will they be blessed? Is it because they mourned? Or is it because they repented? They have tried to find their salvation in these matters, but they found out that tears could not save them and repentance could not pay for sin. There would never have been salvation if there had never been a Savior. The Savior experienced a sorrow after God, but for Him there was no salvation. He mourned but He was not blessed; He came into perdition. That is why there is salvation only for sorrowful ones.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.