“Now I’m overjoyed—not because I made you sad, but because your grief led you to a deep repentance. You experienced godly sorrow, and as God intended, it brought about gain for you, not loss, so that no harm has been done by us. God designed us to feel remorse over sin in order to produce repentance that leads to victory. This leaves us with no regrets. But the sorrow of the world works death.” (2 Corinthians 7:9-10 TPT)
“I know that you delight to set your truth deep in my spirit. So come into the hidden places of my heart and teach me wisdom. Purify my conscience! Make this leper clean again! Wash me in your love until I am pure in heart. Satisfy me in your sweetness, and my song of joy will return. The places you have crushed within me will rejoice in your healing touch. Hide my sins from your face; erase all my guilt by your saving grace. Keep creating in me a clean heart. Fill me with pure thoughts and holy desires, ready to please you. May you never reject me! May you never take from me your sacred Spirit! (Psalm 51:6-11 TPT)
“YAHWEH says, “Let the people return to me. Build! Build up the road, clear the way, and get it ready! Remove every obstacle from their path.” For this is what the high and majestic one says, the one who fills the eternal realm with glory, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in high and holy places but also with the bruised and lowly in spirit, those who are humble and quick to repent. I dwell with them to revive the spirit of the humble, to revive the heart of those who are broken over their sin. You will not find me continually accusing them or holding anger against them, lest they feel defeated and lose heart before me. For I am the One who gave the breath of life to my people. It was their sin and greed that made me angry, so I struck them and hid my face from them. But they continued in rebellion, following their own desires. Even though I’ve seen their ways, I will heal them. I will guide them forward and repay them with comfort giving mourners the language of praise. I offer peace to those who are far from me, and I offer peace to those who are near, and I will heal their deepest wounds,” says YAHWEH.” (Isaiah 57:14-19 TPT)
I have invested the time to take a stroll through “His-story” during this discussion about the “Sufferings FROM Christ: The Pain of Discipline” in order to establish the fact that my Creator’s (my Daddy – Abba Father) primary contact with me has always been through my spirit. His discipline (sufferings FROM Christ) is experienced in my spirit. While it has an impact on my soul (mind) and body, it originates in my spirit.
The enemy (Satan) does not have access to my spirit. He will attempt to shoot flaming arrows (interjected thoughts) at my mind, and make every effort to afflict my body with sickness and pain. However, he cannot touch my spirit.
God convicts, Satan condemns.
God disciplines to bring life, Satan punishes to bring death.
God works from the inside – out, Satan works from the outside – in.
All of this has been written in order to get us prepared to receive the revelation of “godly sorrow.” Godly sorrow is the primary method used by my Daddy to discipline (disciple) me. The Holy Spirit reveals to my spirit the areas in need of discipline. He sheds light on my mind’s need for renewal. He shows me where I am speaking in ways that fall short of the son of God that I am. He points out the many ways in which I am not living in a way that a son of God was designed to live. He helps me to see where I am falling short of the glory of God. He convicts me of sin and convinces me of righteousness.
When I am being revealed by the spotlight of the Spirit it produces godly sorrow. This godly sorrow is a deeply painful process. It is intended to purge anything that is blocking the flow of God’s goodness in my life. It breaks through the hardness of my heart and surgically removes the spiritual cataracts of my blinded eyes. Godly sorrow leads me to my knees in humility before my Father. It positions me to humble myself which in turn places me in position to be exalted in my Father’s perfect timing.
Another description of godly sorrow is called a “contrite heart.” David gave us a perfect picture of this in Psalm 51. In his brokenness over his sin with Bathsheba David modeled just what this looked like. In his longing for restoration he cried out to God. He confessed his sin, acknowledged his need for forgiveness, and openly expressed his longing for restoration. He realigned his spirit, soul, and body with the desire and design (will) of his Father and experienced depths of joy and freedom that he had never before experienced.
I believe that one of the most effective campaigns of deception that Satan has ever launched against the Body of Christ is to convince us that our Father disciplines us by way of our bodies, minds, and material aspects of our lives. He has convinced us that we are part of his world and has robbed us of most of the blessings of living in the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth (here and now).
The enemy inflicts our bodies and we accept it as our “thorn in the flesh.” He shoots a dart at our minds and we believe that God is removing our peace in order to teach us patience or some other lesson. He attacks our finances and we proclaim that is our cross to bear. The list could go on and on. When will we wake up?
Please take time to read (with the illumination and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit) 2 Corinthians 7, Psalm 51, and Isaiah 57. Allow your eyes to be opened to how our Father disciplines us for our good as he produces in our spirits godly sorrow.
What a powerful lesson to consider in…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 408: Discerned Suffering: Sufferings FROM Christ: The Pain of Discipline Concluded