Paul wrote to the Corinthians about this also, please read 2
Corinthians 2:1-11, “But I determined
this within myself, that I would not come again to you in sorrow. For if I make
you sorrowful, then who is he who makes me glad but the one who is made
sorrowful by me? And I wrote this very thing to you, lest, when I came, I
should have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy, having confidence
in you all that my joy is the joy of you all. For out of much affliction and
anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be
grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you. But
if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some
extent—not to be too severe. This punishment which was inflicted by the
majority is sufficient for such a man, so that, on the contrary, you ought
rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with
too much sorrow. Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. For to this
end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in
all things. Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have
forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of
Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his
devices.”
When we grieve before the Lord over sin, it is a good thing.
Godly sorrow over sin, which includes
un-forgiveness, leads to repentance unto salvation, but worldly sorrow brings
forth death. When the Holy Spirit
convicts us of sin and we grieve because of it, it is a good thing regardless
of what the sin is; we will benefit by it if we respond to it in a positive way
by repenting and confessing and turning from it.
Read some of the benefits that Paul spoke of in his second
letter about repentance and godly sorrow to the Corinthian Church in 2 Corinthians
7:8-10, “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.”
Now read what Paul said this repentance and godly sorrow did
for them in verses 11-13 in that same chapter, “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. Therefore, although I wrote to
you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the
sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God
might appear to you. Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we
rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been
refreshed by you all.”
Like I said, repentance and forgiveness are a good, plus,
heathy thing that helps both parties; the one that was sinned against and the
one responsible that needs to repent. I
think we have all been on one side of this or the other and we all need to
repent at times. So instead of allowing
a bitter root to spring up in our lives that may destroy others plus even
ourselves, do what Paul encouraged the Corinthian church to do.
I think you got the message and my prayer is that this is an
encouragement and not condemnation for whoever reads it or hears about it. May the good Lord bless you and yours and may
you all have a blessed day!!
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