Insightful Musings on the New Testament
by
Ray Sparre, NU class of '67

Ray has a wealth of experience as a Husband, Father, Pastor, Missionary, and student of the Word. He believes and practices his faith where the rubber meets the road. You'll find his writings to be practical, insightful, and grounded in a truly Christ-centered world view.

Below are links to a printable daily Bible reading guide which Ray is following, and an archive of all his daily devotional writings for 2010.

|  Daily Reading Guide  |  2010 Devotion Archives  |
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31 July 2010
Passage: 2 Corinthians 7:2-16
Focus: “For you became sorrowful as God intended…” 2 Corinthians 7:9.
                Does your Christian perspective give any allowance for God-intended sorrow? Paul clarifies the value of this quality of sorrow in the next verse: “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (v. 10).
                Perhaps synonyms for “sorrow” as used here would be GUILT or CONVICTION or REMORSE.  Can you imagine where we would be and how we would behave if it were not for those functions of conscience to lead us into right relationship with our Sovereign?  Confession and repentance are absolutely crucial to real conversion—transitioning from “lostness” to “savedness”—from darkness to light.  And once that transition is made (or being made—since it is more of a process than an event), listen again to Peter’s word of encouragement: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare tha praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).  And on this note, Paul affirms, “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Live as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8).
                Here’s the contrast in simple form: (1) GODLY SORROW—REPENTANCE—LIGHT—LIFE.  (2) WORLDLY SORROW—SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS—DARKNESS—DEATH. 
 
                “Some penitential crying is only hypocritical lying.”