2 Corinthians 7:2-12
The love of Christ gripped Paul for his Corinthians. And this love was as true and as great as when he had written them his first severe letter. But now his heart is not restricted; he can let his affection speak freely. Never forget, dear young friends, that those who reprove and warn you most severely are generally those who love you the most (Revelation 3:19).
The assembly had judged the evil in its midst; it had thus showed itself to be pure and upright (v. 11): if it had tolerated a terrible sin it was due to ignorance and negligence. The Corinthians were required none the less to humble themselves for their state which had allowed such an evil to appear in their midst and they had felt sorry after a godly manner.
V. 10 shows us that mere regret, shame, remorse . . . are not repentance. The latter is a matter of bringing to bear on our sins the same verdict as God, of recognizing evil and renouncing it, whether acts committed before or after our conversion are involved (Proverbs 28:13). It is the first fruit of faith. To sorrow in a godly manner is therefore a cause of rejoicing in itself (v. 9). Has each one of our readers experienced true repentance?