In 2 Corinthians 7:1-11 we find the Apostle Paul congratulating some in the Corinth church for the soul-saving spiritual turn-around he had seen in them in the past. He began his letter to them (and us) by reminding them (and us) of God’s requirements for eternal life, saying, “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in fear of God.” He then praised them for their positive reaction to his previous letter of correction by describing the nature of true repentance: “For godly sorrow works repentance unto salvation …, but the sorrow of the world (false repentance) works death.” He then reminded them of their godly reaction to his letter. “You sorrowed after a godly sort. What carefulness it wrought in you, yea what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea what vehement desire, yea what zeal, yea what revenge. In all things you have approved yourselves to be clear in this (repentance) matter.” Let us note several things about the Corinthians’ repentance. Their sorrow was “godly,” meaning that they were sorry that they had offended God. Godly sorrow brings about true repentance which, if it produces the fruits of righteousness (Phil. 1:11) to the end (Mat. 10:22), results in salvation. Worldly sorrow occurs when one regrets getting caught. Though sincere at the moment of realization, the sorrow soon wears off as another sin surfaces. This type of sorrow and repentance is false, is repeated often and produces death. We have all, at some point in our lives, been guilty of such “serial repentance.” The problem is that in the vast majority of cases within the Counterfeit Church (Catholicism/Protestantism), such repentance is the order of the day because our hirelings repeatedly preach that message. We are told repeatedly that, being saved and unable to resist Adam’s sin that festers within us, we simply need to repent more often. No! We need to stop sinning. See Human Nature. Eternal life and death are determined by whether we repent more or stop needing to repent at all. This is a message you will not hear from your false prophets.

In Romans 2:1-5 Paul corrects church leaders by telling them that they are sinning when they judge and condemn others for what they themselves are doing. Contrary to near universal opinion, Paul is not telling them to stop judging others in the church, which we are commanded to do once we get the “log out of our own eye,” but that one cannot judge another and do that same thing oneself. He tells them that the judgment of God is according to His Truth (Word) which is against those church people who do “such things”–sin. In chapter 1 verses 22-32 he lists some of the sins men commit which will produce death if continued. Bear in mind that Paul is writing TO THE CHURCH ABOUT THE CHURCH. He goes on to say that those who do “such things” will not escape the judgment of God. He adds that when a church member sins he “despise(s) the riches of His (God’s) goodness, forbearance and longsuffering.” At this point Paul delivers a deadly spiritual blow to the two billion plus “sinners saved by grace” who pack Satan’s synagogues every Sunday–the day the heathen worship their sun god. The statement is universally overlooked to the peril of all supposedly grace-saved church sinners: “But after YOUR hardness and impenitent heart (you) TREASURE (STORE) UP FOR YOURSELF (GOD’S) WRATH UNTIL THE DAY OF (HIS) WRATH AND (THE DAY OF THE) REVELATION OF HIS RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT. Note again that PAUL IS WARNING THE CHURCH ABOUT GOD’S WRATH WHICH WILL FALL ON THEM. He ends the segment by stating that God will “render (judgment) to every man ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS, not according to His (God’s) grace, man’s faith, churchiness, sermons heard, sermons preached, number of years of ministry, number of perfect attendance pens earned, people witnessed to, crosses worn, Scriptures memorized, hours of Bible study, days of fasting, etc. GOD IS JUDGING US AND WILL ULTIMATELY JUDGE US ACCORDING TO OUR DEEDS–OUR OBEDIENCE TO HIS WORD/TRUTH (Jn. 12:44-50). Paul goes on to point out that those IN THE CHURCH who obey God’s Truth will receive glory, honor, immortality, peace and eternal life. But upon those IN THE CHURCH who do not obey God, but instead “obey unrighteousness,” He will pour out  indignation, wrath, tribulation and anguish (vss 7-11). To be continued. L.J.