THE FRUITS OF GRIEF
D. Wright
2 Corinthians 7: 8–10; Hebrews 12: 11; 1 Peter 1: 3–7
Each of these passages speaks of the matter of grief. Not that I want to engage the beloved brethren with grief, far otherwise. But there are to be positive results Godward from the grief which God in His infinite wisdom allows. There is much in the way of grief weighing heavily on the spirits of the saints at the present time, and I believe that God intends to use it to increase our knowledge of Himself, hence the importance of being with Him in whatever experiences He may pass us through.
In the first epistle to the Corinthians Paul had faithfully to draw attention to sins of a most serious nature that were prevalent amongst them. So the apostle says in the verses we read that he did not regret it if that letter had grieved them. Then he says, “Now I rejoice, not that ye have been grieved, but that ye have been grieved to repentance”. Think of the joy it gave the apostle that to a large degree repentance had come in as a result of his faithful speaking. How much failure had come in in Corinth. How much failure has come in in our own assembly history. How much failure has come in in our individual histories. Repentance would mean that the Corinthians would have the same judgment as God in regard to what had been among them. Repentance is very real, and involves a deep relationship with God Himself. The working out of it would involve grief; but “grief according to God works repentance to salvation, never to be regretted”. So the positive result is that you can look back on an experience with God and you can say that, although painful at the time, it was an experience that you will never regret having. So the passage goes on to say, “But the grief of the world works death”. Grief gone through without God brings in bitterness. But as gone through with Him it draws us closer to the One who loves us, and brings us into a new-found joy as repentance is arrived at.
In Hebrews 12 it is a matter of grief not caused by our failure, but because of the Father’s chastening. He may use discipline in our circumstances
to chasten us that there may be more fruit to Him. The Lord says, “As to every branch in me not bearing fruit, he takes it away; and as to every one bearing fruit, he purges it that it may bring forth more fruit”, John 15: 2. If anything of self has to go it brings in grief. So it says, “But no chastening at the time seems to be matter of joy, but of grief; but afterwards yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness”. Thus you get a positive result again. Then it adds, “to those exercised by it”. That implies that we are not to be casual but are to relate ourselves to God. So our own personal link with the Father, and with the Lord Jesus, is strengthened, knowing that what lies behind the Father’s chastening is His love.
Finally, in 1 Peter we have “for a little while at present, if needed, put to grief by various trials”, or as the footnote says, ‘temptations’. These are things we are constantly surrounded by in the wilderness. Peter writes to the sojourners of the dispersion. The saints were scattered, as in the present day. Peter first of all reminds them of what lay before them. He speaks of “a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from among the dead … an incorruptible and undefiled and unfailing inheritance, reserved in the heavens for you”. We need, beloved brethren, to remind each other more of the hope that lies before us, that of seeing Jesus face to face. We may tend to be occupied much with history and what is past, but what is far greater lies before us. John in Revelation 21 speaks of the way that God Himself “shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall not exist any more, nor grief, nor cry, nor distress shall exist any more, for the former things have passed away”. What a day that will be when grief shall not exist any more! What a joy to know that there
is an inheritance reserved in the heavens for you. You may go into a hall and see the word ‘Reserved’ on a particular seat; it is reserved for a particular person. Well, your inheritance is reserved for you, and in this sense it is exclusively for you. In John 14: 2 the Lord says, “In my Father’s house there are many abodes; were it not so, I had told you—for I go to prepare you a place”.
There is much grief at the present time, showing that the present day is one of education, and growth. We will not have to do with God in regard of these things in a coming day, but we do now, and God intends that there should be formation according to Himself by means of what He allows us to pass through in His infinite wisdom. May we thus value the present time, and may the Lord encourage all our hearts, for His name’s sake.
Substance of word in meeting for ministry at Redbridge
17 February 1976