38: “Be Ye Reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 1–7)
It’s a situation we’ve all been in—wanting to comfort someone but not wanting to sound trite. How do we find the right words when a friend or family member is really going through it? We want to inspire hope for the future, while not invalidating the difficulty of today. In this week’s lesson, we find Paul in just that situation. As we study 2 Corinthians 1–7, we’ll discover what Paul chose to say to comfort the Saints, and perhaps find inspiration on how we, too, can point others to Christ.
Links:
Glue-Ins (free printables for your scriptures)
Finding Strength in the Lord: Emotional Resilience
Segment 1
Scriptures:
2 Corinthians 2:1 (Paul comes with joy)
2 Corinthians 3:2-3 (We are the epistle)
Segment 2
Scriptures:
2 Corinthians 1:3 (Description of God)
Segment 3
Scriptures:
2 Corinthians 1:4-7 (How our trials can be blessings)
2 Corinthians 4:6-10 (We are troubled but not distressed)
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (Things which are not seen)
2 Corinthians 7:4-7 (Exceeding joyful in tribulation)
Segment 4
Scriptures:
2 Corinthians 2:14-17 (We are the savor)
Segment 5
Scriptures:
2 Corinthians 3:17 (The spirit of the Lord is liberty)
Translations:
Liberty = eleutheria - Freedom, esp a state of freedom from slavery (Greek)
Quotes:
Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters. (Ben Franklin, Letter to Messrs, the Abbes Chalut, and Arnaud, April 17, 1787)
Segment 6
Scriptures:
2 Corinthians 7:8-11 (Godly sorrow)
Words of the Prophets:
A main difference between [godly sorrow and worldly sorrow] is their source. Worldly sorrow is promoted by Satan. It is the sorrow of being caught, of not being able to continue sinning, or of turning against oneself with self-loathing or disdain. Godly sorrow, on the other hand, is sorrow given as a gift from God to those who are willing to receive it. Godly sorrow leads us to a full recognition of the magnitude of our sins but with the knowledge that we can become free of them. (D. Chad Richardson, “Forgiving Oneself”, March 2007 Ensign)
Godly sorrow inspires change and hope through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Worldly sorrow pulls us down, extinguishes hope, and persuades us to give in to further temptation. Godly sorrow leads to conversion and a change of heart. It causes us to hate sin and love goodness. It encourages us to stand up and walk in the light of Christ’s love. True repentance is about transformation, not torture or torment. Yes, heartfelt regret and true remorse for disobedience are often painful and very important steps in the sacred process of repentance. But when guilt leads to self-loathing or prevents us from rising up again, it is impeding rather than promoting our repentance. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “You Can Do It Now!”, October 2013 General Conference)
View transcript here.