“For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter” (2 Corinthians 7:11).
If we look beneath the accolades given to the members of the Corinthian church in the passage quoted above, we can uncover several qualities that will help identify a genuine attitude of repentance in ourselves and others.
The first quality we should look for is diligence. This word carries the idea of haste and earnestness in dealing with those areas where we may be falling short. With this in mind, we can say that an identifying mark of genuine repentance is reflected in a desire to address such areas without delay. In other words, true repentance doesn’t put off dealing with sinful behavior; instead, it addresses it in a forthright manner.
The next item is this: what clearing of yourselves. The word translated “clearing” in this verse is apologia or “defense.” Just as the word “apologist” is associated with someone who defends the Word of God, real repentance seeks to identify and deal with the issues that lead to sinful behavior in a reasoned, straightforward manner. It seeks to clear up an inappropriate action by way of an honest explanation.
Following this comes indignation. A modern-day definition of this word serves to fit the context of this passage well: “strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or base; righteous anger.” (1) A person who is truly repentant will feel a sense of irritation, indignance, and/or vexation over his or her propensity to sin, especially in those areas where he or she should know better. If those qualities are lacking, then something is probably wrong.
The next quality is fear. This response may take a number of forms. It should first involve a fear of displeasing God. It should also involve a fear of letting others down or setting a poor example for others to follow. It might also involve a fear of no longer being used by God as a result of a sinful attitude or action. A person who is truly repentant is someone who possesses a healthy fear of these potential consequences.
These qualities help to identify a person who possesses a genuine attitude of repentance. We’ll consider some additional qualities associated with true repentance next.
(1) “indignation”. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 21 May. 2018. <Dictionary.com http://www.dictionary.com/browse/indignation>.