Godly Sorrow

 
 

2 Corinthians 7:9-11 “Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 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.”

I read that in one of the most important passages in the New Testament regarding repentance, Paul uses essentially the same phrase three times to express what he means by repentance: He rejoices that the Corinthian believers were made “sorry after a godly manner”, calls it a “godly sorrow”, claiming that they “sorrowed after a godly sort”. This phrase could literally be translated “sorrow according to God,” which leads to repentance. Such sorrow is contrasted to the “sorrow of the world that worketh death” (v. 10), which is a mere regret of consequences or remorse of conscience, which does not yield repentance (sorrow that I got cauht), but only despair. “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation” (v. 10).

Luke 5:31-32 “And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines “repentance” as: 1. Sorrow for any thing done or said; the pain or grief which a person experiences in consequence of the injury or inconvenience produced by his own conduct. 2. In theology, the pain, regret or affliction which a person feels on account of his past conduct, because it exposes him to punishment. This sorrow proceeding merely from the fear of punishment, is called legal repentance, as being excited by the terrors of legal penalties, and it may exist without an amendment of life. 3. Real penitence; sorrow or deep contrition for sin, as an offense and dishonor to God, a violation of his holy law, and the basest ingratitude towards a Being of infinite benevolence. This is called evangelical repentance, and is accompanied and followed by amendment of life. Repentance is a change of mind, or a conversion from sin to God.

Just as godly sorrow leads to repentance, so should the blessings of God. Romans 2:4 New asks, “do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” God desires repentance on the part of the sinning one and is free to use whatever vehicle He chooses to bring it about. Real repentance involves a recognition of sin as a crime against God and a violation of His holy nature. Our recognition of this fact brings godly sorrow that leads inevitably to a change of mindset toward the sin and a heart-felt confession of it as sin, and this brings forgiveness from God.

Christ taught that this “sorrow according to God” brings great joy Heaven: “Likewise, I say unto you there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents” (Luke 15:10).