Sorrow & Repentance

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, that eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.” -2 Corinthians 7:10-11

Do our past mistakes condemn us or do they lead to joy in God’s deliverance and forgiveness? The devil always wants to remind us of the offenses of our past to try to destroy our future, but because of godly sorrow we are brought to a place of humility where we are able to call out to the Lord. Worldly sorrow, however, includes things like regret for being exposed, for getting caught or because we are suffering the consequences. Only through godly sorrow are we able to accept the gift of repentance leading to salvation, through worldly sorrow we reject God’s grace and choose to stay in a condemned state. The fruit of godly sorrow can be viewed as a sequence of internal events that lead to restoration. It begins earnestness and ends with readiness. This is a theme repeated throughout the entire bible; God is the Great Redeemer who wants to save us, but he requires us to have earnestly repented and desired forgiveness. Only then will we be ready for Him to save us.