Godly Sorrow

v.10 Paul makes a distinction between godly sorrow and the sorrow of the world. Godly sorrow leads a person to repentance which leads a person to salvation. Notice the phrase “without regret”. It means that the person who repents will not regret it. Godly sorrow will lead them to salvation. Salvation brings joy. Paul is sure to tell us that the sorrow of the world does not lead to salvation. It leads to death.

Worldly sorrow is sorrow that does not lead to genuine repentance before the Lord. It could be legitimate sorrow; it simply is not the right type of sorrow. It could be sorrow over the consequences of one’s actions or sorrow because one has hurt himself or someone he loves. It may be real sorrow, but not godly sorrow.

Before a person can be saved they must repent of their sins. Before they repent of their sins they must have a godly sorrow. Godly sorrow is the correct reaction to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. When we respond correctly to the conviction of the Holy Spirit we repent of our sins. The necessity of repentance is probably one of the most overlooked truths concerning the gospel (Luke 13:3, 15:7, Acts 3:19).

Literally the word “repent” means “to change one’s mind.” That does not imply that one must merely believe the facts about the gospel to be saved (James 2:19, Matthew 7:21). It means that we change our minds about who Christ is. We acknowledge Him as Lord and thus believe that all His teachings are true. Our change of mind leads to a change of behavior.

Our new way of life reflects our changed mind. Therefore, we may tell if a person has truly repented with godly sorrow by the way they live their life. Godly sorrow leads to godly behavior. Many people have deceived themselves into thinking they have repented because they told God they were sorry. There is far more to it than that. Paul will give us the evidence of a sincere repentance in verse 11. We should be sure to define repentance by the Bible rather than our own presuppositions.

v.11 Paul is about to give a list of things that godly sorrow wrought in the heart of the Corinthians. These things proved that their repentance was genuine. That is what Paul means when he says, “You have proved yourselves innocent in the matter”. Let’s look at the proofs of genuine repentance.

Earnestness- This word means eagerness. True repentance will result in a strong desire to be righteous. This is not a result of coercion by a preacher or circumstances. It is an inner longing to be free from sin and to cling to righteousness. When we repent, we are eager to turn from our life of sin.

Eagerness to clear yourselves- This phrase means “to vindicate ones self”. The idea behind it is to prove that one is not guilty of something. Repentance produces a desire to show others that we have indeed turned from our sin. Repentant people are concerned about how they are perceived by others. Our new life proves that we have been changed by God’s grace. As others witness our transformation we are “cleared” or “vindicated” from being untrustworthy sinners.

Indignation- This term means to be angry. True repentance results in anger toward certain things. The anger is directed toward our sin and way of life before we were converted. True believers hate sin. People who claim to know Christ yet enjoy a life of sin are deceiving themselves. We hate sin because our eyes have been opened to what sin did to Christ and what it does to us. Unbelievers continue to live in sin because they get pleasure from it. True believers live a life of continual repentance from sin because they hate it.

Fear- This word describes the reverential awe that true believers have for God. If we fear God it affects our behavior. A sure sign that we do not fear God is that we live a life of habitual sin. Our refusal to turn from sin reveals that we have no respect for God and no fear of the consequences of our sin. When a person truly repents their life is characterized by a fear of God. Believers are concerned about how they are perceived by God. They recognize that they will give account for their actions. A fear of God is necessary for salvation. True believers fear God.

Longing- This is a passionate longing. Repentance results in a person having a passion for God and holiness. It is evidenced by a hunger and thirst for God & righteousness (Matthew 5:6). This passion begins at salvation. It does not end there. It continues through the believer’s life. True believers desire to know God and be holy.

Zeal- This term is synonymous with the previous one. Zeal describes a sincere passion. Christ’s zeal for God compelled him to cleanse the Temple (John2:17). Zeal is an emotion demonstrated by action. What we are zealous about gets our attention and time. True believers are zealous about the Lord and righteousness.

Punishment- In context this term describes a person’s desire to see justice. The true believer wants sin punished. He hates injustice. This attitude keeps him from justifying the sin of others. It also keeps him honest about his own sin. He makes no excuse for sin in others or himself. The person who is always excusing sin in himself and others should beware. True believers are also outraged by the injustices of the world. Issues such as abortion and oppression burden them. They make no excuse for injustice and have a strong desire to see it end.

True repentance is characterized by a radical change of thinking & behavior. The true salvation that godly sorrow brings is life changing. Much of what we see today is worldly sorrow. It will lead to hell. It deceives people into thinking they are okay with God. Worldly sorrow gives false hope. Our sorrow must be a result of the conviction of the Holy Spirit. If it is, our repentance will result in salvation. If it is not, our sorrow will lead us to eternal death.