02. My Life Can Change
The Easter Experience • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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The Difference Between Repentance and Remorse
3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.
5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.
Introduction
Both Judas and Peter failed the Lord.
Both felt deep sorrow for what they had done.
Yet one man died in despair, and the other became a great preacher of the Gospel.
The difference was not the sin — it was the response to the sin.
The Bible teaches:
10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
1. The Conviction of Sin
1. The Conviction of Sin
Both men were confronted with their guilt.
A. Judas
A. Judas
3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
Judas knew he had done wrong.
He confessed, in
Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.”
But his sorrow was self-centered.
He regretted the consequences.
B. Peter
B. Peter
61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.
Peter was broken by the look of Christ.
His sorrow was God-centered.
It was not just regret — it was conviction.
Remorse says:
“I hate what this has done to me.”
Repentance says:
“I hate what I have done to God.”
Not only the conviction of sin, but also the
2. The Course After Sin
2. The Course After Sin
What each man did next reveals the difference.
A. Judas –
A. Judas –
Ran from God
Ran from God
And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
Judas ran to religion but not to Christ.
He brought the money back to the priests, but he never sought the Savior.
Remorse often leads to despair and distance from God.
B. Peter –
B. Peter –
Ran to Christ
Ran to Christ
After the resurrection, Peter ran to the tomb.
Later Jesus restored him on the shore in John 21
"And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.”
Repentance always runs toward the Lord, not away from Him.
3. The Consequence of Sin
3. The Consequence of Sin
The final outcome of each man’s sorrow.
A. Judas Sin led him to – Destruction
A. Judas Sin led him to – Destruction
Remorse led to death.
His sorrow produced hopelessness.
The Bible says:
"the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
B. Peter Sin led him to – Restoration
B. Peter Sin led him to – Restoration
Repentance led to renewal.
The man who denied Christ later preached at Pentecost and saw 3,000 souls saved.
God took Peter’s failure and turned it into a testimony.
Conclusion
Two disciples.
Two failures.
Two kinds of sorrow.
Judas had remorse — and it ruined him.
Peter had repentance — and it restored him.
The Real Difference
Remorse
Feels bad about sin
Runs from God
Ends in despair
Repentance
Turns from sin
Runs to God
Ends in restoration
13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper:
But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
