Godly Sorrow Differs From Worldly Sorrow

A. 2 Cor. 7:8-11. Vs. 8-9, are significant, Paul says, “It gave him much pain to write so sharply to his
brethren about their sins.” That’s how he begins this second letter to the church at Corinth: 2 Cor. 2:1?4. “I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you (His first letter was one rebuke after another. But the rebuke was out of love and fear for their souls.) For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? I wrote as I did so that when I came I should not be distressed by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.” When Paul heard that his first letter had had its desired effect, his pain turned to joy. And that’s the same concept he talks in Heb. 12:11-12.
Paul was grateful that the sorrow produced by his rebuke had been sorrow “in a godly manner” — and that this had led them to repentance of the sinfulness in their lives. We need to understand what “Repentance” is. Repentance is a change of mind that produces a change of conduct. When you repent of sin and wrong doing, it is not just being sorry for your sin. It means that you stop doing it. Repentance has to do with the will, not the emotions.
a. It is something one does, not something one feels. I like Linski’s definition of repentance:
“Repentance is conversion.” The Expositor’s Bible speak of it as “that ‘change of mind’ about
God, and your relationship to Him, which precedes (Comes before) the renunciation of sin.”
You hear God and suddenly you’re convinced and say, “That’s right and from this moment on I
stop sinning and stand with God.” It is the turning of the whole moral conscience that
immediately results in a decided, visible change in your complete life. 2 Cor 5:17, spells it out in
these words, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new
has come!”
(A) Repentance is more than the human emotion of “being sorry.” Vs. 10, says that
repentance is produced by a thing called “godly sorrow.” This kind of sorrow is different
from the “sorrow of the world.” Paul says that “the sorrow of the world produces death.”
This is the death that is always moral and spiritual. And if allowed to run its course, it is
also an eternal death. And in some cases, it leads to physical death. It’s what happened
to Judas Iscariot in Matt. 27:3?5; Acts 1:18.
(1) The sorrow of the world arises from worldly considerations. It is sorrow as the world
feels sorrow, for its failure, and not for sin. The kind of self sorrow expressed by Cain
in Gen. 4:13-14. “Oh poor me my life is going to be so hard and I just don’t deserve
this.” The same attitude Esau had as stated in Heb. 12:16-17.
Matt. 3:7-8, John the baptizer rebuked the “penitent” Jews who came for his baptism: “Brood of vipers! Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance.” If you have really repented then prove it by changing your heart and life.
Worldly sorrow involves “only resentment and exasperation under exposure and rebuke, and so leads on to final condemnation.” They are not sorry they sinned. They are sorry they got caught sinning.
When worldly people are admonished about sin, their pride is wounded, their resentment is stirred up, their anger is aroused, and they are mad. Do you know why? Because their circumstances and their reputation are threatened. Instead of repenting, they get mad and retaliate.
Worldly sorrow is really more resentment than sorrow. It “produces death” because it continues to hold on to the sin. It makes men worse. Causes them to commit additional sins to hide the former.
Instead of bringing them closer to God, it hardens them and drives them further from God.

(2) Godly Sorrow is the kind of sorrow God desires of us. It occurs when we come to the mind of God in understanding and being repelled by sin.” It is a good kind of grief. Being grieved for the right reason. It grieves because it sees sin as violation against God.
(1) Repentance is a moral self?reproach, arising out of a sense of the evil of sin. The difference between Worldly Sorrow and Godly Sorrow is illustrated in Lk. 22:61-62. “The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.” Godly sorrow for wrong doing reaches the conscience and effects a moral revolution in the heart and mind.
(1) What makes godly sorrow different is that it sorrows for the offense against God (and not merely for sin’s physical consequences) — it is the pain and remorse we feel when we realize we have grieved our Heavenly Father.
(2) 2 Cor. 7:11, Paul said, “In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” By every mark of true repentance the brothers at Corinth had shown themselves to have the right attitude about their sin. Therefore, they had not rested until they had cleansed themselves of their sinfulness.
(2) Sooner or later, sin always involves sorrow, either godly sorrow or the sorrow of the world. If we avoid the pain of godly sorrow, the only alternative left to us is the deadly sorrow of the world. There is no painless third alternative.
(1) No such thing as a painless, griefless repentance. Such a repentance does not exist. A broken and a contrite heart is not a pleasant sensation. But, without it, there can be no peaceable fruit of righteousness. No growth to spiritual maturity.
(2) Your choice is determined by whom you love most. Self or God. Worldly Sorrow or Godly Sorrow. The choice is yours.
(3) Acts 20:32.

Spur - 03/16/03 pm