The two kinds of sorrow.

     The Apostle Paul teaches us some very important things regarding repentance, in 2 Corinthians 7:8-11. In this passage he speaks of two kinds of sorrow. There is Godly sorrow that leads to repentance and salvation, and the sorrow of the world that leads to death. It is vital to our salvation that we understand the difference between these two kinds of sorrow, and make sure that we have truly repented in the right way, for the right reasons. As sinful beings, we have all lived life for ourselves,without regard to God and His word. This rebellion deserves God's wrath, and will incur it, unless one submits to Christ by faith.
     There are also the natural consequences to our actions. A person convicted of criminal activity may face prison time. Marriages and families are destroyed by substance abuse, adultery, and the pursuit of things. There is also public disgrace to be faced when sinful actions come to light.
     Many individuals when caught in their sin will look at these consequences with dread. They may fear public disgrace, they may fear prison time, the loss of family, a spouse, a job. They see that their life is a mess that they need to get out of. The fear of hell and eternal punishment is perhaps the greatest motivating factor of all. Hearing the gospel, with it's call to repent, many give up their sin and ask for God's mercy, hoping to escape the consequences of their sin. They are sorry about being caught, they are sorry about the mess they are in, but they are not sorry!
     Think of a husband who said something that hurt his wife. She is now cold and silent. After awhile he is tired of this, and decides to tell her he is sorry. He goes out and gets flowers and gives them to her with an apology, hoping that she will now talk to him, that things will be back to normal. He is sorry for the consequences of his action, but not sorry for how he treated his wife. Anyone who has ever gone through something like this knows that his wife can see right through a phony apology like this, and the problem does not get fixed, it only grows worse.
     Likewise, we all have grieved and hurt God by our sinful actions, that flow out of a sinful heart. A sinful heart is a selfish heart that cares nothing for God and His word. A true Godly sorrow is a sorrow that grieves at the pain we have caused God. A true confession of sin looks at what we have done to God, and humbly apologizes to Him for what we have done to Him. We repent for His sake, not for what we can get out of the deal. To repent, and submit to Christ so we can escape some consequence of sin, is to make Christ a servant of our selfish interests. A true penitent is thinking of how God has been mistreated and desires to forsake sin and serve Him, for His sake, not wanting to grieve Him any longer. Christ said we must lose ourselves for His sake. God will graciously forgive all those who come to Him with a sincere heart. It is the broken and contrite heart that will find acceptance at the cross.