7 Traits of Godly Repentance and Worldly Sorrow
For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. (2 Corinthians 7:8-10)
One category in Scripture that is crucial to understand is the distinction between true repentance and worldly sorrow. These distinctions are mentioned in 2 Corinthians 7:8-10 and speak to the motivations of why we experience grief or sorrow relating to our sin. Paul warns against a kind of grief that originates from worldly motivations of the heart and commends true repentance stemming from godly desires.
It is important to diagnose which type of sorrow is being produced by our hearts because while one “leads to salvation without regret”, the other “produces death”. What follows is a helpful chart produced by Dr. Jim Newheiser that can help us diagnose what type of sorrow is being produced by our hearts. Ask yourself, “When I am confronted with my sin, which traits listed on these charts characterize my sorrow?” Do you focus on yourself and what consequences might come to you if your sin were to be completely exposed? Or are you focused on God and how much you hate your sin. Does your sorrow lead to the fruit of repentance? Or do you run back unhindered to the same sin over and over again? The answers to the questions are a matter of life and death. We should all take them seriously and seek to be people who run to God and throw ourselves on His grace. He is a good father who will receive back any of His wayward children.
Recommended Resource— Unstuck by Tim Lane
Is there an area in your life that you want to change, but you don't know how? Is there a behavior that you've tried to stop, but you just can't seem to do it? Is there a negative thought pattern that you have attempted to move on from, but nothing you try ever works? In other words, do you want to change, but feel stuck?
Tim Lane takes you on a nine step journey towards lasting change, empowering you to break free from unwanted habits and behaviors that don't seem to go away. These steps are much more than strategies: they are truths that are rooted in Scripture. This practical and biblical guidance recognizes that the path to lasting change can only be found by growing in grace as we look to Christ and are empowered by the Holy Spirit. Whatever your struggle, this warm and encouraging book will help you to get unstuck as you look to Christ in the day-to-day pressures of life.
