- 161. Repentance to Salvation
2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
This is a conditional promise: if you have godly repentance, then you will have a repentance leading to salvation, and you will not be sorry for such genuine repentance. This kind of repentance is real salvation.
On the other side of the coin, worldly sorrow does not work repentance, but it leaves one in the death in which he began; nothing is changed. Worldly sorrow is superficial and it resembles a child who is made to say he is sorry, which he only does through gritted teeth. It is like the one who is only sorry because he got caught, but the sorrow is not real. It is like a person going through the confessional as a mere ritual, just saying the words he is supposed to say. It is like one who is only trying to get done with the trial and get on with his life continuing the same sins as before. We have a pretty good idea what the sorrow of the world looks like. And the result is death.
Godly sorrow is genuine, real, sincere and heartfelt. And by its very adjective, “godly,” it is a sorrow that is initiated and driven by God. It is the Holy Spirit, through the Word, that convicts and convinces the self of sin. He makes us see, and even feel, the horrific and ugly nature of sin and evil in our own heart; it’s not a pretty sight. Faith sees how bad we really are in the sight of God before His Law. Godly means not only that it comes from God but also that we see the sin from God’s point of view. Godly sorrow is not something that we can work up by our own emotions or reason. It doesn’t come from my own sinful heart, which is deceitful above all things. God says, “Repent!” but I can’t just do that. God Himself must give my heart the true understanding of the offense and the trespass. He must make us see the consequences and the condemnation of our sin. God uses the preaching of the Law to bring godly sorrow. It won’t come from society’s mores or family values or public shaming or parental discipline. It must come from God. We need to ask God for a penitent heart because of the Law and a true faith because of the Gospel. God will give godly sorrow and repentance unto salvation. The Word works. God promises repentance unto salvation. Work the Word.