Godly sorrow or worldly sorrow...

2 Corinthians 7:8-16 (NASB) from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

⁸ For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while— ⁹ I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. ¹⁰ For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. ¹¹ For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter. ¹² So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the offender nor for the sake of the one offended, but that your earnestness on our behalf might be made known to you in the sight of God. ¹³ For this reason we have been comforted.

“For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.” What Paul is writing about here is really the difference between condemnation, worldly sorrow and conviction, Godly sorrow. There are two primary differences between worldly sorrow and Godly sorrow.

 First worldly sorrow is being sorry for the consequences of our actions but often includes a self centered aspect. What we are really sorry about is that we got caught. We are sorry about the negative consequences our actions have in our own life. Worldly sorrow causes people to blame others or to justify our actions because the only thing they are truly sorry about is the impact on their own life. Modern, worldly psychology encourages this aspect of worldly sorrow, always looking to explain or justify wrong behavior as being the result of someone else’s actions, never putting the responsibility on the individual.

The other side of worldly sorrow is guilt and condemnation. These are the things we receive from the world when we don’t measure up. Guilt and condemnation can include very real physical punishment for violating worldly laws or rules, but often it is more of an emotional response that people have to doing what they know to be wrong. That is the very deception of sin. We are enticed by our desires to yield to temptation, then when we give in to temptation we feel guilt and condemnation. Ultimately though with worldly sorrow, we respond to our feeling of guilt and sorrow by reverting back to blame and justification. Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent.      The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate." 13Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."… (Genesis 3:12-13)    If we read Adam’s words we see that not only did he blame Eve, but he also blamed God.    That too is a prevalent mindset in our culture today. If we would simply remove God and the whole idea of righteousness, then there would no longer be any reason for sorrow. Even those who claim there is no God, love to blame Him for the problems in the world today.

Godly sorrow is different. Paul says: the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation.  Romans 8:1-2 says: Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.   We see an example of this in John 8:1-11.

 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ² Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. ³ The scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, ⁴ they *said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. ⁵ Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” ⁶ They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. ⁷ But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. ⁹ When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. ¹⁰ Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” ¹¹ She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

The world, the scribes and Pharisees tried to bring guilt and condemnation on this woman. Jesus was different, He says, , “I do not condemn you, either…” Jesus did not condemn the woman caught in the very act of adultery and Jesus would not condemn sinners today. After all, that is why He came. In Luke 5:32 He says: "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."  Jesus did not nor would He today condemn sinners. Neither though did He or would He tolerate or justify sin. To the woman He said: “Go. From now on sin no more.” He came because:

 God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.(John 3:16)   He came though not to tolerate or justify sin, but to: “call … sinners to repentance."

For far too long, far too much of the church has gone down one of the wrong paths of worldly sorrow. Like the scribes and Pharisees we try to condemn sinners for their sin. Condemnation brings about rejection. When the church condemns, the world rejects her message. It is the Holy Spirit, not the church who is to bring conviction, not condemnation. …when He (the Holy Spirit) has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment…(John 16:8)

Conviction leads to repentance rather than the rejection that comes from condemnation. The church though should not tolerate or accept the sin of our present culture. We are called to be light to the darkness in the world.  Jesus says:

 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; ¹⁵ nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

The light of our lives, our good works in Christ should cause people to glorify the Father. Then the Holy Spirit can cause the conviction which brings about Godly sorrow. “ For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.”

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit, may this be true both in my life and through my life today.   Amen.