The Supremacy of Christ in Repentance: Understanding True Sorrow vs. Worldly Regret
Two men were part of a band of brothers. Both had been trained as members of an elite group, specifically chosen from hundreds or perhaps thousands of candidates. They had bonded into an exclusive team. Both received special training in preparation for a greater undertaking, trained by the best and prepared for an important task.
They were included in private briefings and strategy sessions where they received inside information. They were introduced to foundational principles of future opportunity. Both held leadership positions and were trusted and relied upon. They had endured difficulties when others had abandoned the cause, and they remained true.
Both men were also marked by a disappointing, very public failure. They had betrayed the cause. While their failures weren’t directly connected, both acts of unfaithfulness occurred within hours of each other. Shortly after these deeds of disloyalty, both men expressed deep sorrow for their actions.
But that’s where their similarities end. The sorrow they expressed was not the same.
I’m referring to two of Jesus’ disciples: Peter and Judas. While their lives ran parallel for much of the time we see them with Christ, their responses to sinful failure were vastly different. They both betrayed Christ, but what we see in their responses reveals a core difference between these men.
Most of us are familiar with the night Jesus was betrayed. Judas, the man from Kerioth (or in Aramaic, Ish-Kerioth, thus “Iscariot”), was numbered among the apostles according to Acts 1:17. When Judas failed and betrayed Christ, he was remorseful and went to the religious leaders.
We also know of Peter’s denial when Christ was arrested. He was confronted three times about his association with Jesus, and denied it three times, even with an oath. Both men were sorry. Matthew 26:75 tells us Peter “went out and wept bitterly.” In Matthew 27:3, we learn Judas “was remorseful” and said, “I have sinned and betrayed innocent blood.”
Both felt very sorry. They were genuinely sad. But their sorrow was not the same. One resulted in repentance. The other resulted in suicide.
When we comprehend the Person and work of Jesus Christ, we ought to respond to godly sorrow with heartfelt repentance. Understanding who He is and what He’s done should lead us to respond with a godly sorrow that produces true repentance.
The Distinction Between Sorrows
As Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted, but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).
There is a significant difference between natural regret and Spirit-driven repentance, between emotional sadness and spiritual surrender. The flesh can feel remorse, acknowledge sin, and feel shame. You can regret in an emotional or intellectual way, but that doesn’t make sorrow spiritual. You can regret sin without having a change of heart.
Godly sorrow responds to God’s view of sin. It’s looking at God’s perspective on my sin. It’s vertically oriented—God-ward. That’s why it’s “godly.” This sorrow produces repentance, which is a change of mind that results in a change of life. It’s a change of direction, not simply an external change but a heart change.
A Christian is grieved by sin because they know their sin has grieved God. Their sorrow is for grieving His Person. It’s the heart of David in Psalm 51: “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight.” Though David had sinned against Bathsheba, Uriah, and the nation, he recognized his greatest sin was before God.
Worldly sorrow, by contrast, is concerned with the things of the world. It is grief because we have been hurt. Sin often brings humiliation, and this sorrow is upset because of loss of reputation, job, money, comforts, even family. There’s great remorse, but that doesn’t make it godly.
When a person gets caught and faces undesirable consequences of sin, they are usually sorrowful:
- The student caught cheating is sorry they got caught and their grade will suffer.
- A woman in an illicit relationship panics when she’s found with child.
- A man who loses his temper is sorry for the damage when he puts his fist through the wall.
- The person fired for poor performance and laziness is sorry because of the loss of income and reputation.
But none of that is godly sorrow. Pride always regrets being made to look foolish. Fear always sorrows at jeopardizing safety, comfort, and reputation.
Worldly sorrow makes excuses: “I wouldn’t have sneaked around and lied if my parents had trusted me.” “I wouldn’t have cheated if the teacher had explained the assignment better.” “I wouldn’t have stolen if I was paid a decent wage.” “I wouldn’t have been unfaithful if my spouse was more affectionate.”
Nobody makes us sin. We sin because we want to. Or if we’re unsaved, we cannot help but sin.
Worldly sorrow is grieved when it looks bad, when pride is injured, when it is embarrassed at the consequences or its reputation is harmed. Sin demonstrates we are not the ones in control. Our hurt feelings are often injured pride. Worldly sorrow is nothing more than a guilty conscience that fears the consequences of exposure.
If you could get away with sin without getting caught, would you do it? If so, any feelings of regret flow from worldly sorrow. If we fear being found out, that is worldly sorrow—because God already knows our thoughts. Worldly sorrow is concerned with what people think. Godly sorrow is concerned with what God thinks.
The Description of Genuine Repentance
In 2 Corinthians 7:11, Paul gives seven characteristics of genuine repentance:
- Aggressive concern (“diligence”): There is an attitude of earnest, busy, fervent seeking to battle sin. Worldly sorrow feels conviction for a while, but it wears off. Godly sorrow repents and seeks to take spiritual initiative. There is a pursuit of what’s right and a willingness to find accountability if necessary. Genuine repentance means the end of complacency toward sin.
- Eager vindication (“clearing of yourselves”): This is clearing one’s name, not by blaming others, but by doing right. It’s the attitude that says, “I have sinned against God and I want to change.” Repentance is acknowledging one’s sin and owning it, saying, “God, you are right and just, and I’m a sinner.” It means quitting the blame game.
- Holy displeasure toward sin (“indignation”): When a person gets right with God, they are displeased with themselves and angry at sin. As Puritan John Owen said, “I do not understand how a man can be a true believer unto whom sin is not the greatest burden, sorrow, and trouble.” Godly sorrow hates sin; worldly sorrow hates consequences.
- Godly alarm (“fear”): The alarm is not at punishment, but at the broken relationship and loss of God’s blessing. Worldly sorrow is alarmed at being discovered, losing face, or losing control—but not at the sin itself.
- Longing for restoration (“vehement desire”): Godly sorrow longs for the relationship with God to be restored. There’s a desire to be right with God, whatever it takes. Worldly sorrow wants forgiveness and then focuses on self: “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. Please forgive me. Now let’s move on and forget about it.”
- Spiritual intensity (“zeal”): Godly sorrow produces a fervency and enthusiasm for spiritual things. Do the things of God excite you? Do you look forward to reading God’s Word, hearing it proclaimed, spending time in prayer? Do you have a passion for Christ?
- Desire for justice (“vindication”): Godly sorrow seeks not self-vindication but God’s vindication, God’s honor, God’s glory that were marred by our sin. It’s saying “I’m sorry” without trying to protect self by adding “but.” Think of Zacchaeus in Luke 19, who said, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor, and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”
The Destiny of Different Sorrows
“Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation not to be regretted, but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).
Peter and Judas both sorrowed deeply, but with very different outcomes. Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to spiritual life. Sorrow with a God-ward focus is sorrow according to God’s will. Godly sorrow brings us to that change of mind that results in a change of life.
Repentance sees sin as God sees it. If we confess our sins (meaning we say the same thing about it that God does), He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). When you confess your sin with a godly attitude, God forgives and makes you clean. Don’t continue to beat yourself up over sins that have been forgiven.
Worldly sorrow leads to death. If we treat our sin as insignificant—as an “oops,” an accident, a mistake—we don’t understand that it is what put Christ on the cross. If we see our sin as serious, we’ll never treat it lightly.
This difference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow may be the difference between a true profession and a false profession of faith. It’s the difference between spiritual life and spiritual death, between heaven and hell.
Judas and Peter sat in the same “seminary classes.” They heard the same sermons. They saw the same miracles. They both denied Jesus. They were both sorry—Judas so sorrowful he took his own life. But it wasn’t a godly brokenness. It wasn’t a “broken and contrite spirit” that Psalm 51 says the Lord will not despise.
The issue is not the intensity of sorrow but the attitude of the heart. Repentance is a heart issue. Peter’s sorrow led to repentance and restoration. He was broken with a contrite heart, and was later greatly used by the Lord. He found forgiveness, restoration for service, and the joy of salvation—which is only available in Jesus Christ.
Do you sense a sorrow for your sin that drives you to Christ? Or is it one that drives you deeper into yourself? Don’t be apathetic toward sin. Don’t allow a deadness in your life and heart to keep you from Christ.
Today, Peter is in heaven and Judas is in Hell. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).
This article was created by Claude.ai from the transcript of a sermon preached by Ken Endean, pastor of Tri-City Baptist Church in Chandler, AZ. Pastor Endean reviewed the resultant article for publication.
Photo a composition of Jusepe de Ribera, The Penitent Saint Peter, 1628-32 (License Details) and Repentance of Judas (1874), Simó Gómez i Polo’s (1845-1880) oil on canvas, 201 x 171 cm, Reial Acadèmia Catalana de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi (inv. 278) (Public Domain