Repentance, Grief, and Regret

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.

–2 Corinthians 7:10

Today and tomorrow, I want to give you four characteristics of genuine biblical repentance. First of all, true repentance should not be confused with grief. It’s possible to be sorry for your sin or for the effects of your sin without turning away from your sin. In 2 Corinthians 7:10, Paul explained the difference between grief and genuine repentance. He said, “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.”

Consider King David. After his sin with Bathsheba, he certainly felt sorrow. In Psalm 32:3–4, he wrote, “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.” Notice that David had not repented; he was still trying to cover up what he had done. His grief was the ungodly sorrow Paul was describing. It doesn’t lead anywhere except to death. True repentance should never be confused with grief.

Second, true repentance never leaves a residue of regret. This may sound ludicrous, but one reason I hate to admit when I’m driving in the wrong direction is that I dread having to retrace the miles I’ve already covered. It’s painful to waste time retracing my steps, all the while thinking, If only I hadn’t driven in this direction in the first place! I don’t want to turn around because I hate the feeling of regret.

It’s the same way in our relationship with God. When we have been in the far country for a long time, one reason we’re hesitant to turn around is that we don’t want to feel regret. We know the moment we start walking toward God, we’re likely to think, God, why did I give in to that temptation? Why did I go so long without praying or reading Your Word? If only I hadn’t allowed myself to go this direction in the first place!

But Paul said that godly sorrow “produces a repentance without regret.” When I finally make a U-turn in my car and start driving in the right direction, instead of regret, I feel a surge of relief. And when you truly repent and head back toward God, there won’t be any regret in your life.

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Today’s devotion is adapted from “The Journey Home” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2009.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.