Godly sorrow vs. Worldly sorrow

"For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." - 2 Corinthians 7:10 NKJV

There's a difference between being sorry for having done something wrong and being sorry for having been caught. Anyone can be sorry in a courtroom, but would they ever have turned themselves in?

A vital part of Christianity is repentance. Repentance is an act of the former kind of being sorry. We are not sorry about our sin just because God says sinners deserve Hell. What should disturb us about our sin is that it offends the perfect and Holy God.

On its own, this should be enough. Let's be honest, none of us want to go to Hell, but even if there was genuinely no escape, we should still be sorry for our sin. Godly sorrow exists regardless of the consequences. If we get off scot free, we should be sorry. If we are condemned, we should be sorry.

But what's amazing about God is that the Godly sorrow we suffer actually produces repentance leading to salvation. God doesn't condemn us, and He doesn't just let us off the hook, but against all imagination, He actually rewards us. Through the blood of Jesus, God grants us an eternal inheritance in His Kingdom.

Knowing this, how much more should we repent and do good? Our God, this indescribable being, is so full of love that though we deserve wrath as sinners, He grants us the rewards of His righteous Son! If He loves us that much, how much more motivated should we be to respond in kind?