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This is day three together of our look through 2 Corinthians chapter seven and
we're going to focus in on verse 10 today. Yesterday I talked about this faith
lesson that we can learn from Paul as we learn about sorrow. This lesson about
the difference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow.

Listen to what he says in verse 10. Worldly sorrow brings repentance that leads
to salvation and leaves no regret. But worldly sorrow brings death.

Paul's helping us to understand sorrow in these verses. And first you have to
appreciate the place of sorrow in our lives. It's an emotion that can take us to
a place of repentance.

But as you're doing that you have to do a second thing. First you appreciate
sorrow, second you differentiate sorrow. You see that there are two distinctly
different types of sorrow that we can have.

One of the true keys to understanding the place of sorrow in your life is found
in seeing the difference between these two kinds of sorrow. Worldly sorrow and
godly sorrow. Worldly sorrow is resentment that it has been found out.

It's the sorrow of being caught. It's not the sorrow of wanting to change. It's
the sorrow, "Oh I'm so sorry I was caught, I wish this hadn't happened.

" And Paul says here's what happens with worldly sorrow. It brings depression or
anger, it leads to death and it leaves you with nothing but regret. This is very
important to understand.

Paul is telling us here that just being sorry isn't enough. Because there is a
kind of sorrow, when people say I'm sorry, there is a kind of sorrow that is
self-focused, that is destructive to your soul. When it comes to feeling sorry
for something you've done wrong, some people just ignore worldly sorrow.

They just pretend that it's not there. Or others immediately turn to blaming
others when they feel sorrow in their life. The best that worldly sorrow can
result in is remorse.

Feeling bad that you did something wrong. Let me tell you, just feeling bad that
something happened does not bring healing. It brings in the end depression,
anger, bitterness, escape, guilt, it does not bring healing.

There are many believers, so many believers who have a worldly sorrow in their
relationship with God. Feeling bad without feeling forgiven. If your feelings of
sorrow cause you to feel farther and farther from your Father in heaven, it's a
worldly sorrow.

It's not a godly sorrow. I need you to understand the difference between these
two. Worldly sorrow is just sorrow that has been caught, it's just feeling bad.

What is godly sorrow? Godly sorrow, he lays it out for us here, it brings
repentance, it leads to salvation, it leaves no regret in your life. With godly
sorrow, you are sorry not just for the consequences you have to face because you
were caught, but you're sorry for the action itself and for the impact of that
action on your relationship with God and your relationship with other people.

How does it feel? How is it different, this godly sorrow? Worldly sorrow just
feels bad.

Godly sorrow, it's a combination of conviction and resolve and peace, because
you know God's not going to give up on you no matter what, that launches you
into a new commitment that works into your heart, a growing kind, a genuine kind
of joy. Worldly sorrow just wants to stop feeling bad. Godly sorrow wants to
make things right with God and others.

In fact, let me sum it up with this. As we think about the difference between
worldly sorrow and godly sorrow, the best that worldly sorrow can result in is
remorse. Worldly sorrow always results in repentance.

So if the kind of sorrow that you're experiencing right now is not causing you
to know I can turn around, I can begin to live in a fresh new way, then it's
worldly sorrow. As we walk through this, it is important to understand as a
believer that Satan is working to create worldly sorrow in you, because worldly
sorrow results in hiding, worldly sorrow results in blaming, while God is
working to create godly sorrow in you. Satan is looking to condemn you through
remorse.

God is working to convict and release you through repentance. Let me say that
again. Satan is looking to condemn you through remorse, while God is working to
convict and release you through repentance.

How do I know? How do I know if it's God convicting me or Satan accusing me? I
have people ask me this all the time.

I'm feeling bad about a sin. How do I know if it's God convicting me about that
or Satan accusing me? Well, ask yourself a few questions.

Ask yourself, does it bring conviction or depression? Conviction is the sense of
I need to bring this to God. I need to see him change me.

I need to begin to live in a new way. Depression is the feeling that this can
never change. It's always going to be this way.

I am without hope. Only Satan is saying this can never change. I am without
hope.

God would never say that. If you're having those feelings, you know it's from
Satan. If you're being invited to change, you know that's from God.

Does it bring conviction or depression? The second question, does it cause
repentance or rejection? Does it cause you to repent, to turn around, and head
back on the path that God has for you, head back toward a fuller and richer
relationship with God, make a spiritual U-turn in your life, or does it cause
you to want to reject God, to hold God at arm's length because you're afraid of
God and what he might do to you?

Only Satan is going to tempt you to want to reject God. Only Satan is going to
tell you God wants to punish you and because he wants to punish you, you don't
want to be near him. Jesus took your punishment on the cross.

So don't listen to that lie from Satan. God is out to love you. Does it cause
repentance or rejection?

Does it bring conviction or depression? A third question, does it lead to grace
or to guilt? As you listen to what this voice inside of you is saying about that
sin that you committed, about that wrong that you did, whether it was in a
relationship with somebody else, whether it was in your thought life, whether it
was in your business life, wherever it was in your life, as you think about that
thing, does it cause you to just feel more and more guilty, just more and more
dirty inside, or does it cause you to throw yourself upon the mercy and grace of
God, to think about the cross and what he did for you?

A final question, does it leave you with just regrets or do those regrets lead
actually to rejoicing? Does it leave you with rejoicing? If all you have are
regrets, all you can think about is how it could have been different if only
that hadn't happened.

All you can think about is how you could be a different person if only you
hadn't allowed that into your life. If all you have are regrets, that's Satan
again. If there's rejoicing, honest rejoicing, knowing that there was loss in
your life because of that sin, there was hurt in other people's lives because of
that sin, but there is rejoicing because that sin is forgiven.

There is rejoicing because that sin is not going to be taken into heaven. There
is rejoicing because in spite of that sin, God is still at work in your life to
grow you. Now, I want to just take a few minutes today to pray together because
I know for many of us this is a huge issue in our lives.

So let me just walk through those questions again and you consider these in your
own life in a prayerful heart attitude towards God and just say, "Father, when I
face the sins in my life, I want to have a godly sorrow, not a worldly sorrow. "
So does it bring conviction or depression? Or help me to listen to you and not
Satan?

Does it cause repentance or rejection? Does it lead to grace or to guilt? Does
it leave you with regrets or with rejoicing?

Father, protect us from the accusations of Satan. Help us to reject those. We
know how those feel.

We know what he says. He wants to condemn us. But there is no condemnation for
those of us who are in Christ Jesus, you tell us.

So help us to listen to you, your conviction that leads us to repent, to live in
a new kind of way. Lord, for those things that I have done, I have not told you,
I'm telling you right now I'm sorry. And I want to have a godly kind of sorrow,
a kind of sorrow that helps me to turn around and restore a relationship, to
turn around and begin to live in a new kind of way.

I give it to you, Lord, and then I ask you to lead me and guide me. I repent.
And that means I want to change.

I want to live in a new way. In your name, I pray this. Amen.

Tomorrow, we're going to look together at the results of the right kind of
sorrow.