All Is Forgiven

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
2 Corinthians 7:10 (ESV)

Have you ever experienced deep sorrow? I have. And I know that I’m not alone, you might be carrying the heavy burden of sorrow right now. Or know someone who is carrying that burden. It is a heavy weight.

But Scripture tells us that a particular kind of mourning, sorrow, can actually be a gift in your life. This kind of sorrow involves what is in your heart.

I recently heard a poem describing the gift of sorrow:

“I walked a mile with pleasure,
She chattered all the way.
But left me none the wiser,
For all she had to say.
I walked a mile with sorrow,
Not a word said she.
But oh, the things I learned from sorrow,
When sorrow walked with me."

So, how is “godly-sorrow” different from “worldly-sorrow”?

Godly sorrow is not simply regret or remorse for past mistakes. Godly sorrow produces something important: Paul says, “godly sorrow produces repentance.” In other words, if we feel “bad” about our sin, but do not repent, that is worldly sorrow which ends in death.

Godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to a life without regret. This is good news! If you are stuck in the past and in regret, then you haven’t truly repented, and your regret is not from God. It can’t be. Once we repent, we are released from regret.

Unfortunately, remorse is where many people stop. If I know in my mind that I have done something wrong, and it stops there, that is regret. But when I regret my sin and experience a sorrow in my heart that affects my will, causing me to repent of it, desiring to never do it again, that is godly sorrow.

When we practice godly sorrow, we experience salvation and peace. Sorrow and repentance then open our ears to hear three of the most powerful words in the universe: The Holy Spirit continuously whispers–not only when you first come to Jesus with your sin, but also every time you come to Jesus with your sin–that all is forgiven.

Prayer: Father, I recognize not only what sin has done to me, but also what my sin has done to You. With a broken heart, I repent, not just in mind or in my heart, but with my will I turn away from it and I ask you to forgive me. Thank you, because I know you will whisper, “All is forgiven.” In Jesus’ name, amen.