Godly Sorrow
Many people come to God because of things not going right in their lives, they might be going through a bitter divorce, or a death of a loved one, or loss of a job, they might be getting mistreated by their spouse, or a co-worker etc., so they come to God with a "poor me" attitude asking God to forgive them and save them, hoping or thinking that everything will be ok. They want God in their lives because they think God will comfort them and give them what they want, and fix their lives, without ever thinking how their selfish,ungodly lifestyle offended a holy God. They come to God for a "quick fix", but if things start going their way, they start to forget about God and go back to their old ways, and there is only one reason why they do that, and that reason is, they did not have what the bible calls "godly sorrow".
People come to God out of self pity, and the bible calls that "sorrow of the world". Without godly sorrow and repentance, a person can not and will not get saved. True repentance involves godly sorrow. If an unsaved person starts to realize how their sinful, wicked, selfish lifestyle offended God and they are truly sorry for offending him, they will come to God not with self pity, {worldly sorrow}, but they will come with godly sorrow. If an unsaved person comes to God with godly sorrow, that person will truly repent, and start living his or her life pleasing to God, and will not go back to his or her old self, that person will truly become a new creature in Christ. 2 Cor.7:10 says, "For godly sorrow worketh repentance TO SALVATION not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death." In other words, you realize how you offended God Almighty, you will not purposely do it again, in other words, you will not repent of your repentance, but you will not get saved if you come to God out of worldy sorrow, you will suffer eternal death which is an eternal burning in the lake of fire when you die.
Anybody reading this, I say to you, if you profess salvation, but have not realized how you hurt and offended God, and have not truly repented, you may not be saved, there is a question mark regarding your salvation. You need to make sure that you "sorrowed after a godly sort" as it says in verse 11 of 2 Cor. chapter 7. Make sure you clear your self of the matter as it also says in verse 11. Clearing yourselves in the matter means as it says in verse 11, ".......what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge!" That is the matter you need to clear.
Other than my pastor, I don't remember the last time I ever heard a preacher speak on godly sorrow, something that is needful for salvation. We need to make sure we sorrowed after a godly sort. You and I both need to examine ourselves to make sure we are clear in this matter.
God Bless,
Christopher
