Sorrow without Regret

"Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. ¹⁰ For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death."

2 Corinthians 7:9-10

Sorrow is common in our human condition.  Grief, heaviness, and even guilt can be beneficial for us and others when godly sorrow leads us to repentance.  The context of the quoted passage is Paul was sad to see the Corinthians sorrowful over their sin, but he was pleased that it provoked a healthy and positive response in them to humbly repent before God.  It is one thing to acknowledge we have done wrong, but another thing entirely to put off the sin moving forward - and actually be joyful to move on in faith.  The lives of Judas and Peter provide illustrations of sorrow in a worldly and godly manner.  Both Judas and Peter fell into sin as do we all, and the way we deal with it will determine the fruit which remains.

There are many similarities between Judas and Peter:  they were both called by Jesus as disciples, followed Him for years, and were both informed they would respectively betray and deny Jesus. After Judas made a covenant with the Jewish rulers to betray Jesus away from the crowds for 30 pieces of silver, he was overcome with guilt for his sin.  Matthew 27:3-5 says, "Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, ⁴ saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? You see to it!"⁵ Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself."  Judas knew he had done wrong, but the sorrow produced by his sin was not handled in a godly manner:  without repentance before God it produced death.  Instead of humbling himself before God, Judas determined swift justice was what he deserved.  He transgressed further by taking vengeance upon himself without care of God's grace or mercy.

Peter strongly opposed the suggestion he would deny Jesus, yet later that same night he did so three times.  It was only after he did deny Jesus it hit home in Matthew 26:75:  "And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So he went out and wept bitterly."  Peter experienced great sorrow due to his sin, and rightly so.  He had denied Jesus the Son of God who was crucified on Calvary.  Clearly Peter had the same opportunity to tie a rope around his neck and leap to his death, but his life revealed a response to sorrow in a godly manner.  After Jesus was risen from the dead, He called out to Peter and his fellow fishermen.  When they brought in a sizeable catch, it dawned on Peter who spoke with them in John 21:7:  "Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea."  Peter did not jump into the sea to swim away from Jesus, but raced to be close to Jesus.  Peter's friendship and fellowship was restored with Jesus that day, and he went on to lead others to salvation through faith in Christ.

Judas and Peter both sorrowed for their own sin, but their responses were totally different.  I am sure they both "beat themselves up" as we also are prone to do when we have done wrong, but followers of Jesus are called to repentance leading to salvation which is not to be regretted.  There is nothing to regret about restoration to friendship with God.  The sorrow of the world, however, always produces death even when a rope is not employed to end it all:  death of fruitfulness, death of a solid witness, death of viable ministry, the death of relationship.  Worldly sorrow is a slow, painful death leading to death we can be delivered from when we rush to Christ in faith and repentance.  Jesus asked Peter if he loved him, and the fact Peter jumped and swam to Jesus was evidence of godly sorrow coupled with genuine love.  May the LORD produce in us this godly sorrow which leads to salvation, not only for us but leading to the salvation of others.