Worldly Sorrow: guilt and condemnation

By: Carole L. Haines 

 ^“I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.”
(2 Corinthians 7:9-10) 

Yesterday we looked at godly sorrow from the above Scripture. We saw that it produces repentance without regret which leads to salvation. Today we will be looking at worldly sorrow, which is a second way that we can respond to God’s conviction. Worldly sorrow produces death.  

But there are two different Greek words used for “produces.” 

1. The Produce of Godly Sorrow is the Greek word  ergazomai meaning- to trade, to make gains by trading, “do business, to work out, to acquire. 

2.  The Produce of Worldly sorrow is the Greek word  katergazomai meaning- to perform, accomplish, achieve, to work out, to bring about, result in, render one fit for a thing 

Let’s sit with that for a minute. The godly sorrow God desires to bring us to by conviction, will work out a repentance without regrets. It will bring us to a place of salvation. We trade our sorrow in conviction for restoration in Jesus.  
Worldly sorrow- achieves in us death, it works out death, it brings about death and it renders us fit for death.  
   Jesus, as our Good Shepherd, declares the motives of satan (aka, the deceiver, accuser of the brethren, liar), in our lives: 
 ^“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life and have it abundantly.”  
(John 10:9-10) 
We can see that both sorrows produce something within us. The sorrow that is “according to the will of God, or godly sorrow, produces life, repentance, restoration, salvation, and Fellowship with Jesus, our Shepherd. Worldly sorrow produces death, in the forms of condemnation and guilt. They do not free us, but further entangle us in our sins. The thief wants to kill us with guilt and condemnation. The Word of God says this: 

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) 

The conviction of the Holy Spirit, when responded to as godly sorrow can produce such abundance and freedom in our lives. We will conclude on this tomorrow. In the meantime, Be Blessed, Dear Believer, and rest in His unfailing love.