Two Kinds of Sorrow
“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” -2 Corinthians 7:10
The apostle Paul describes here two kinds of sorrow: a godly sorrow that makes a person face up to their sins and faults, and brings them to a turning point where they are saved; and a sorrow of the world that only focuses on the wrongdoing, and gives no hope for release or freedom.
Two sorrows illustrated
These two sorrows are clearly illustrated in the lives of two of Jesus’ disciples: Peter, and Judas. Both men left Jesus, and in a way betrayed Him (though Judas’ betrayal was much worse).
- Peter denied Christ before men three times, and eventually fled while Jesus was being condemned and crucified.
- Judas led the scribes and Pharisees to Jesus’ secluded prayer spot, and had Him arrested—and He was eventually killed because of Judas’ betrayal.
So here are two men, and after their betrayal, they each had sorrow. Yet we can see the results of their sorrow in how their lives turned out.
The Bible says that following Peter’s backsliding, he “went out, and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62). This is that godly sorrow that works repentance: for the result of his sorrow can be clearly seen on the day of Pentecost, when Peter was filled with the Holy Ghost, and preached perhaps the first ever Christian sermon—confirming not only his own salvation, but also adding unto the Lord about 3,000 other converts.
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. . . . Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” -Acts 2:38-41
In the case of Judas, he also was made very sorry for his sins, and yet it was not the godly sorrow that had worked so mightily in Peter’s life, but it was the sorrow of the world—a devilish sorrow—that works only death, and hopelessness, and despair. “Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. . .” (Matthew 27:3-4a).
Yet we see shortly thereafter the effects of Judas’ hopelessness:
“And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.” -Matthew 27:5
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