REPENTANCE
Paul wrote, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Cor. 7:10). Godly sorrow is not repentance, but it works repentance. No one has ever repented of any sin but that first of all that person possessed sorrow toward God for his sins against Him, which Godly sorrow worked repentance.
The actual repentance is the breaking down of man’s stubborn will, the seat of all sin and rebellion against God. It is Godly sorrow in the sinner that works to change the sinner’s will. It turns the person in need of salvation from doing as he pleases into one who desires for the rest of his life and above all else to do as God pleases.
The proof of one’s repentance (the point one becomes dead to a life of sin or separated from the practice of sin) is seen in the reformation of ones life brought about because of repentance. It is the fruit of repentance, but not repentance itself. As John the Immerser said, “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance” (Mat. 3:8). The word “meet” means “suitable.” Thus, when one repents, the proof of one’s repentance is seen in the fruit of one’s reformed life. As Jesus said, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them” (Mat. 7:20). Some say one cannot know what a person is by the way he lives, but Jesus said we could. Thus, one ceases his/her unscriptural marriage, unscriptural worship, and anything else that is unscriptural and contrary to the will of Jesus when he repents (Col. 3:17).
What creates Godly sorrow in a sinner? It is the gospel of Christ. In the glad tidings of Christ, there are two aspects of it, and only two, that are designed to create in the heart (the inward man) of the sinner sorrow toward God for his sins against Him. The first that we notice is that particular part of the Gospel that reveals to the sinner the eternal consequences of dying guilty of sin—consigned by the judge of all the earth to exist in hell, eternally separated from God in the torments of the lake which burns with fire and brimstone that is the second death (Mat. 11:20-24; Rev. 21:8; 1 Cor. 6:9, 10; Gal. 5:19-21; 2 Th. 1:6-9). The second is the teaching of the gospel concerning the great goodness of God toward undeserving and rebellious mankind (John 3:16; Rom. 2:4; 5:8; Jam. 1:17). If the fear of going to hell and/or the great goodness of God will not create sorrow in one toward God for one’s sins against Him, then no repentance will take place. That person will be lost in a devil’s hell when his life is over. In other words, such a person is beyond salvation. Thus, where there is no Godly sorrow for one’s sins against God, there is no repentance, and without repentance no one can be saved (2 Pet. 3:9; Acts. 17:30).
If one sins after becoming a member of the church, God has provided a second law of pardon. It is comprised of repentance, confession of one’s sin(s), and prayer to God to be forgiven of sin(s) (1 John 1:7-10; Jam. 5:16; and Acts 8:22).