Vs. 10 - "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldy sorrow brings death."
The Apostle isn't talking about losing-someone-you-love sorrow, he's talking about I'm-sorry-I-done-wrong sorrow. Our sister Michelle Jaquith recently told me that she had always wondered what "I'm sorry" means, so she looked it up in the dictionary. Quite literally the expression means "I sorrow with you." In the context of Chapter 7, godly sorrow is telling God and others "I am sorry - that is, I sorrow with you over the wrong that has been done to you by me." Flowing from this understanding and empathy comes the urge to change, or as Paul describes the sorrowful Corinthians, "what earnestness, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern." There is nothing half-hearted or passive about godly sorrow; moved by the pain it has caused, it takes whatever action is necessary to set right the wrong. Regardless of the cost. Would we expect any less from the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God? If godly sorrow puts us on a hard, narrow road, at least it is the road of freedom and eternal joy, and we have the consolation of His example and company and that of our fellow pilgrims. This is the way, walk ye in it.
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