I’m Sorry!
We start at a very young age teaching our children to say, “I’m sorry.” We know that they will need to be able to say these words because they are going to fail and need to apologize. It is a part of being human to fail and a part of being mature to apologize. Two simple words; one powerful sentiment, that is, it is powerful if the person is honest and sincere. Otherwise, these are just words on a page or in the air.
What is it that gives these words the honesty and sincerity they deserve? There must be more in the offender’s mind than having been caught. Someone who is sorry that they were caught will likely do it again and this time will take more precautions to ensure that they will not be caught again.
God expects all of us to say, “I’m sorry!” Spiritually, saying we are sorry means repenting. In the same way as above, we must be people who are sorry, not because we are caught by someone, but because God saw us. We are all sinners and stand in need of His grace and mercy. Repentance is acknowledging that our sin has hurt God. Sin is an attack on His grace and mercy. Repentance says that we have failed God and we are sorry for that, after all that He has done for us.
One of the clearest texts of Scripture about repentance is recorded in Paul’s letters to the Corinthians. In his first letter, Paul confronted a glaring sin in the midst of the congregation. He said, “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife!” (I Corinthians 5:1).
The sin was not just that this man was in an immoral sexual relationship. The Church was proud that they could be so gracious as to have him among them! Their reasoning seems to suggest that they considered such a reaction to be a source of pride for them. Paul could not let this pass! “…you are puffed up and have not rather mourned…” (I Corinthians 5:2). They heeded his message.
In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul needed to admonish them in the other direction. They had reacted so roughly that he needed to correct their response and get them to reach out in love to save him and bring him back into the fold, all the while expecting him to cease this ungodly activity.
Paul, then, turned his attention to our topic of repentance. He realized that his first letter had caused them hurt, as any accusation of sin can do. While he did not support their overacting, he did appreciate their ability to say, “I’m sorry!” How do we know these words were genuine? Here is what Paul said to them about proper repentance. “Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance.” (II Corinthians 7:9).
Now, notice what he said next. “You were sorry in a godly manner…For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” (II Corinthians 7:9-10). Worldly sorrow comes from being caught. Godly sorrow comes from being convicted. They had hurt God. That is true repentance.
— Mike Johnson
