Godly Sorrow Produces Repentance
07-26-02

When Michigan played Wisconsin in basketball early in the season in 1989, Michigan's Rumeal Robinson stepped to the foul line for two shots late in the fourth quarter. His team trailed by one point, so if Rumeal made the two free throws he could regain the lead for Michigan. He missed both shots, allowing Wisconsin to upset favored Michigan.

Rumeal felt awful about costing his team the game, but his sorrow didn't stop at the emotional level. After each practice for the rest of the season, Rumeal shot one hundred extra foul shots. So when he stepped to the foul line to shoot two shots with three seconds left in overtime in the national-championship game, he was ready.

Swish went the first shot, and swish went the second. Those shots won Michigan the national championship. Rumeal's sorrow motivated him to work so that he would never fall short again.

Biblical repentance is very similar to the above because it always involves sorrow. We need only to read the cries of the sorrowful King David as recorded in the thirty-eighth Psalm. He said, "For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds are foul and festering Because of my foolishness. I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. . . . I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart" (Psalms 38:4-8 NKJV). Each of us should sorrow over any sin in our lives. Ultimately, any sin is against God . Our heavenly Father desires only to bless us with good things (James 1:17) and our sins hinder those blessings. Therefore shouldn’t we sorrow over those sins.

But penitent sorrow – or godly sorrow as it is referred to in Second Corinthians 7:10) – leads to more than just regret: It leads to action. Many are sorry for their transgressions, but few are led to change their lives by their sorrow. Judas Iscariot sorrowed over his traitorous actions against Jesus, but he did not seek forgiveness for them. All convicted criminals regret they are in prison, but only a few effect any change in their lives. But Rumeal Robinson was different. He sorrowed over his inability to make the needed free throws and his sorrow led him to take action. He changed his practice routine so that he would never make that same mistake again. Just as Rumeal’s sorrow led him to strive for excellence, godly sorrow – sorrow over sins committed and the consequences thereof – produces action in the Christian. The action produced is turning from those sins and doing that which manifests change. John the Baptizer told those who came to hear his message, "bear fruits worthy of repentance" (Matthew 3:8). A perfect example of this would be Zacchaeus, the dishonest tax collector. He said, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold" (Luke 19:8 NKJV). Implied in the verse is that he had cheated others and was making a change.

For Rumeal Robinson, sorrow led him to practice harder and ultimately to win the championship for Michigan. For Zacchaeus, sorrow led him to change his sinful practices and restore what he had swindled from others. Jesus said to Zacchaeus, "Today salvation has come to this house." What does your sorrow produce? Do you sorrow over your sins? Do you sorrow enough to turn from them? Godly sorrow produces repentance.