What is godly sorrow?
Godly sorrow is a godly regret over a wrong done that produces repentance, a change of mind, leading to salvation, never to be regretted. It means viewing a situation as God views it, recognizing sinfulness, and dealing with it. By contrast, the sorrow of the world works death when no saving grace is involved.
Les explains that 2 Corinthians 7:10 defines godly sorrow as a godly regret over something done that is wrong. Such sorrow works repentance, a change of mind, to salvation, and it is not to be ever sorry for—a true believer is never sorry he became a Christian. In the context, this was not the eternal saving of the soul but the salvation, or correction, of the situation; it had to be dealt with. Les notes that they sorrowed after a godly sort, with a small g, looking at the whole situation as God would look at it, realizing its sinfulness. Worldly sorrow, however, works death if no saving grace is involved. The result was carefulness, clearing of themselves, indignation, fear, desire, zeal, and revenge, by which they approved themselves clear in the matter.
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.