2 Corinthians 7:10

For godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, a repentance which bringeth no regret: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

REPENTANCE

Repentance unto salvation ... It is strange, and at the same time significant, that the apostles always indicated repentance as being "toward," in the direction of, or "unto" salvation, as here. Peter said that God had granted the Gentiles repentance "unto life"; Mark noted that repentance was "unto the remission of sins" (Mark 1:4); and in Acts 20:21, it is declared that "Both to Jews and to Greeks repentance TOWARD God and faith TOWARD our Lord Jesus Christ" constituted a part of the Pauline testimony to all people. The direction impact of these references cannot be overlooked. Of all the primary steps of obeying the gospel, faith, repentance, confession and baptism, all are said to be "unto" or "toward" salvation, God, Christ and the remission of sins; whereas of baptism alone is it declared that it is "into Christ."

Further comment on the subject of repentance will be found in my Commentary on Hebrews, pp. 17,18, in my Commentary on Luke, pp. 287-290, and in my Commentary on Romans, pp. 367-370, etc.

Several important teachings with regard to repentance appear in this verse: (1) Christians who commit sin are commanded to repent, the same being an invariable duty of all people, aliens and Christians alike. In the case of sin, repentance is never waived. (2) Christians who commit sin, until they do repent are not in a saved condition, else the repentance of the Corinthians could not have been said to be "unto" salvation. (3) Repentance is not sorrow for sin, which in many cases is mere "sorrow of the world" due to the inconvenience caused by sin or its discovery. (4) Even godly sorrow is not repentance, but a condition that produces repentance. What then is repentance? It is a change of the will, with regard to sin, preceded by godly sorrow and followed by "fruits worthy of repentance" (Matthew 3:9; also see my Commentary on Matthew, p. 28).

Sorrow of the world worketh death ... Through remorseful sorrow for sin, Judas committed suicide; and there have been countless other examples of the sorrow of the world working death; but what is mentioned here goes beyond physical consequences and speaks of "eternal death, which is the opposite of salvation" (Romans 5:21).[11]