The Difference Between Remorse and Repentance

Spiritually speaking, there’s a vast difference between the words remorse and repentance. And it’s important that we understand this difference. People are sorry when their sin catches up with them. They feel remorse when they begin to reap what they sow. But remorse doesn’t necessarily mean that someone has repented. The apostle Paul wrote, “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death” (2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT). If you are truly sorry, you will not only have remorse for your sins, but you will also repent and change your behavior.

Too many people have a false assurance that they are Christians because they possess a sense of remorse for their sins, even though they never repent. But look at the words of Acts 3:19 again: “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away” (NLT).

The word repent means to change direction. But we have people today who theoretically come to Christ without ever changing their lifestyle. They have never repented. They will say, “I’m sorry for what I did,” and then keep sinning like nothing ever happened. What kind of sorrow is that?

C.S. Lewis wisely observed, “Repentance is no fun at all. It’s something much harder than merely eating humble pie. It means unlearning the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into for thousands of years.”

Remorse is a great first step when it comes to sin, but it’s only the first step. If you stop there, you deny yourself the opportunity to live as God intends, in joyful fellowship with Him, in this life and the next. If you continue in your sin, your remorse is nothing more than a mask, a way of concealing what you’re actually doing. And the Bible warns against that. “People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy” (Proverbs 28:13 NLT).

Furthermore, if you stop at remorse, you’re disregarding God’s reaction to sin. And that’s a dangerous mistake. The apostle John wrote, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts” (1 John 1:8–10 NLT).

The stark contrast between remorse and repentance should be a warning to all believers. Let us never passively soak in the truth without any real intent to apply it. I plead with you today, if you are living in some form of habitual sin, for your own sake, repent and be converted.

Reflection Question: What would repentance look like in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

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