Do we need to be sorry to be saved?

[1Tonne]

I was listening to a sermon and within it, the pastor said that we do not need to be sorry when repenting. In Acts 3:19 it says, "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;" So no mention of being sorry. All we need to do is believe and turn from our sins.
I know that there are verses that say how "Godly sorrow brings about repentance", and "God desires a broken and contrite heart", but the way these verses are worded, contrition is not compulsory.

I believe we need Godly sorrow. This is like falling on the mercy of the Judge.
For instance, you had robbed a bank and then after 10 years they finally caught you and you were now before the Judge. You say to the judge without any sorrow, "Judge be lenient with me. I know I robbed the bank, but I have not done it since." The Judge is not going to be lenient. There was no sign of contrition. You were not sorry for what you had done. You are going to get the book thrown at you.
But let's say you had robbed a bank and then after 10 years they finally caught you and you were now before the Judge. You say to the judge with tears in your eyes, "I am really sorry. I know what I did was really wrong, and I wished I had never done it. It was a foolish thing to do. I am so sorry." So, you fall on the mercy of the Judge. The judge seeing your contrition will be more inclined to the possibility of a lesser sentence.

What are other people's thoughts on this? Do we need contrition? Is it a false teaching to tell others they simply need to leave their sins without any contrition?

 

[zippy2006]

"Therefore repent and return..."

Repent, μετανοέω.

The reason repentance is so closely associated with sorrow is because we turn away from sin through sorrow. Sorrow implies regret which implies the desire to have acted otherwise. If someone says that they wish they had acted differently but has no sorrow or regret then either they don't consider their sin/act to be very serious, or else repentance hasn't sunk into their being in any real or substantial way. So I would say that sorrow and contrition are important.

It is also worth noting that it can happen that someone is sorrowful and contrite and yet we do not recognize this reality because we do not see the heart.

 

[Mark Quayle]

I was listening to a sermon and within it, the pastor said that we do not need to be sorry when repenting. In Acts 3:19 it says, "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;" So no mention of being sorry. All we need to do is believe and turn from our sins.
I know that there are verses that say how "Godly sorrow brings about repentance", and "God desires a broken and contrite heart", but the way these verses are worded, contrition is not compulsory.

I believe we need Godly sorrow. This is like falling on the mercy of the Judge.
For instance, you had robbed a bank and then after 10 years they finally caught you and you were now before the Judge. You say to the judge without any sorrow, "Judge be lenient with me. I know I robbed the bank, but I have not done it since." The Judge is not going to be lenient. There was no sign of contrition. You were not sorry for what you had done. You are going to get the book thrown at you.
But let's say you had robbed a bank and then after 10 years they finally caught you and you were now before the Judge. You say to the judge with tears in your eyes, "I am really sorry. I know what I did was really wrong, and I wished I had never done it. It was a foolish thing to do. I am so sorry." So, you fall on the mercy of the Judge. The judge seeing your contrition will be more inclined to the possibility of a lesser sentence.

What are other people's thoughts on this? Do we need contrition? Is it a false teaching to tell others they simply need to leave their sins without any contrition?

Your title asks, Do we need to be sorry to be saved?. But your post doesn't ask that. Repentance is an ongoing attitude, involving Godly sorrow for every sin. If what you meant was, "Is sorrow part of genuine repentance?" or maybe, "Do the saved feel sorrow when they repent?" then the answer is Yes! But that doesn't imply that sorrow is necessary in order to become saved.

The Greek word for "confession" does not in itself imply sorrow, and maybe that is what the preacher was talking about, which can be easily enough taken wrong. 'Confession' is literally, "saying with" or "saying the same as"; confessing one's sins is to agree with God that one has sinned, or that what one has done is sin, or even that one's life/heart/mindset/desires/etc is/are sinful. In keeping with the principle, "Whatever is not of faith is sin", true repentance is the work of God in us, and not just something we can conjure up. And you can well believe, then, that the Spirit of God in us is in deep sorrow over any sin, and we therefore, also, when we are convicted and repentant.

This is all something that salvation does indeed produce —it is in keeping with the indwelling of the Spirit. I would insist that sorrow is present over sin in the believer. But sorrow does not produce salvation, but, rather, it is a result of what does produce salvation.

 

[timothyu]

Is there true change unless the person first becomes disgusted with it's manipulative self along with the conniving world man has made in our own image?

 

[d taylor]

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​

No a person does not need to be sorry or repent. They simply need to believe in Jesus, which is to believe Jesus is who He says He is. The resurrection and the life, The promised Messiah or another way to say this the only begotten Son of God

 

[Maria Billingsley]

I was listening to a sermon and within it, the pastor said that we do not need to be sorry when repenting. In Acts 3:19 it says, "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;" So no mention of being sorry. All we need to do is believe and turn from our sins.
I know that there are verses that say how "Godly sorrow brings about repentance", and "God desires a broken and contrite heart", but the way these verses are worded, contrition is not compulsory.

I believe we need Godly sorrow. This is like falling on the mercy of the Judge.
For instance, you had robbed a bank and then after 10 years they finally caught you and you were now before the Judge. You say to the judge without any sorrow, "Judge be lenient with me. I know I robbed the bank, but I have not done it since." The Judge is not going to be lenient. There was no sign of contrition. You were not sorry for what you had done. You are going to get the book thrown at you.
But let's say you had robbed a bank and then after 10 years they finally caught you and you were now before the Judge. You say to the judge with tears in your eyes, "I am really sorry. I know what I did was really wrong, and I wished I had never done it. It was a foolish thing to do. I am so sorry." So, you fall on the mercy of the Judge. The judge seeing your contrition will be more inclined to the possibility of a lesser sentence.

What are other people's thoughts on this? Do we need contrition? Is it a false teaching to tell others they simply need to leave their sins without any contrition?

It is human nature to feel remorse when one realizes they have done something wrong no matter who it is against. This sermon is unrealistic at best and in grave error at worst. Blessings.

 

[B Griffin]

The Judge is not going to be lenient. There was no sign of contrition. You were not sorry for what you had done. You are going to get the book thrown at you.

I do not believe contrition/sorrow has any impact on the wages of sin.

 

[MegChristian]

Saying you don't need to be sorry in order to repent sounds deceptive to me. We are only sorry when we see what is wrong with what we are supposed to be sorry for.

 

[1Tonne]

Saying you don't need to be sorry in order to repent sounds deceptive to me. We are only sorry when we see what is wrong with what we are supposed to be sorry for.

I agree that someone should feel contrition.
There are 2 reasons why a person would leave their sin. The first would be because they have seen what Jesus did on the cross for them and they realise that it was a tremendous price and that they caused it because of their sin. The second reason why a person would leave their sin would be to save their own skin. So, one motivation is Godly sorrow, and the other is selfishness (just wanting to save themselves).

The problem is, where does it say we have to be sorry to be saved?

 

[bling]

I do not know if "sorrow" is the best word to use. As sinners we hurt others (and ourselves) this burdens our conscience until our hearts become to harden to feel anything. This burden hurts and alcohol, drugs, work, sex and so on cannot relieve it, but God can.

 

[timothyu]

I do not know if "sorrow" is the best word to use.

Try renewal, change.

 

[GodBeMercifulToMeASinner]

“And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”
—Genesis 6:6

“The Lord regretted that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was [deeply] grieved in His heart.”
—Amplified Version

“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
—2 Corinthians 7:10

“For [godly] sorrow that is in accord with the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but worldly sorrow [the hopeless sorrow of those who do not believe] produces death.”
—Amplified Version

“And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
—Luke 18:13-14

“I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.”
—Luke 15:18-19

“The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
—Psalm 34:18

“The Lord is near to the heartbroken And He saves those who are crushed in spirit (contrite in heart, truly sorry for their sin).”
—Amplified Version

 

[1Tonne]

“And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”
—Genesis 6:6

“The Lord regretted that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was [deeply] grieved in His heart.”
—Amplified Version

“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
—2 Corinthians 7:10

“For [godly] sorrow that is in accord with the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but worldly sorrow [the hopeless sorrow of those who do not believe] produces death.”
—Amplified Version

“And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
—Luke 18:13-14

“I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.”
—Luke 15:18-19

“The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
—Psalm 34:18

“The Lord is near to the heartbroken And He saves those who are crushed in spirit (contrite in heart, truly sorry for their sin).”
—Amplified Version

You have given some good examples of repenting and sorrow together. Are there examples of repenting in the bible where there is no sorrow?

 

[NBB]

I think is normal if the Holy spirit convicts you, to feel sorry, is one of the things He does to people.

 

[timothyu]

Would that lead you to apologize to your neighbour for keeping his tools and sleeping with his wife, or would you return the tools, let sleeping dogs lie, and never pursue self interest again??

 

[1Tonne]

Would that lead you to apologize to your neighbour for keeping his tools and sleeping with his wife, or would you return the tools, let sleeping dogs lie, and never pursue self interest again??

I don't understand?

 

[Aussie Pete]

I was listening to a sermon and within it, the pastor said that we do not need to be sorry when repenting. In Acts 3:19 it says, "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;" So no mention of being sorry. All we need to do is believe and turn from our sins.
I know that there are verses that say how "Godly sorrow brings about repentance", and "God desires a broken and contrite heart", but the way these verses are worded, contrition is not compulsory.

I believe we need Godly sorrow. This is like falling on the mercy of the Judge.
For instance, you had robbed a bank and then after 10 years they finally caught you and you were now before the Judge. You say to the judge without any sorrow, "Judge be lenient with me. I know I robbed the bank, but I have not done it since." The Judge is not going to be lenient. There was no sign of contrition. You were not sorry for what you had done. You are going to get the book thrown at you.
But let's say you had robbed a bank and then after 10 years they finally caught you and you were now before the Judge. You say to the judge with tears in your eyes, "I am really sorry. I know what I did was really wrong, and I wished I had never done it. It was a foolish thing to do. I am so sorry." So, you fall on the mercy of the Judge. The judge seeing your contrition will be more inclined to the possibility of a lesser sentence.

What are other people's thoughts on this? Do we need contrition? Is it a false teaching to tell others they simply need to leave their sins without any contrition?

I was convicted deeply that I was a sinner who faced God's judgement. Like the people on the day of Pentecost, I was "cut to the heart". I also said, "What must I do?" I had no idea what happened on the day of Pentecost as I'd never read the Bible. I was not at all sorry for my sin. I feared judgement. I now know that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

If there is no conviction of sin, I am not convinced that people will be saved. I've seen way too many "converts" who fall away shortly after supposedly being saved. I was one who fitted that category. I was stirred up emotionally at a Billy Graham crusade, signed the decision card and so on. It did not stick.

I realise that not everyone's experience is the same. However, the Bible says that God saves sinners. God justifies those who cry out for mercy. Mental assent is not faith.

 

[Neostarwcc]

There was a reason when the apostles taught the gospel they told their audience to repent and that is because repentance is a part of salvation. It's a requirement for salvation to happen because every saved sinner WILL repent upon salvation and the Holy Spirit causes this repentance to happen in every believer. This repentance continues throughout a Christians life because the Holy Spirit causes every repentant sinner to repent and without the Holy Spirit there cant be any salvation. We all feel sorry for our sins because 1. We realize just how far short we fall on the topic of God requiring perfection and it is ONLY through God's grace that we can be saved because weve ALL sinned against God and deserve punishment and 2. We've sinned against God who we should all hold in a deep respectful manner. A Godly person wants to live in perfection for eternity and never wants to sin against God again. It deeply hurts us (and God) everytime we sin because we've offended and angered our very creator. It is only through Christ's death and resurrection that we can be saved without them we are completely without hope.

So yes, it is a requirement to be sorry to be saved. Because every single person who will be saved will experience this remorse and this remorse continues throughout our lifetime anf it is in fact Godly to have repentance.

 

[bling]

You have given some good examples of repenting and sorrow together. Are there examples of repenting in the bible where there is no sorrow?

I do not feel the eunuch felt sorrow at his baptism or happiness from what he was taught, so what do you think?

 

[timothyu]

I was stirred up emotionally at a Billy Graham crusade, signed the decision card and so on. It did not stick.

That is because conversion from the self serving ways of man to the otherness of the Kingdom is not an emotional decision but an intellectual one. Emotional decisions are a convenient tool during human elections, effective but unwise.. One must understand why God thinks our world is backwards and will then better appreciate the alternative.