Why does worldly sorrow bring death? I think because it's mainly guilt and condemnation rather than true conviction. Guilt and condemnation are designed to make us just feel bad & shameful, but conviction is from the Lord and draws us to Him. Guilt makes us feel "good" that we feel bad for our sin. Conviction, on the other hand, shows us who we are in relation to a Holy God and brings us to our knees in repentance and thankfulness for His grace and mercy and love. And we then desire to turn from our ways. Jesus said, "And He [the Holy Spirit], when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment..."

Today, Christians freely receive God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ.  Most believers understand the principle of the salvation and forgiveness, “which is not of works, lest anyone should boast”.  But in an age of permissiveness and instant gratification, are we, as Christians, deluded with a sloppy lifestyle of carelessness towards sin, all because God “forgives” us when we sin?

In this age of grace, where the forgiveness and mercy of God is so freely received by His children, has the truth of repentance been forgotten in light of God’s free gift?  Has “confession” of sins come before repentance?  It is an easy thing to confess one’s sins before God, expecting forgiveness, but something entirely different to actually repent of sin simultaneous or preceding confession.

We all struggle with sin.  This is a part of our existence, and something every true Christian will struggle with.  Even those believers who don’t acknowledge sin in their life, it is there:    I John 1:8-10   says that If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.  (NAS)  Galatians 6:7-8  says: Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.  For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.  (NAS)

Feeling bad about sin won’t, in itself, change a person’s behavior.  Feeling badly about our sin can even lead to a sense of shame, which can result in feelings of condemnation.  Condemnation will lead to defeat more surely than one’s attempts to do the right thing.  Condemnation leads to spiritual defeat and a feeling of hopelessness, thus hindering us from becoming over-comers. 

We feel badly when we sin, but do we stop sinning?  Can we stop sinning?  Do we carelessly repeat our errors without giving God the proper place to convict us, and bring us to repentance before we glibly confess our sins?

Paul was inspired to write about his own struggle with sin, and the conflict within himself to do right.  To him (and us), this seesaw battle was the ultimate conflict of his soul:  In  Romans 7:19-8:1 Paul says:

For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish.  But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.  I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good.  For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.  Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.  There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  (NAS)

We have hope because Jesus Christ has paid the price for our sins.  But, do we confess our sins, only so we can feel better?  Or do we confess our sins out of heartfelt grief for what we have done, and for how it has affected God, and others? 
  

The meaning of the Hebrew word translated as repentance (i.e. -  “nacham”) implies a sense of grief for one’s sin.  When we sin, and our conscience is affected, we sigh deeply within.  Our spirit becomes heavy, and our heart sinks.  We know we have displeased God, and there is a sense of grief for what we have done.  I believe this deep sigh is a part of the mechanism God has put within us to enable us to have a change of heart and mind to turn away from sin.

Job was a man who was upright, and walked in integrity.  But when God spoke to him regarding his attitude, Job acknowledged his sin in the presence of a holy God.  Job sighed heavily, grieving for his sin.  His outward behavior (dust and ashes) reflected the grief in his heart.  He was truly sorry, and had a change of heart regarding his own righteousness. Job is a good example for us to follow, because his life was one of holding “fast his integrity” and “fearing God” by walking “upright” and “blameless.”

In the book of 2 Corinthians we see the pattern of what produces true repentance, leading to the confession of sins.  We also see that repentance continues on past the sin which was committed, to help us  live above the passions of the flesh that cause us to fall:     2 Corinthians 7:8-11 says:

For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it - for I see that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while -  I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, in order that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.  For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but the sorrow of the world produces death.  For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.  (NAS)

Paul’s rebuke caused the Corinthians to be distressed over their sin; to be saddened by what it had done, and how it had ruined their walk with God and their relationship with each other.  But notice that their sorrow was only “for a while.”  This word is “hora” (where we get the English word “hour” from), and means a short period of time.  This should be good news to those who struggle with chronic sin problems.  God doesn’t want us to be distressed and saddened for long periods of time.  He has given us His grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ, and He expects us to freely receive His gift of redemption by faith. In  2 Corinthians 7:9-10 Paul puts it this way

“...you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God...For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation...”
 

The full meaning of the Greek word, ‘metanoia’ for “repentance” means, “compunction (for guilt, including reformation); reversal (of another's decision).  To think differently or afterwards, i.e. reconsider (morally, feel compunction).”  We are to have an exercise of our mind accompanying our sorrow, or sadness over sin we have committed.  After we sin, repentance involves our thinking differently towards it; making a decision to reverse direction, and go the opposite way of sin.  We are to reconsider sin’s moral implications in our life, which includes a reformation of our ways.  This is what it means to repent.

The grief, distress and sadness we feel over sin, which is in accordance with the will of God, will produce compunction.  Compunction means to feel a certain amount of anxiety arising from the awareness of guilt; also distress of mind over the anticipated result of sin (what we reap as the consequence of sin).  This heartfelt and mindful awareness is in accordance with God’s will, and will result in salvation.  When we have come to this place of grief, and mental reflection, we have repented of our sin, and we should then confess our sin to God, resulting in salvation.