Contrition and Regret

[thomasf]

Does contrition necessarily have to mean regret? There are things I have done in life that I have repented for, and that I have asked for forgiveness. But I don’t necessarily regret doing. Most of which I did while I wasn’t in the church or following these teachings. As a practicing catholic now, I wouldn’t do them to follow the church’s teachings. I have repented for sinning against God and asked for his forgiveness. I am sorry that doing them led me away from God.

But I’m not sure I regret doing them when I did them. Some of these things were learning experiences, things that shaped me and led me to where I am today. I may not do them willingly today, but I don’t necessarily regret doing them when I did, learning from them, and letting these experiences shape me today. Although I can’t see me doing them today, I understand how what I did when I did helped make me.

So is this a dichotomy, or does it make sense?

 

[tabcom]

**Luke l3:3 – Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish.

* Repent -- Greek: metanoeo - think differently afterward; compunction for guilt; reversal; abhorrance of one's past; withdraw; turn away from.
* Perish -- Greek: apollumi - to destroy fully.

Jeremiah 3l:l8,l9 – turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned I repented, and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed yea, even confounded, because I bear the reproach of my youth

* Turn --Hebrew: Shuwb - To turn back; turn from self (sin) to God.
* Instructed Hebrew: Yada - To know by seeing; recognition; understand.
* Reproach Hebrew: Cherpah - disgrace; rebuke; expose; defame.

Without repentance, men will die in their sin and face the Lord God who is a consuming fire (Deut 4:24). Repentance is not a one night experience ten or fifteen years ago. It is the continual work of God in his people. Jeremiah said that only God can truly cause a man to turn (repent). Man tends to turn back to self and sin. Repentence is a continual turning away from self and what “I” want to God’s will and what he has instructed for our lives. God will visit our transgression with the rod of correction causing continual repentance. Repentence will bring understanding of truth. It will cause men to blush for the things they once did without conscience. Repentance causes a man to be ashamed, detesting his past. Man cannot get to heaven by just living a moral life. He must repent. It is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgement (Heb. 9:27).**

 

[dylanschrader]

Having contrition means wishing that one had not done something. It can be accompanied by feelings, but essentially it is a movement of the will.

How can you be sorry for something and still be pleased that you had done it?

 

[thomasf]

I didn’t say I was pleased. I am sorry I did these things I have repented them. The question I asked was is contrition the same as regret?

When you regret something you wish you hadn’t done them and maybe wish you could take it back. Some of these experiences changed me for the better and had positive effects. I cannot speculate that I would have learned the same things. I am sorry for what I did, and that these things led me out of God’s plan for me and His graces. But in the end, the sum of my life’s experiences has led me back to Him.

Some of these things I have great shame for and realize that I did them because I wasn’t in God’s grace and wasn’t trying to get there, and would never do them again. Yet at the same time, some of these things I did were in my youth and youth is for making mistakes and figuring things out.

I’d never do these things at this point in my life. But at that point in my life I was a big sinner, wasn’t worried about sin, and frankly was stupid and ignorant and didn’t understand the things I do now. And in some cases, the bad effects of these things I did help to make me understand why the church teaches the things they do.

So the question remains, can you be contrite, and repent, but not regret?

 

[dylanschrader]

I didn’t say I was pleased. I am sorry I did these things I have repented them. The question I asked was is contrition the same as regret?

When you regret something you wish you hadn’t done them and maybe wish you could take it back. Some of these experiences changed me for the better and had positive effects. I cannot speculate that I would have learned the same things. I am sorry for what I did, and that these things led me out of God’s plan for me and His graces. But in the end, the sum of my life’s experiences has led me back to Him.

Some of these things I have great shame for and realize that I did them because I wasn’t in God’s grace and wasn’t trying to get there, and would never do them again. Yet at the same time, some of these things I did were in my youth and youth is for making mistakes and figuring things out.

I’d never do these things at this point in my life. But at that point in my life I was a big sinner, wasn’t worried about sin, and frankly was stupid and ignorant and didn’t understand the things I do now. And in some cases, the bad effects of these things I did help to make me understand why the church teaches the things they do.

So the question remains, can you be contrite, and repent, but not regret?

Contrition includes wishing that you had not done whatever it was. If there were good effects of the sin, then you can still intend those, of course.

For example, if someone commits fornication and has a child as a result, part of contrition would be wishing that he had not committed fornication. However, he should also still love the child, whose conception was a good effect of an evil action.