Did you ever have a teacher or parent force you to say, “I’m sorry,” to some other kid? I’m not claiming that such an effort should never be made by an adult, but there is something usually lacking in that scenario – true sorrow. Saying the words is not the same as meaning the words.
Paul had written a sternly-worded letter to the church at Corinth (our “First Corinthians”), and then said this about the effects of that letter: “I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry,” and “that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner… For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Cor. 7:8-10).
Note that there are two kinds of “sorry.” One is genuine and the other is fake. One is produced in the heart and the other is hypocritically expressed with the lips. As Christians, which kind should we possess? Which kind should we express? When “I’m sorry,” I need to be “sorry” as God would have me to be!