However, we need to remain aware that there are two kinds of repentance as stated in the 2Corinthians 7:10 passage: For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of; but the sorrow of the world worketh death. There is a vast difference between the two.

There is a worldly sorrow in which a person regrets how poorly he has satisfied the lusts of his flesh and his worldly desires. Worldly sorrow can bring about a re-thinking (worldly repentance) that could cause him to renew his life-style to better fulfill his worldly desires to get what he insists upon having. The emphasis is on the person's relationship with the world.

Godly sorrow does not concern a person's relationship with the world. Rather, it concerns ones relationship with God. With godly sorrow, one laments that his values, his thinking, his habits, his loyalty, and his nature have prevented the fulfillment of the purpose for which he was created. We are told in the Revelation 4:11 Bible passage that we were created purely and simply for the purpose of pleasing God. A caring person who "comes to himself" and realizes how badly he has failed to fulfill that divine purpose will sink into a godly sorrow. That godly sorrow is God's blessing in disguise, because it leads to the godly repentance unto salvation. It leads one to seek Jesus' baptism with the Holy Ghost into everlasting life in the spiritual and divine body of Christ.

Please note that John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for the true baptizer who would baptize us with the Holy Spirit. John's water baptism was symbolic and confessional in nature, not transitional. It was physical, not spiritual. People came to John the Baptist confessing their sins to receive his baptism with water. (Mark 1:4-5) But he also preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, saying, "bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance".

Therefore, John the Baptist informed us of three baptisms: baptism with water, baptism with repentance, and baptism with the Holy Spirit. The first was done by John the Baptist, and the Spiritual is done by Jesus Christ. The baptism with repentance is a preparational baptism which is done by one's self through confession of sins, godly sorrow, and doing works meet for repentance (Acts 26:19-21). Show God your faith in Him and your desire for His salvation, not by words only, but especially by your deeds (James 2:17-20). For the most part, doing works meet for repentance means taking action to confess your faith in God and to right wrongs that you have done. If you stole, confess it, repay your victim, and tell him why. If you lied about someone, confess it to your victim and to those in whom you planted the lies. Take note of the principle in Matthew 5:23-24. Those who fail to do the works and strive to bring forth the fruit of holiness in their lives can truly doubt that they have truly repented at all. This preliminary baptism is a necessary duty that rests on our own shoulders, and requires a huge amount of humility.

Confession of sins, godly sorrow, and true repentance are prerequisite to the spiritual regeneration (new birth) that only Jesus Christ can minister. John the Baptist announced for all to hear: I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into his garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.