guilt vs repentance

I found the following article very thought provoking. Described in it is a description of the contrast between guilt (the Bible might say "tearing our clothes") and repentance, where we are made more receptive to the voice of God. Which could mean, to someone not considering God, their soul's true desire.


The Real Lesson
Henry Drummond

Every person has fallen at some time in his life - most, many times. Peter's steps in denying Christ have since been traced by every human foot. Anyone can understand how he could have slept in the garden, when he should have watched and prayed. Most of us feel an almost unconscious sympathy for him.
But there is something in Peter's life that is much greater than his sin. It is his repentance. We all too easily relate to Peter in his weakness, but few of us grasp the wonder of his change. Sinful Peter is one man, and repentant Peter another. That is the real lesson in his life...
"And Peter went out and wept bitterly."
Source: “Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter”