 Do we have to regret it when we sin? In order for 1 John 1, 9 to work, should you feel sorry about what you did? Do you have to promise God that you're never going to do that again before he will forgive you? The answer is absolutely not. If you felt sorry for what you did, you wouldn't have done it to start with. Most people, like me, like you, feel sorry when we get caught.