Deep Dive into All of Grace: An Earnest Word for Those Who Are, by Grace, Seeking Salvation by Charles Spurgeon - Repentance Must Go with Forgiveness

Repentance and forgiveness are presented as inseparable companions, riveted together by the eternal purpose of God. They are likened to Siamese twins or two pillars forming the entrance to God's presence. Attempting to divide them would be like cutting a living child in halves.

This vital link exists because God's holiness demands it. Pardon cannot be given to an impenitent sinner who persists in evil ways, as this would teach them to think little of sin, proclaim a license for iniquity, and lead to moral anarchy. True divine mercy is also complete mercy, addressing not just the guilt of sin but also providing deliverance from sin's power and enabling holiness. Forgiveness without a turning from sin would be scant, superficial, and a mockery of mercy.

Crucially, both repentance and forgiveness flow from the same source, Jesus Christ, who is exalted to give both. They are gifts of grace, not earned. Repentance is not the cause of forgiveness, but its companion.

In the experience of all believers, repentance and forgiveness are always joined together. No one has truly repented without being forgiven, and no one has been forgiven without having repented. They act and react upon each other, with a sense of pardon deepening repentance and true repentance providing assurance of forgiveness. Repentance itself is a lifelong grace, growing alongside faith throughout the believer's life.

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