Repentance

There will be no seeking after divine grace where there is no sense of sin. We may preach until we are hoarse, but you ‘good’ people who are not guilty of doing anything wrong, will never care for our message of mercy. Oh, that you felt your sins! Oh, that you knew your need of forgiveness! There can be no giving of divine grace where there is no guilt. There can be no ‘mercy’ where there is no sin.

There can be ‘justice’, but there cannot be ‘mercy’ unless there is an owning of criminality. If you think you are not a sinner, God cannot have mercy upon you. If you have never sinned, God cannot display pardoning grace towards you for there is nothing to pardon. You are not in a position for Him to display free grace to you until your mouth is shut and you sit down in dust and ashes, silently owning that you deserve nothing at His hands but infinite displeasure. Confess that whatever He gives you that is good and gracious must be given freely to one who deserves nothing. Only the ’self condemned’ shall be forgiven through the precious blood of Jesus and the sovereign grace of God.

You are in such a condition that only the free, rich, sovereign grace of God can save you! The sound of the silver bells of infinite love, free pardon, and abounding grace should make you hasten to the hospital of mercy that you may receive healing for your sinfulness, strength for your feebleness and joy for your sorrow. – Charles Spurgeon