“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6-7)
We human beings find it hard to forgive or show mercy to people who offend us. We want revenge, though we often couch our desire in a noble way as a demand for justice as if we ourselves were so guiltless that we can act as arbiters of the law. Yet if were truly to want justice for all, we would realize that it would apply to us as well as not just those we despise and criticize but our loved ones and those leaders and celebrities we idolize. No one is without sin. And God is a God who is just and He will always exact justice, no matter what we want.
One of the great things the Lord tells us is that justice was satisfied, fullly and completely, on the cross of Christ. Thus He can call all to come to Him. He offers pardon, freely, without cost to us. This does not mean that every human being is saved. His grace is not cheap. The offer of free salvation is bestowed only on those who acknowledge that they are sinners and that they need God’s mercy. This is what repentance is all about: agreeing with God that we are sinners separated from Him and in dire need of His grace. Thus the attitude of repentance leads one to faith in Christ. Without it, one does not really know he/she needs to be saved or that he/she is a sinner. Those who do not repent cannot agree with the Lord as to their sinfulness and thus cannot have fellowship with Him. Those who request His help will, however, definitely find that He is there to lift them up. All of these who have faith, no matter what sin they may have committed, will experience the eternal joy of heaven.