Repentance is inseparable from forgiveness

'According to the infinite goodness of God, we are promised that if we will forsake our sins, confessing them, and will, by faith, accept the grace which is provided in Christ Jesus, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

'But, so long as God lives, there can be no promise of mercy to those who continue in their evil ways, and refuse to acknowledge their wrongdoing.

'Surely no rebel can expect the King to pardon his treason while he remains in open revolt. No one can be so foolish as to imagine that the Judge of all the earth will put away our sins if we refuse to put them away ourselves.'

-- Charles Spurgeon, "All of Grace" (in the chapter, 'Repentance Must Go with Forgiveness')

Repentance is a change in what we worship

"We were created to worship, and if we won't worship God, we'll worship something else.

"Calling to repentance, then, means calling for a reorientation of worship.  So who or what are we worshiping rather than God?  What compels our time and energy, our spending and our leisure?  What makes us angry?  What gives us hope and comfort?  What are our aspirations for our children?

"...Repenting means exchanging our idols for God.  Before it's a change in behavior, it must be a change in worship...."

-- Michael Lawrence, "Conversion" (9Marks)