“I fear that when I come my God will again humiliate me in your presence, and I will grieve for many who sinned before and have not repented of the moral impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality they practiced.” 2 Corinthians 12:21 CSB https://bible.com/bible/1713/2co.12.21.CSB

The first step in reconciliation with God is repentance. Jesus, God Himself, said so when He was here. John the Baptist’s message prepared people for Jesus by calling them to repentance. Paul preached the gospel beginning with a call to repentance. Repentance is the admission of guilt before God that we have willfully violated His commands and the commitment, by His help and the help of His church, to no longer continue doing those things that displease God and to begin doing those things God commands. Too often, people add the belief in Jesus to their lives without repenting from the things Jesus died as punishment for their doing. Jesus, God Himself, is not interested in being added to our lives. Jesus is only interested in being the Lord of our lives, for He is God, He made us, He bought us with His blood, and He will judge us to determine our eternal destiny. Repentance means ending those behaviors for which Jesus was punished on our behalf. They should no longer occur in our lives and certainly have no place for being accepted by us when we see glimpses of those evil desires. While God loves sinners and welcomes all to come to Him no matter how disobedient they have been, God demands repentance from all of us and promises to equip us by His Spirit to no longer do those things that displease Him. We may not remain in the same condition as when we came to Jesus seeking His pardon. If we are truly reconciled to God, we have genuinely repented from our sins.