Hosea 6:1-2

“Come on! Let’s return to the Lord! He himself has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us! He has injured us, but he will bandage our wounds! He will restore us in a very short time; he will heal us in a little while, so that we may live in his presence.

It is only by grace that we are restored into His presence, and only by the blood of the Lamb are our sins taken away. Matthew 4:17 includes, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” This is a call to return to the Lord. It is not a call to be perfect of your own power. Jesus calls us to repent, because every person needs to repent. Every person is captive to sin unless they have come to believe in Jesus Christ. At its core, repentance is recognizing that you have sinned against God, and turning toward Him to receive His grace in Christ Jesus. This is a denying of self, and it is seeing Christ as the source of life. The way of sin and death would deceive you into believing that God doesn't want to hear from you because you've hurt Him. That is a lie! Our God is able to restore, and He has done so through His Son Jesus.