When the sinner today is convicted by the Holy Spirit of the seriousness of sin and of judgment to come, and cries to the Lord to save him, he has, of course, "repented," or "changed his mind," as the Greek word for "repent" signifies. Many of God's servants, however, considering only the fact that sinners need such a change of mind, conclude that the way to produce the greatest results in their ministry is to stress repentance. This is erroneous.

Such men should take note of the response to the three great calls to Israel to repent, and by which the dispensation of the Law was actually brought to a close:

1. John the Baptist called Israel to repentance but was beheaded as a result (Matt.3:1-12; 14:3-10).
2. The Lord Jesus took up the cry where John had left off (4:17), but was crucified for it.
3. After the resurrection He sent His disciples to preach "repentance and remission of sin…in His name" (Luke 24:47) but Jerusalem refused to repent and it was not long before blood again flowed, as Stephen was stoned to death and a great persecution followed (Acts 8:3).

The guilt of Israel's impenitence increased, as the call to repentance was intensified, for while John's murder was permitted by the people, Christ's murder was demanded by them, and Stephen's murder was actually committed by them. Thus the so-called "Great Commission" was bogged down at the very start, for if Jerusalem and the covenant people of Israel refused to repent, what hope was there that the "nations"(Luke 24:47) would do so?

Rom.5:20-21 But where sin abounded, GRACE did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might GRACE reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord"

After calls upon Israel to repent had failed, the ascended Lord stooped down to save Saul (Paul), the chief of sinners, on the road to Damascus, in anything but a repentant mood. Not by threatening or dealing with him in judgment, but by speaking to him in the tenderest tones He showed him the glory of His grace. Paul as the Lord’s trophy and pattern of grace was then sent forth to proclaim the new "gospel of the grace of God," and the merits of his crucified, glorified Lord.

"Repentance" had been the theme of God's message from John UNITIL Paul, through whom "the gospel of grace" is proclaimed through the cross and received by faith. Grace has displaced repentance as the theme of God's message for "this present evil age" (Acts 20:24). Today, under God’s grace economy, repentance is not required per se in order to be saved. One simply needs to  “… Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” (Acts 16:31 (KJV).

Thus, the very act of receiving salvation in Christ is our repentance. And this is without confession of sins. Every lost person already knows they are a sinner needing salvation when they have decided to receive the Salvation of th4e Lord.

No wonder that Paul never once says the lost need today to repent in order to be saved from God's wrath!

Rather, Paul says... it is God's kindness... leads us to repentance as a change of mind.

Romans 2:4 (AMP) Or are you [so blind as to] trifle with and presume upon and despise and underestimate the wealth of His kindness and forbearance and long-suffering patience? Are you unmindful or actually ignorant [of the fact] that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repent (meaning, to change your mind to accept God's grace and will.)?