Many? I would say it was the central message of Christianity.
> It's where I wound up when I experienced Jesus' love and kindness firmly dragging my besetting sins in front of me to be dealt with, but since that day I've certainly noticed Christians who don't seem to share this perspective.
Sadly that happens.
I would agree, but I don't see it treated or discussed that way in practice by plenty of self-identified Christians.
Real repentance only comes through God:
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Sadly you are right, for many reasons this is not necessarily widely understood by everyone that nominally identifies as a Christian.
Though with the important caveats that _forgiveness_ is not identical to _reconciliation_, and that extending mercy to the unrepentant is dangerous and borderline incoherent ("I assure you, he will by no means get out of there before he has paid the last penny").
I've seen those concepts misunderstood, missed, or forgotten far too often in Christian circles.
Genuine repentance is marked by sorrow over the harms and wrongs you have done, and sincere efforts to make amends where you can.
It's also marked by an understanding that your actions may have ramifications here and now and a willingness to bear the consequences of what you have wrought, insofar as you are able - "Take up your cross and follow Me," in the vernacular of the religion.
Forgiveness is freely given, in the sense that you cannot earn it and God extends it to you, but it's recognized that even accepting forgiveness requires admission of wrong and actively renouncing your pattern of wrongdoing.
You can't accept forgivenwas for something you think was just fine.
shrug I'm not sure how widely this perspective inn it is shared in modern Christianity.
It's where I wound up when I experienced Jesus' love and kindness firmly dragging my besetting sins in front of me to be dealt with, but since that day I've certainly noticed Christians who don't seem to share this perspective.