Sin has separated us from God. We are spiritually dead because of it. But God has solved this problem by bridging that gap through the suffering and death of His very own Son. Jesus took upon Himself the punishment we deserved by paying an outrageous price for our sin. It’s a free gift! The Bible calls it grace; the favor of God which none of us is able to earn, but all can freely receive. It’s God’s promise.
Receiving His promise takes repentance on our part. Repent is an idea that has been lost in our culture. The word itself seems a bit scary, but it really isn’t. Repentance is merely a change of mind. It means turning away—that is, turning around and going the opposite direction. It means turning away from your old life by rejecting sin, and turning to God as the new direction for your life.
From: The Path through the Maze—Answering Life’s Ultimate Question: What Happens After We Die?