Hear the words of J.I. Packer: “[Jesus] did not desire to make disciples under false pretenses. He had no interest in gathering vast crowds of professed adherents who would melt away as soon as they found out what following him actually demanded of them. In our own presentation of Christ’s gospel, therefore, we need to lay a similar stress on the cost of following Christ, and make sinners face it soberly before we urge them to respond to the message of free forgiveness. In common honesty, we must not conceal the fact that free forgiveness, in one sense, will cost everything; or else our evangelizing becomes a sort of confidence trick.”
Yes, let us joyfully and cheerfully let sinners know that God is bursting with desire for them to “come home.” Let us declare the glories of eternal life, of sin washed away, of the blessedness of living on this earth under the shadow of His wings. BUT, let us equally make it known, with all boldness, that repentance is required. Let us make it clear that God is indeed not some genie in the bottle to be played with. He is, after all, the judge of the universe. Never, ever, ever forget those awesome and weighty words of our Savior, “Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)