repentance. Confessing our sins is agreement with God. Repenting, or turning from the confessed sin, brings God's mercy. Repentance also means that we believe God will respond by withholding judgment and extending His own righteousness to cover our sins. God in His mercy is willing to forgive us and remove the penalty that we deserve. God's grace gives us what we do not deserve—exemption from the judgment. God forgives us because it is His way. The apostle Paul is one of the greatest examples of God's grace