I get your point but I think that what needs to come first is the truth part, that apart from Christ, you will perish.
Just before I was saved, I was under tremendous conviction of sin.
I KNEW that I would go right to hell if I died.
So when I heard the gospel presented to me, I clung to it like a drowning man to a life preserver.
After that, when you are born again, you hardly need to have to be told not to sin any more. You don’t want to for a variety of reasons.
Thank God that you were convicted of your sins, and that God rescued you!
My sister (RIP) was an achoholic and had done many bad things, huge mistakes, and hurt many people. She would call me and cry and wail about how can God forgive her? The she was going to hell, etc. I would try to tell her to just give it up to God, that he still loved her, etc. She just couldn’t. Week after week, year after year.
Until one day. She was in prison for a year for a DUI and some gals visited her for a Bible Study. She finally “got it” that God was powerful enough to forgive her. She died knowing that God was watching over her, and that He was in control. (What a change from those nightmarish phone calls!)
She knew the truth (her sins) but never understood how great God’s grace and love is until later.
Of course I know many more people that have come out and said to me “Yeah - well my life is pretty good, I’m a pretty good guy, and I don’t need God.” So maybe you are right - the truth needs to come first. (”And the Truth shall set you free.”)