far too legalistic for my way of thinking. recognizing that you need Jesus entails knowing you have done wrong and having Jesus means not wanting to do wrong any longer, which to me is repentance. it does no service to overthink and over-define these things and just separates us.
Agreed. I would go so far as to say repentance also means to make a sincere effort to live your life in accordance with Jesus' precepts. That doesn't mean you will perfect, or even close to perfect, but it does mean you believe that you should make the best effort you can. I also believe this is the consequence of true regeneration, not the catalyst.
Nope - doesn’t matter the reason - just call on Jesus’ name. It’s as easy (or hard (because of pride)) as that.