Paul addresses this in Romans 7 and then starts Romans 8 with this gem.
Romans 8:1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
And why is that? Because of this.
Colossians 2:13-15 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
The ENTIRE record of our sin debt was nailed to the cross.
There is no sin that we have committed that wasn't dealt with there.
In addition, the repentance isn't just turning from sin but rather turning towards Christ.
People can turn from sin well enough because of the destruction it causes in their lives and still go on to live a good life and be decent people, but that does not default mean they have turned to Christ.
It just means they have abandoned their sin.
It's embracing Christ that counts and turning to Christ usually does and ought to have within it, the abandonment of sin, but as a practical matter, we all struggle with sin, and yes, some of it may be unrepentantly for a while, but it does not cost us our salvation.
To say that all sin must be repented of to attain salvation, puts salvation strictly in the works category, which precludes it from being a gift and gives man a reason to boast about himself, and to demand God provide salvation because the person fulfilled their end of the *bargain*.
God is not beholden to anyone and making God so is a perversion of the gospel.
Salvation is a gift, free of charge, for the recipient, the cost of which is paid for by the giver.
Any *gift* that is conditional on performance ceases to be a gift, and becomes wages due for performance given or works done.
The other thing that the works folks ignore is that God does not allow a child of His to persist in unrepentant sin without making effort to bring him back to a godly, holy life. He doesn't save us and then leave us to fend for ourselves.
He corrects, convicts, gives grace and always gives a way out.
He's a loving heavenly father whose family we are in, not a harsh taskmaster waiting with anticipation for us to slip up so He can mete out justice, take that you lousy, rotten sinner.
The image of God portrayed by the works crowd is a perversion of His character.
The image of God portrayed by the works crowd is a perversion of His character.
The perversion is making God’s law of none effect.