The two are not mutually exclusive.
Also remember, Jesus before the cross was still preaching under the Old Covenant of the law which was abolished on the cross (Col 2:24). He was preaching to those who still thought they could keep the law which he precisely made impossible to keep.
Towards the end of his life John Lennon accepted Christ, but he began to buckle under the ridicule and pressure of his wife and friends. I often wonder how the Lord could have used him if he’d stayed solid and had not been murdered.