Taken Entirely from Monergism Blog:  Article entitled 

Resting in the Righteousness of Christ

To be united to Christ by grace though faith is to be counted as having lived His life, obeyed His law, suffered His punishment, died His death, and risen in His resurrection. The believer is not merely inspired by Christ; he is represented by Him. Christ’s perfect obedience was rendered on our behalf; He fulfilled every command of God’s law in our place (Romans 5:19; Galatians 4:4-5). His death was not merely an act of martyrdom. It was the full exhaustion of the law’s curse for our sin (Galatians 3:13). And His resurrection from the dead is the public declaration from God that the believer is now justified, fully accepted and acquitted in His sight (Romans 4:25; 1 Timothy 3:16).

This means justification is not a process, nor is it contingent upon our progress. It is a once-for-all verdict, grounded in the finished work of Christ, granted before we perform any act of obedience or experience any inward renewal (Titus 3:5-7). Our status before God does not rise and fall with our spiritual condition. It is as unchanging as the righteousness of Jesus Himself (Hebrews 13:8; 1 Corinthians 1:30). The gospel, then, assures trembling sinners that the moment they are in Christ, they are as justified as they ever will be (Romans 8:1; Colossians 2:10).

Such a gospel dismantles every attempt to mingle Christ’s righteousness with our own works. Even the slightest reliance on our obedience (whether in gaining or maintaining favor with God) undermines the very grace of the gospel (Galatians 2:21). It dishonors Christ by implying that His obedience was insufficient (Hebrews 10:14). Worse still, it leaves the conscience without peace, for if our standing with God is even partially based on our performance, we will never rest, never know security, and never truly be free from guilt (Romans 5:1; Hebrews 9:14).

But faith ... true, saving faith ... looks away from self entirely. It does not contribute; it receives. It rests wholly on the righteousness of Another (Philippians 3:9). This righteousness is not infused, earned, or grown into. It is imputed, credited by God Himself (Romans 4:5-6; 2 Corinthians 5:21). It is alien to us, but ours by grace. In trusting Christ alone, the believer finds unshakable peace, because his salvation rests not on shifting sands, but on the finished and faultless work of the Son of God (Isaiah 32:17; John 19:30).

Monergism Article on Repentance

 Do you think repentance means we simply stop sinning?

Repentance does not mean to simply stop sinning. Instead, it involves the grace-enabled act of turning to the sole Person with the capacity to empower an individual to overcome sin—namely, Christ. Being a Christian is not a self-salvation project, but rather an appeal to the divine grace of God in Jesus Christ as the sole hope for redemption. Bereft of this divine intervention, human beings would remain perpetually incapable of change, irrespective of therapeutic interventions or the exertion of willpower. Prior to Christ's opening of the heart to the gospel, every individual remains ensnared in inescapable bondage. The necessity of Christ's intervention underscores the futility of attempting self-salvation. Part of the problem is that people are still stuck on trying, at least partly, to save themselves. As articulated in Luke 18:27, what is impossible for humanity—faith and repentance—is possible with God.

Here is an analogy that helps us further understand the nature of repentance:

Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Just as you don't need a doctor unless you are sick, similarly, you don't need a Savior unless you are a sinner. Christ's mission is to save those who recognize themselves as sinners in need of redemption. By nature, humans are inclined toward pride, resisting the admission of their status as rebellious sinners who require rescue. In the context of the aforementioned quotation, the Pharisees interrogate Jesus about his association with tax collectors and sinners, believing themselves to be more righteous. However, this self-righteousness ultimately exposes them as individuals who fail to recognize their own sinfulness and need for grace. Instead, they remain trapped in a cycle of pride, erroneously believing that they merit God's favor.

Thus, the call to repentance commences with the acknowledgment of one's entrapment in sin, the recognition of one's incapacity to escape its grasp, and the appeal to Christ as the sole means of deliverance from both the guilt and power of sin. In this way, repentance transcends the mere cessation of sinful actions (an impossible supposition) and encompasses a profound, grace-facilitated transformation in the individual's relationship with God, enabled by Jesus Christ.

God uses Means

God does not save people in a vacuum, apart from means, but through the preaching of the gospel. That is the means He uses to gather His elect. A farmer cannot hope to harvest a crop if he sits around and does nothing. He must plant seed. But the reverse is also true. He can work till he's blue in the face, he can cast seed in the ground he plows up, but unless the blessing of rain falls from heaven, the seed will remain dormant and all his work will be in vain. Similarly when we cast the seed of the gospel, we must also pray to to our Heavenly Father that He would send His Holy Spirit to open the hearts of the hearers … for, apart from His blessing the seed will fall on deaf ears. 

 Although we may intellectually understand this truth, it is easy to forget its significance in our daily lives. All too often we affirm this truth and then put it away in a file cabinet in some dark basement. It is easy to be tempted to rely on our own persuasive arguments to change the hearts of others, but we must remember that only God can transform a person's heart. Therefore, we must consistently pray before and after we share the gospel with others. We must plead with God to disarm the natural hostility of their hearts and open their minds to the truth. We must also pray for ourselves, that we may be gentle and wise in our approach, and that our defense of the Bible may be both cogent and compassionate. But how often do we forget to pray when sharing the gospel? Let us never forget the importance of seeking God's intervention as we share the good news of salvation. 

 (1 Corinthians 3:6-7, Acts 16:14, 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5, James 1:18, John 15:5, Romans 10:14, 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, 1 Peter 3:15, Colossians 4:6)