GEN478 Repentance becomes necessary when sin becomes possible.  Sin is a misuse of the gift of free will.  But, free will is like a precious double-edged sword. With moral freedom, sin becomes likely, but without freedom, moral development is impossible.  The ability to choose is meaningless unless it includes the possibility of choosing incorrectly.  With choice comes error.  When Alexander Pope wrote that “to err is human,” he echoed a sentiment of biblical origin: “There is no person who does not sin” (Kings 1 8:46; Chronicles 2 6:36.  This observation is both realistic and optimistic.  Because human beings are imperfect by nature, they err.  Nonetheless, human error can be surmounted and overcome.  As the Bible has God say to Cain, [this verse].  HTBAJ 60