If I may, I would like to reverse your sentence! A deepening of our understanding of ourselves and our relationship with God is repentance. I have heard that the great saints, revered by others for their holy work, will often say how far removed from holiness they truly are. They have come to see how we all have fallen from the glory of God, and that distance cannot fail to cause repentance in their hearts. But that distance is also a comfort; knowing that Jesus has bridged that gap, we can trust God to renew the lives that we cannot.
If I may, I would like to reverse your sentence! A deepening of our understanding of ourselves and our relationship with God is repentance. I have heard that the great saints, revered by others for their holy work, will often say how far removed from holiness they truly are. They have come to see how we all have fallen from the glory of God, and that distance cannot fail to cause repentance in their hearts. But that distance is also a comfort; knowing that Jesus has bridged that gap, we can trust God to renew the lives that we cannot.