Gospel

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Salvation is of the LORD. Jonah 2:9

If this is true then why do many who profess to be saved trust in themselves and think that salvation depends on their decision and accepting Christ rather than looking to see and examining if Christ has accepted them?

But let the reader carefully examine the scriptures which speak for themselves:

"According as He (God) hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: 5. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6. To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved." Eph. 1:4-6

Note that He (God) hath made us the believer (Christian) accepted in the beloved, i.e. Jesus Christ. We didn't make ourselves accepted. Jesus isn't somebody we decide to accept as though there were any merit in our judgement. No, but we receive this precious person the Son of God because He has been given to us as a revelation. John 3:27 says "No man can receive anything unless it be given him from heaven."

Has Christ been given to you? Then you have received Him to the saving of your precious soul. Thank God for that and give Him all the glory for His sovereign grace.

Could anything be plainer? God did the work. "Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." John 6:29

If you truly believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior it is because God has done this miraculous work of salvation in your soul. This is the work of God that you believe. Let that verse sink deep into your mind.

Again the scripture saith in Philippians 2:12-13

"Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. FOR IT IS GOD WHICH WORKETH IN YOU BOTH TO WILL AND TO DO OF HIS GOOD PLEASURE."

He elected us or chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that is, before we had done any good works. Paul puts the cause of our election on God's sovereign will and good pleasure in Romans 9:15-16:

"For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy."


Dead people can't do anything but remain dead until they are given life. Regeneration is a work of God's Spirit making alive a dead sinner. Jesus told Nicodemus, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3

Just like Lazarus had nothing to do with his resurrection so the sinner who is truly saved had nothing to do with being born again or being resurrected from the dead in his soul.

John 1:12-13 proves that those who receive Christ are born again not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God. They were BORN OF GOD. It's all God's work and God does this work in whomsoever He wills. Grace and faith are given not earned. (Eph. 2:8-9) Nothing in the creature can compel the Creator to save Him or else salvation is no longer of grace but of works. This was Paul's argument.

A Picture of Salvation

Christ first gave life to Lazarus and then he called Lazarus forth from the grave. Lazarus could do nothing but obey the almighty power of God and so it is with a sinner whom God plans to save. He first draws the sinner to Himself irresistibly, humbles him by convincing him of his sin by use of the law and gives a person a new heart and the change of mind toward sin, himself and God. This is called repentance.

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. (Ezek. 36:26-27l John 6:44; Eph 2:1)

Many who think they are saved really have faith in their faith instead of Jesus Christ. Without always admitting it the cause of their salvation is found in their own righteousness and what they have done, for example, their law keeping, their saying a prayer asking for salvation, their church membership, baptism, penance, saying Hail Marys, confession to a priest etc. Although they profess to know Him they deny Him in their works or lifestyle and behavior. They still love and practice sin and so prove themselves false converts. "But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." 2 Peter 2:22

The pig can appear clean after a good washing but it will return to the mud and filth because it still has the nature of a pig. So too the sinner who has made only a profession of faith without the saving grace of true faith. How many sinners have you known who went back into their old sinful ways after claiming to be saved? Too many I suppose. Instead of questioning these people and doubting their salvation we call them "carnal Christians" or we say they are babes in Christ and make up many excuses for their lack of fruit or evidence for being a new creature in Christ.

Many are trusting in what they have done or in a prayer they have recited instead of trusting in the merits of Jesus Christ. Repentance goes hand in hand with saving faith. A change of heart, mind and behavior takes place at conversion.

Some Arminians worship their own free will and make an idol out of it. They hold false views of election by saying God foresaw who would have faith and on that basis God chose certain ones and so pervert the Biblical doctrine of God's sovereign election and grace. If God foresaw who would have faith of themselves then why did God have to give them faith to believe since they already had it according to this false view?







Carlton Pruitt ministers the gospel to the Los Angeles area.
Formerly a Hollywood actor (SAG member) and junk removal expert he now spends most of his time studying the scriptures, writing articles, hymns and poems and doing street preaching.

See all his videos on https://www.YouTube.com/user/LAStreetPreacher

CONTACT at [email protected]

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