Glen Bond Feb 26, 2006 I want to try to show that salvation is not of man, can not be prayed up by man and that no man can lead a sinner to Christ. You can not say a prayer, and give your heart to Jesus and be saved, no matter how sincere or earnest you may be. I also want to show that salvation is a WORK of God. It is a work that must be performed in the heart and mind. And it cannot be done by man. Most people, when they "GET SAVED" (as is generally considered to be salvation), they go on about their life just as they always have. There is no difference in their life. There is no evidence of salvation. Now, before we can fully understand what I want to say, I want to make a few things clear: 1 - That God is sovereign ( He does as he pleases) 2 - God elected or chose his people before the world was. 3 - God is righteous, or he deals evil to no one, no matter how wicked they are. If we can keep these things in mind, we will be better able to understand Gods word. When I began to study for this message, I didn't realize how much Gods word tells us about how a sinner is saved. I am not so much trying to tell how God saves a sinner as I am trying to explain how a man cannot save a sinner or lead a sinner to Christ. Jonah 2:9 tells us plainly that "Salvation is of the Lord". The Lord does all of it, He starts it, He works it out, and He finishes it. There is no place in it at all for any man. The man-of-God is given this one charge: Preach the Gospel! Tell people that Christ died for sinners. Tell people that they are sinners. Tell them that they must repent. Preach ... not lead... as in lead a sinner to Christ, but preach the gospel. Bringing a sinner to Christ is the work of the Holy Spirit, not man. John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. Jesus said that He will draw all men to himself. He doesn't need one man to lead another. Isiah 42:16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them. This is God speaking to us. Did you notice all of the I's in that verse? This is telling us what God will do to save us. The soul winner is not described in the bible. The Lord will lead his people to himself. The Lord will teach his people the way of salvation. The verse says: And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; They knew not... You don't know the way of salvation, but God will teach it to his people. Salvation is not just saying a prayer and promising to do good and follow 'Jesus'. No. Salvation is wrought out in the heart of every believer by faith. Man wants to have some part in the salvation of himself or others. But look at Gods word: Psalms 49:7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: This is why we need a redeemer, Jesus Christ. He is able to redeem us. No man can do anything in the salvation of a soul. You say, "Oh I'm not trying to have a part in anyones salvation". If thats the case then preach the gospel, and leave the results to God. Leave out the alter call and the sinners prayer. The Lord is able to call them to the alter, and make them pray. If YOU won't come ...and YOU won't pray, then YOU will go to hell. The Bible says: Psalms 49:15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah. God himself will redeem,... He will save his people. 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he (Jesus Christ) might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: That 'He' (Jesus Christ) might bring us to God. No man is needed here. You say 'OK, I will say my sinners prayer and believe and the Lord will save me' No! where do you get this idea from? Do you get it from John 3:16?? John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The bible tells us that faith is a gift of God. You are not able to believe, apart from the power of God. And what about the rest of Gods word? Is it all null and void? No. We must take all of Gods word together. Look at: Isaiah 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Do you think that the Lord put this verse in the bible for nothing? You are COMMANDED to seek the Lord. It doesn't say "pray an earnest prayer and receive Jesus into your heart". NO!, it says seek him. This implys that he is not here, and you must find him. He is not standing by your heart begging you to believe and receive him. Now look at Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. This verse implys that we must seek earnestly, forget about everything else and seek the Lord. Forget about all of the things that are dear to the heart. Seek Him. And then what... You WILL find him. Look, that is a promise. ...all your heart. This means that there is no other thing in that heart. Do you think that saying the sinners prayer (so called) is seeking the Lord? NO, it has no resemblance of seeking. It only pacifys the sinners conscience, and keeps him FROM seeking the Lord. That is what makes it so bad, it keeps you from seeking the Lord. Now look at: Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. This shows just how much a person must forsake. This shows how earnest you must be when you search for the Lord. You must turn from all that you hold dear to your heart, and seek the Lord. Comparatively you will hate everything that gets in your way. My friends... those of you who say you are saved... Did you come by this way? This is the way that you knew not. Now I am sure that some will say, "Oh, that is a hard thing to believe". Now, These are not the smooth things that most people preach, no, this is Gods word. 1 Corinth. 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. The things of God are not made known to the world, but to His people. The natural man is the lost, or unsaved person. You who take issue with what I am saying, you are LOST. You don't have the spirit of God dwelling within you. You think that I am being FOOLISH, and that this business of seeking the Lord is a bunch of foolishness. But look at it, Gods word is bearing witness against you. If you think I am preaching foolishness, then Gods word says that you are LOST! I don't have much formal schooling, but the teaching that I am bringing to you here I was taught of the Lord. Man is blind and ignorant to salvation, he must be taught. But no man can teach the way of salvation, this MUST be taught of God. They shall all be taught of God. John 6:45 Isaiah 54:13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; The world in general thinks that everybody is going to heaven. But Gods word doesn't teach that in any way. The bible says that Matt. 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and MANY there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and FEW there be that find it. The Bible plainly says that only a few of the people of the world will be in heaven. Can you accept the fact that you might not be one of the few?? Do you think that you are going to heaven? What basis do you have for your going there? 1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. are you a sinner? Have you been made to see that you are a sinner? The natural man cannot see that he is a sinner. When God shows you what a sinner you are, you will not deny it. The Lord will make it so plain to you and so real to you that it will become a great burden to you. Then, when sin has become a grievious burden to you, look at this: Matt. 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. When sin is a heavy burden to you, then you need Christ to give you rest. First, You must believe that God is. Then, you must believe that he is able to do what he says he will. Hebrews 11:33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. and great shall be the peace of thy children. Matt: 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. We are to preach the gospel. like sowing seed, we can't make anything happen. ------------------------------------------------------- Heavenly wisdom (J. C. Philpot) "But the Comforter,which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 14:26 There is a heavenly wisdom which the Holy and Blessed Spirit alone can give. He sheds a sacred light on His own word of truth, and by His personal and living teachings--opens, enlarges, and persuades the heart to receive what He thus shows and teaches. However valuable and blessed the book of God is, we cannot be made wise unto salvation by the word itself --without the special teachings of the Holy Spirit as a personal and living instructor. He can suit His teachings to our case; knows when, where, and how to teach us; can bear with our ignorance and stupidity; give us the right lesson at the right time and in the right way; and do for us what no earthly teacher can--write His own laws upon our hearts and give us will and power to keep and obey them. "Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go." Isaiah 48:17 --------------------------------------------------------- The greatest thing that can ever happen to any person is to be saved. work out your own salvation fear trembling