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We again see that his heart sin and a slave to sin who apart from
is deceitful above all things and God cannot free yourself? Have your
desperately wicked, (Jer. 17:9). The eyes been opened to see God’s beauty,
Lord in describing the wickedness His holiness and splendour?
of the human heart says: “For from Have you come to a point where you
within, out of the heart of men, proceed thirst and hunger after righteousness
evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, above all things?
murders, Thefts, covetousness, If not, you are still blinded to your
wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an sins and from eternal damnation that
evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: awaits you.
All these evil things come from within, Third, according to the above quoted
and defile the man,” (Mark 7:21). Scriptures (John 3:3-8), the new birth
Consequently, Romans 8:8 says, “… and conversion are two different things.
they that are in the flesh cannot please The new birth proceeds conversion.
God.” In the new birth, the sinner is passive
Friend, has the Lord Jesus delivered while in conversion he is active.
you from your sins or is SIN still the Likewise, with your natural conception
practice and rule of your life? Remember and birth; you were passive because
Matthew 1:21 says concerning Jesus conception was not your doing.
that He shall save His people from For those who say are saved – Did
their SINS. you by your own free will get saved or
Has the Lord Jesus saved from by God’s sovereign will? If you were
your sins, or anger, hatred, gossip, saved by free will, (that is, if you are
bitterness, jealousy, unforgiveness, the one who initiated the process of
lust, fornication, adultery still constitute salvation) then it is by the exercise of
who you are? your own will that you are saved.
Second, we find that it is the work of On the other hand, if you were saved
the Holy Spirit to bring about the new by God’s will or His sovereign grace,
birth in a person. This He does by first you are not saved by your own will.
convicting or convincing the sinner Paul put it in these words in Romans
of sin, righteousness and judgment. 4:4: “Now to him that worketh is the
Why? Because man in his fallen state reward not reckoned of grace, but
is blind. He does not know the intensity of debt. But to him that worketh not,
of his sin. He’s blind to the fact that he but believeth on him that justifieth
is lost, naked, miserable and without the ungodly, his faith is counted for
hope, (Rev. 3:17). righteousness.”
God has to awaken him; God has If you are saved by your own will,
to quicken him; God has to make him then that’s works. If you are saved by
alive before he can see his depravity God’s will, that’s grace. If you are saved
(wickedness) and be convinced of his by your own will, you can loose your
sins and cry out to God for His mercies. salvation. If you are saved by God’s will
Have your eyes been opened to see through free grace, then you can never
your darkened heart? loose your salvation any time. If you
Have you seen how miserable, are saved by your own will you become
hopeless, poor you are before God? your own god and your free will is set
Have you been convinced that you are up in the heathen temple of your own

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