Christ stands ready as a fire-escape!

(Arthur Pink)

O how very few ever are savingly convicted of sin by the Spirit! As the Spirit continues His work in the soul, plowing still deeper, revealing the hideousness and heinousness of sin, producing a horror of and hatred for it - He next presses upon that awakened soul, the claims of Christ's Lordship - set forth in such passages as Luke 14:26-33 - and enlightens us to realize that Christ demands our hearts, lives, and all.

Then it is that He grants grace unto the quickened soul to renounce all other "lords," to turn away from all "idols", and to receive Christ as Prophet, Priest and King. And nothing but the sovereign and supernatural work of God the Spirit can bring this to pass. Surely this is self-evident.

A preacher may induce a man to believe what Scripture says about his lost and undone condition, persuade him to "bow to" the Divine verdict, and then "accept Christ as his personal Savior." No man wants to go to Hell, and if he is assured that Christ stands ready as a fire-escape, on the sole condition that he jump into His arms ("rests on His finished work"), thousands will do so!

But a hundred preachers are unable to make an unregenerate person realize the unspeakably dreadful nature of sin, make him feel that he has been a lifelong rebel against God, and so change his heart that he now hates his sin, and longs to please God, and serve Christ. Only God the Spirit can bring any man to the place where he is willing to forsake every idol, cut off a hindering right hand, or pluck out an offending right eye! Ah, a miracle of grace has been wrought when we give up ourselves to the Lord (2 Corinthians 8:5) to be ruled by Him.