But I have to ask- shouldn't I give you SOME of the glory- even if just a little bit, since you are the one who had the good sense to CHOOSE Him?
He reached down, but you reached up, right?
He may have done the VAST majority of the reaching, but you did SOME of it, right?
Shouldn't you be praised for being a little wiser and a little more sensitive to the Holy Ghost than most men?
I don't deserve one "iota" of praise for Him saving me. None of us have that right. God gave me the gift of salvation, by allowing His Son to die on the cross for my sins.
Look, the four gospels are chocked full of people who reached out to Jesus after He came by them. Look at Zaccheus for instance. He heard that Jesus was coming his way, and what did he do. He went and climbed up a tree to see Him, because he was small instature. If he hadn't done this, Jesus wouldn't have came to his house, and Zaccheus wouldn't have been saved.
The woman with the 12 years issue of blood, if she hadn't pressed through the crowd and touched His clothing, she wouldn't have been healed.
Legion, when he saw Jesus, if he hadn't ran to Jesus, the demons would have never been cast into the swine.
The father who had the son with the demon that cast him into the fire, and then into the water. When the Disciples could do nothing with him, what did Jesus say to the father? All things are possible to him who believeth. The father then stated, "Lord I believe. Help my unbelief. Then Jesus cast the demon out of him.
The Prodical Son, if he had never left the "hog lot" after he came to himself, he would have never made it back to his father house, if he never left there.
The father who sent one of his servants to bring Jesus to heal his daughter. If he had not sent the servant, his daughter would have never been healed.
All these are prime examples of repentance. This is what Jesus said about repentance:
Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but,
except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
5 I tell you, Nay: but,
except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
John 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins:
for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at;
but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
When God reveals Himself to someone, it is up to that person to repent. God will not repent for them. So man has to do "something", and that is "repent, believe, and be baptized."
Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand:
repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto
them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Now, the "be baptized", is referring to the baptism of the Holy Ghost that was to come on the believers after Jesus' final ascension to the Father.
Man does not have the means in himself to save himself, but mankind must repent of their sins.....God does not do their repenting for them.
i am I AM's!!
Willis