Dear Mel had gotten converted and, oh, he was a happy man!
Mel got up at a gospel meeting one evening, and he was telling what the Lord had done for him. It was Jesus first, and Jesus last, and Jesus all the way.
The man who was leading the meeting was in a different spirit, however. He held that one had to do something toward his salvation, and the Lord did the rest. So after Mel had set down, he got up and spoke: “Friends,” he said, “a brother has given us the Lord’s side in the work of salvation, but when I got converted, there was a whole lot I had to do first: I had to do my part before God did His. Brother, don’t you want to tell us about your part?”
Mel got up and said, “Brethren, I clean done forgot, didn’t I! I didn’t tell you of my part. I sure did my part. I did it well, running away from God as fast as my sins could carry me for over 30 years. That was my part. God took after me till He ran me down. That was His part.”
“For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourself, it is the gift of God; not of works lest any man should boast.” Eph. 2:88For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8).
Birds with gladder songs o’erflow,
Flowers with fairer beauty shine,
Since I know, as now I know,
I am His and He is mine.
ML-12/25/1977