Before salvation can be received by any child of Adam, he must realize that "salvation is of the Lord." He must learn, not only that man is unable to purchase salvation, but that he has not one iota with which to help towards its purchase.
When a man has learned that all his righteousnesses are as filthy rags in God's sight, his mouth is stopped. Then the cry breaks forth from his heart: "Woe is me! for I am undone." Henceforth he must look only to God. If salvation is to come to him at all, it must come as a free gift.
Has the reader reached this position? Has he learned that prayers, though accompanied with tears, or the most rigid performance of duties, yea, even to the bestowing of the whole of one's goods upon the poor, will avail nothing towards the purchase of salvation? If so, then listen to this: "the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Christ came into this world to manifest God's heart toward poor sinners; but man hated Christ and crucified Him between two thieves. But that same Jesus Christ was God's anointed, His own dear Son, who had done a perfect work on Calvary and "Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior.”
No man that has taken the place of a lost sinner and come to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation has ever been rejected. Christ's word of promise is: "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Rom. 10:1313For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13).