J. C. Ryle with a vital reminder as pertinent now as it was a century ago; as God's Word is never out-dated...read this and then listen carefully to "evangelistic" messages and read carefully "evangelistic" tracts...“John the Baptist spoke plainly about sin. He taught the absolute necessity of ‘repentance’, before any one can be saved. He preached that repentance must be proved by its ‘fruits’. He warned men not to rest on outward privileges, or outward union with the church.
“This is just the teaching that we all need. We are naturally dead, and blind, and asleep in spiritual things. We are ready to content ourselves with a mere formal religion, and to flatter ourselves, that if we go to church we shall be saved. We need to be told, that except we ‘repent and are converted’ we shall all perish.”
~ J.C. Ryle
Because of this missing ingredient, we see lots of "decisions" but few "disciples," lots of people laughing to the "counseling room", but little lasting fruit. Praying "the prayer" (which is not found in Scripture) and recording a "decision" does not a convert make.
People must be recognize they are cosmic rebels and thus "lost" before they can genuinely be converted and "saved." And, of course, the only One who can do that is the Holy Spirit, usually through the proclamation/sharing of the Word of God.
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