Author: Fred Pruitt
It is the will of God for everybody to be saved. (I Tim. 2:4-5.) It is not the will of God for anybody to be lost. The only reason people are lost is because they fall under the wrong spirit or influence and thereby do wrong and sin against the Lord and His righteousness. The penalty of sin is death, destruction, and misery. We read in Ezekiel 18:4, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” All men and women who are sinning and doing wrong in the sight of God have the penalty of death and destruction hanging over their heads. Church joining, shaking hands with the preacher, or merely being baptized in water will not lift that penalty. But God has a way whereby all who are transgressing His laws can be delivered from sin and made free from the power of sin so they can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are saved from sin and have peace with God, are prepared to meet Him in peace, and have heaven for their home; for it is the will of God for all to be saved, and it is not His will that any should perish. (II Pet. 3:9.) God does not force anyone to get saved nor to serve Him. We have the choice to make. Satan is the enemy of God and the enemy of man. He is a spirit (Eph. 2:2), even as God is a Spirit. (John 4:24.) Satan is a deceiver and a liar. Jesus says of him that he never did abide in the truth, and was a murderer from the beginning. (John 8:44.)
Paul writes of the condition of souls in the past, while they were still transgressors and before they were quickened or made alive through belief in Christ: “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air [Satan], the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” (Eph. 2:2-3.) When people find themselves in sin and wrongdoing, it is because Satan has deceived them and has them under his power and influence, and they are unable to save their own souls and have no power to break away from sin and evil. This truth is brought out in Jeremiah 13:23, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then [or, if so] may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” This scripture teaches us that it is as impossible for us in our own power or strength to fully cease from doing wrong or evil in the sight of God as it would be for an Ethiopian to change his skin or a leopard to remove the spots from his body. This is the awful condition of sinful men and women today.
God, knowing that death, punishment and torment in a never-ending hell where there is fire and brimstone would be the doom of man for his sins and transgressions, looked upon us in great love and pity and sent a Saviour to save us from our sins (Matt. 1:21), causing a hope of heaven and immortality to spring up in our souls, which gives joy and peace in this world. We read in II Timothy 1:10 of what Jesus has done for those who will believe on His name. Our Saviour, Jesus Christ, “hath abolished death [removed the penalty of death that hung over our heads because of our sinning], and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” This is why the apostle Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation unto every one that believeth.” Rom. 1:16.
Dear sinner friend, you will find the power of God to save your soul through believing the gospel of Christ, the Word of God. Jesus is the only hope for mankind. Peter said, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name [other than Christ’s] under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12. Dear friend, there is no other place for you to look to be saved, only to Christ, and you must voluntarily choose Him in order to be saved. Getting saved is an individual matter, a matter you must settle with God for yourself.
In Jeremiah 17:9 we read of the condition of an unsaved or unregenerated heart in man: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Man is in this condition because Satan, who is the enemy of God and righteousness, has control and is a deceiver, a liar, and murderer, who corrupts man’s heart and causes him to do wrong and to do evil, transgressing the laws of God. This is just why man needs a Saviour to save him from his sins, and God has provided this Saviour for us through Christ our Lord who conquered the Devil for us over nineteen centuries ago when He arose from the tomb, put on a glorified body, ascended up to heaven, and has all power in heaven and in earth. (Matt. 28:18.) It is in Christ that sinful mortals can find the power which changes the inner being and He gives freedom in this life from the power of sin and makes us ready to meet God in peace.
In Isaiah 59:1-2 we read concerning the condition of a sinner or an unsaved person, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” If you become sorry for sinning against Him and humble your heart before Him in repentance, confessing your sins and turning from them, the Lord will have mercy and forgive you; for it is written in Proverbs 28:13, “He that covereth his sins [will not confess them] shall not prosper [or be forgiven]: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” God will forgive the soul who will confess his sins and forsake them. In I John 1:9, we read, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” In John 3:35-36 Jesus said almost the same thing, “The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” The wrath of God abiding on any one means that the penalty of death and destruction can only be removed by believing on the Son of God to the saving of the soul. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn people, but that through Him we might be saved: “For God so loved the world [sinners] that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. Men can have everlasting life in heaven if they will believe on the Son of God to the saving of the soul.
In Isaiah 5:6 we read, “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:” When you are convinced that you are a sinner and lost, then is the time to call upon Him, for He is near and can be found of you by repenting of and confessing your sins to Him, and forsaking them. Verse 7, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” God is ready to abundantly pardon a penitent sinner, one who confesses to God that he is a sinner and asks God to have mercy upon him and forgive him. He will separate our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12), and will remember them against us no more forever. He also says He will not despise a broken and a contrite spirit. (Ps. 51:17.) “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jer. 29:13. The publican, who was a sinner, would not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast and asked God to have mercy on him, a sinner. The Lord said he went down to his house justified. (Luke 18:13-14.)
The prodigal son, of whom we read in the 15th chapter of Luke, was so humbled because of his sinning that he was miserable. He went to his father and confessed. He was so humble that he asked to be only a hired servant if the Father would forgive and take him back. The Father did forgive, and put his arms of love around him and fixed him up to live at home with him. Oh, poor sinner, the Lord will have compassion if you will confess and repent. He will forgive; He will save your soul.
Ezekiel 18:21-22, “But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.” The Lord deals justly and right with us. He is equal in all His ways.
The Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself a perfect sacrifice for our sins and brought to us a perfect salvation from sin. If we will humble our hearts before Him, confessing our sins and believing on the sacrifice He made for us, we can have perfect salvation-absolute deliverance from all sin.
It does not matter how deep into sin the enemy has led you, God still loves your soul and will save you. He has power to lift you up out of the boggy mires of sin and to clean you up, put your feet on the solid Rock, Christ Jesus, and put a new song in your mouth, even praises unto God. (Ps. 40:2-3.) In the first chapter of Isaiah, the sinner who desires to wash his soul in the blood of Christ can read what to do: “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet [many and easily seen], they shall be as white as snow [the blood will wash them all away]; though they be red like crimson [deep and of long standing], they shall be as wool.” The blood of Christ applied to your soul will cleanse the heart and keep it pure. God says that the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land-shall have good soul food to eat. And your soul will grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord.
The Lord will set you free from evil and wrong, and free from the power of Satan so you can do those things that are always pleasing in the sight of God and have joy and peace within. You can be made alive and become a new creature in Christ Jesus. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” II Cor. 5:17.
In Hebrews 7:25 we read, “Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him [Christ], seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Christ is risen from the dead and is at the right hand of God and makes intercession (pleads our case) for us to the Father. When we confess and forsake sin, He intercedes for us and washes all our sins away by His precious blood.
Isaiah gives a word picture of the suffering of Jesus: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” Isa. 53:4-11.
Dear sinner friend, just think of the immense suffering Jesus went through in order to make an atonement for your sins. By His suffering and death and the pouring out of His innocent blood, we can be saved from our sins and have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
In Romans 10:9-10 we read, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
When the jailer asked Paul, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” the answer was, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Acts 16:30-31. It means repentance. Jesus said in Mark 1:15, “Repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Peter said to the guilty Jews, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ.” Acts 2:38. Water baptism is the next essential step after you repent and are saved. Baptism shows that you are now dead to the world and will walk in newness of life as Paul teaches us in Romans 6. Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ means to believe in the sacrifice He made for your sins. He was put to shame and contempt as He was lifted up on the cross between two thieves as though He were one of them. Thus the Scripture was fulfilled which reads, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” II Cor. 5:21.
Dear sinner friend, Christ died for you. Will you believe it? They drove spikes through His feet that were often weary for you. They pierced His hands likewise, that had so tenderly ministered to the poor, sick, and suffering. They wagged their heads and mocked Him while He had love in His heart for them. They pierced His side with a spear. He died of a bruised and broken heart for all sinners. This is the climax of what you, dear sinner, are to believe, that the innocent blood poured out may cover your soul and hide your sins from the face of the Father who has already accepted this sacrifice for your sins. You can be free if you will only confess, repent, and believe. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. (I John 1:7.)
Dear sinner friend, Christ suffered for you; He bore your sins in His own body on the cross. Kneel before God, acknowledge your sins, and ask Him to forgive you, and by faith let the innocent blood of Christ atone for your soul and be freed from all sin and guilt.
