Prophet's Column “It Took A Miracle” by Jim Little The salvation of every soul is a pure miracle of God's^grace Listen if you can, if you don't want to listen ask the Lord to give you a listening ear to hear the Word of God You must hear to be saved. “Who hath saved us. and called us with a HOLY CALLING, NOT ACCORD ING TO OUR WORKS, but according to his own pur -pooo and grace—which WAS GIVEN us in Christ Jesus before the world be gan," (II Tim. 1:9) Let’s analyze this Script ure and see some of the greatest gems revealed in the Word of God. First let's notice the words “Who hath Saved-us." It is God the Father who saved (elect ed) even before the founda tions of the world, that is also brought out in Eph 1:4 where Paul said “Accord ing as He (God) hath cho sen us (elect) in Him (Christ) before the founda tion of the world." That is what Paul meant here when he said “Who hath saved us." Every sinner who ever has been saved, or ever will be saved, was saved by the God-head be fore the foundation of the world. If you don’t believe that, I have no message for you, I don't. So in the very first words of this verse of Scripture we see the great gem of God’s Election. I know from reading tfie Word that God elected a certain number to salva tion in Christ Jesus. In the Lord’s Prayer, (which is the 17th chapter of John, not the 6th of Matthew) Christ prayed for “those whom Thou (the Father) hast given Me (Christ)." Christ also said; “I pray for them: I pray not for the world.” These Scriptures do away with the doctrine of UNIVERSAL SALVA TION. If Christ had died for the world (everyone), then everyone would be saved. And if Christ had died fry; everyone, then He would have prayed for everyone! Now, in your easy-believ ingism, you preach and' teach that everyone can be saved. You do so because ’ you are blind to God’s way in saving a sinner. I was there one day right where you are. This easy-believ ingism that has gone wild in your churches today is damning souls to Hell by the wholesale. I know what I'm talking about and you will too if your heart is ever opened under Holy Spirit Conviction. Alright, let’s look at the second great gem of the scripture set forth in this verse; “and hath CALLED us with a HOLY CALLING, NOT ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS." The second Jim I.ittle great gem is the EFFECT UAL CALL, Paul calls it a holy calling and praise the Lord it is a holy calling, because this holy calling, which is the Effectual Call, awakens the sinner from the dead. Every sinner by nature is dead in tres passes and sins until the Effectual Call awakens him. That’s right. You are born dead from your mother’s womb and will remain dead (even though you are a preacher) unless the Holy Spirit gives you the Effectual Call- If you haven’t received the Ef fectual Call, you are LOST! Have you received the Ef fectual Call? When? When were vou called? If you cannot go back to the time God gave you the Effectual Call, showing you your lost condition, and tell what God saved you from and what God saved you to, then you are not saved. If • you are saved there was a definite time God called you to salvation in Christ. I'm not talking about joining the church of your choice. Linking with some church is not salva tion, Christ is salvation! Do you know Christ? Do you ?• I do. I’ll never forget the time God called me effect ually. When the Lord spoke to my heart that early noon, I saw for the first time what the trouble had been all along; I was not saved. I had been trying to live a Christian life outside of Christ. I don’t care how religious you are, you can’t live a Christian life outside the Lord Jesus Christ. Every unsaved heart al ways takes sides with an other unsaved heart. Did you know that? The Effect ual Call comes from Heaven. Did you ever know that everything in a sin ner's salvation comes from Heaven? The Effectual Call comes from the BARRIER BECK PONTIAC LAND The No. 1 Pontiac Dealer In The Carolinas 1980 PONTIAC SUNBIRD 4 cylinder engine, 4 speed transmission, white finish, stock *678. LIST PRICE SALE $4 COE 36 $4951.96 PRICE <1909 1980 PONTIAC GRAM MIX economical vb engine, automatic transmission, factory equipped, stock #127. LIST PRICE SALE $C 14415 $7133.21 PRICE U IH4 1980 PHOENIX COUPE 6 cylinder engine. 4 speed transmission, power steering, power brakes, red finish, stock #488. LIST PRICE SALE $CC1014 $6040 63 PRICE tlO I J portals of Heaven.praise the Lord. The Effectual Call lifts a sinner from the dunghill of the world and sets him in heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 2:6). It means something to be saved. Are you saved? When were you saved? Only a holy calling as this, which is the power of God could transport a sinner from the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the power of Christ that raises a sinner from the dead, and -as the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that cleanses the sinner (Col. 1:13-14). Man by nature is dead! And no little “decision” or mental assent to the Script ures, or what the Script ures say about Christ is going to save you. You will be saved by a Person if you are ever to be saved. It may be that you will never be saved, that’s right. You may never be saved. You may not be elected. If you are not elected you’ll never be saved. If you are elect ed, grace is going to put a desire in your heart for the Lord Jesus Christ and you will never be satisfied until you come to know the Lord Jesus Christ I know what I'm talking about experi mentally. Do you? It took a miracle of God's grace to call the elect back in the eternities before the foundation of the world, and it takes a miracle of God's grace to call a sinner here in time. Are your being called? Note that Paul said; "NOT ACCORDING TO -OCR WORKS ' All human works are set aside when God gets ready to save a sinner. There are NO WORKS IN SALVATION! I wish you could see that. Paul also brings this out in Eph. 2:8-9 "FOR BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED through faith; and that NOT OF YOURSELVES: it is the gift of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast." I wish to God you could see that "salvation is all of the grace of God. If there is one hair's breath of works in your salvation you are not saved! Let s look at the third and last gem I call your attent ion to in this Scripture; “But according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world be gan,” We are saved ac cording to God’s own pur pose and grace and were given to Christ before the world began. That sets ~ aside afl creatute works because the Father did this for us before He laid the foundation of the world. So how can you boast that you' had something to do with your salvation? God did not send the Son to die and take a chance on your believing Him. Some of you teach an election this way; God has given His Son. He died for everybody, so it’s up to you to believe the Son or not believe the Son. That is one of the most rotten doctrines out of Hell that has ever been told. That’s a lie that is sinking multitudes in Hell now! 1979 PONTIAC SUNBIRD Economical 4 cykndar angmc 4 KM irmammon ana na» ' *3995 1974 VIOA HATCHBACK fcSsrsitt'Jiiisr00' "“*• "••••'■ •» «»***"*. ■— 800 C J°y°TA LAND CRUISER . . 4 **»•• **—. hardtop dark graan fin—h ,aai mca. *4495 1979 oiDSMOBiiiamAss salon AwtomotK tr oot mission. dowry floor mo. po*«f Moi foe ton or candrtHma. 2 loaa eattarrr nm. 24 000 «.lav me. 1979 CMIVETTI *4895 raffmc/ W**<, *•*'—» a* ro»d'i'o««a. i*ar blva haak. 1974 jiip chcrokii 4395 4 -W 4ma. •> rntiia. -l.kamkmt.hmM *2495 . fO«D LTD SPORT COUP! laEvMmppN. h-i.4. M«k fa*.-.rd^TLf , , 4 27$, °»*mobili omeoa karmM4 br.wn t«tM47]oOO>inI—T" *•'*•'» M^c.MaMa— 1978 PLYMOUTH VOLARI *3195 «4aan acmamal 4 ndi.li 11,11, aatamanc.- am —, J-~a. *•*’—» Mr caktami. kfki hi E5 1979 CHfVROUT IMPALA *3295 4mt. ONtOmotK IIMMmol, PO*Or StOOEMSf. DOWRY b'«*ev foctor* ON CON^itiOENni. ('MB# control. bvrn.ffcod brown fto.»b. 9o>d doth mtonoT 1979 NOVA CLUB COUPE *4695 •JK^Tusrsisscr — —iitzz 1976 CHRVROLIT NOVA 4995 ".. W— «—4. Ww, Mr