God knew the worst about you.

God knew the worst about you when he accepted you for Jesus' sake; and the verdict which he passed then was, and is, final. -- J.I. Packer

STAINS IN OUR BEST

"Our prayers have stains in them, our faith is mixed with unbelief, our repentance is not so tender as it should be, our communion is distant and interrupted. We cannot pray without sinning, and there is filth even in our tears."

~C.H. Spurgeon

GOD'S FREEDOM FOR INEQUALITY

Did God look down the corridors of time and see a choice of Abram or Moses or David or John or Saul and determine to make them the father, prophet, king, forerunner...among the 6 million plus peers in their respective generations? What a tremendous blessing not granted to their peers. Apparently God quote fore-knew that the rest were all going to reject his equal offer, attempt, and effort. (tongue-in-cheek)

‎"God is not obligated to save anybody, to make any special act of grace, to draw anyone to Himself. He could leave the whole world to perish, and such would be a righteous world to perish, and such would be a righteous judgment"

~ R.C Sproul

GIFT OF GOD

"Church growth, if it is genuine, is not a human achievement; it is a gift of God. There is therefore no place for rivalry, for jealousy, or for boasting."

Lesslie Newbigin

GIVES YOU

"I frequently hear persons exhorted to give their hearts to Christ...But that is not the Gospel. Salvation comes from something that Christ gives you, not something that you give to Christ."

~Charles Spurgeon

I DID.

Puzzling. How were you born again?

God told me to repent. I did.
God told me to believe. I did.
God told me to be baptized. I did.
God told me to trust Jesus. I did.
God told me to confess my sins. I did.
God told me to accept his offer. I did.

How were you born again? Because of what I did.

Pieces all fit together: Works Salvation.

NO BASIS

God made man upright the first time by His own power. Adam has no basis to think his own decision was the basis of his standing. God makes the sheep new creations the second time by His own power. Sinners have no basis to think their own decision was the basis of their new standing, [rather, so much the less (basis).]

GARMENTS OF SKIN

Gen 3:21 And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

What did Adam do to deserve this skin covering? Some good work? Some response to an offer? Make a Decision?

RAINBOW

Gen 8:21 And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. //

What did men do to deserve this mercy of continued life? Make a Decision? Accept an offer? Do a Good work?

CAIN

Gen 4:15 Then the LORD said to him, "Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. // What did murderous Cain do to deserve this protection from God??? Some good works??? Some response to an offer of God???