Uh Christian, did your personal salvation experience just suddenly happen? Out of nowhere, or was God's grace at work in your life before you were born again? And if so, how? And what prompted him to do so?
Well, stay with us, listen, and learn. You're listening to Until He Comes, a blend of prophetic and practical biblical studies with Dr. Greg Hinnant. Author of the second coming of Christ, His Appearing, His Return, Our Preparation. And now, author and teacher, Greg Hennett.
Welcome to the broadcast. Today's message is taken from my devotional book, Sweeter Than Honey. My friend, as miraculous and sudden as spiritual rebirth is, it doesn't just happen. It always follows a divine drawing process. in John six forty four Jesus declared these monumental words, no man can And come to me.
Unless the Father who has sent me draws him. And in John 16, 14, he added this, speaking of the primary work of the Holy Spirit. He shall glorify me.
Now these two texts are spiritually linked. They're speaking of the same thing because it is as the Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus in the mind of the sinner. That sinner is being drawn by the Father straight to the feet of Jesus Christ. for salvation. This pre-conversion drawing is a gradual growing spiritual attraction, not to any religion or ritual.
not to any set of doctrines or particular Christian group. Or to or to Mary, but to Jesus alone. Again, his words are No man can come to me. unless the father draws him that is, draws him to me.
Now, this gracious spiritual stirring is the Father's sovereign will, unless the Father So The father's heart. is the source of this Spiritual. drawing process. to Jesus. It comes from the Father.
It's an expression of here's amazing powerful love. In Christian theology, this is known as prevena grace.
Now this teaches that God is actively involved In drawing every sinner to Christ long before that sinner consciously receives Him. A good case is John Wesley. John Wesley had been brought up in a wonderful Christian home under the tutelage of his. pastor father Samuel and his amazing mother, Susannah Wesley, who taught her children the Bible diligently and foreign languages. and John had gone to Oxford, and he was a graduate of Oxford, and he had been ordained as an Anglican priest, and he had been sent to Georgia, then the colony of Georgia in America.
to minister to the Native Americans He had some troubles there and he ended up coming back to England And during all of this time, though he was an ordained priest, in the church He did not know Jesus personally. But when his friend Peter Bowler invited him to a Moravian meeting on Altersgate Street, there he heard a reading of the introduction of Luther's Martin Luther's Commentary on the book of Romans. And as he listened to that introduction, as Luther was speaking of the Word of God. And being saved by grace through faith alone. Wesley said he believed for the first time that yes, Jesus had died for his sins, and And he sensed that his heart was suddenly being strangely warmed.
He was experiencing. Supernatural salvation.
So Wesley was being drawn from For years before he came to that moment. of being consciously converted. This preparation for salvation is a universal work of God. No man can come, or no man anywhere in the world can come to me, Jesus said, unless the Father draws him.
So it's not a Work of God that's limited to the Jewish people or any particular Gentile nation, but to the whole world. The whole world can receive Christ and it's this divine drawing process that leads them to Him. It is a necessary work of God. Without it, spiritual rebirth just does not occur. Notice Jesus said, No man can Can Come to me.
Unless the father drives me. No man. has the ability The capabilities succumb to me. without this drawing.
So it is absolutely necessary It is not a brief experience, it is a sustained process. No, Jesus said the Father draws him, that is, attracts him. Wooze him. allures him over time. to the feet of the Saviour.
It is the Holy Spirit's personal work, and it is quite supernatural. Springing not from random forces or even from human reason as we try to explain the faith to other people that has a part in it, but. but neither random force nor reasoning forces. Accomplish salvation, it is the release of redemption forces. specifically Jesus' cross in our prayers.
Now Jesus said, I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. John 12, 12. thirty two.
Now this verse has a dual application or meaning. He meant primarily he was going to the cross. They were going to physically lift him up on a wooden cross. And let it jolt and fall into the earth, And there he would hang naked, exposed, before the whole world for Jerusalem and its visitors. and he would die For all men there.
That's what he meant. Primarily, but there is a spiritual application that As The Holy Spirit, through ministers and evangelists, and through Christian witnesses. Speak of the glory of Christ, who He is. dissenters. Then in the sinner's minds, Jesus is being lifted up by the Holy Spirit.
So that they can be drawn to Jesus in conflict. Consciously converted. Our prayers are a necessary part of this also. Redemption force is not released. without our prayers.
specifically our daily intercessions for the lost, Oswald Chambers believed that it is through the intercession of the saints whom God has located all over the world that God would reach the world. I fully agree. As each one of us is praying for our circle of contacts, that is our the centers whom we know And as we're praying for them diligently, God is going to draw them to Him. Every soul of the world know But those for whom Believers pray. And those who are the elect.
They will be drawn.
Now as born again Christians intercede for sinners the spirit creates or stirs in the center A growing interest in Jesus. Day after day after day, The Holy Spirit softens Their hard hearts. He prompts curiosity in their previously incurious minds. and he plants thoughts that incline their wills to consider saving faith in Jesus. and to seriously, for the first time in their life, consider Living right.
according to Jesus' teachings. And as we continue presenting their names before God's throne, oh, Father, in Jesus' name, say Bill or Bob or Sally or George, and so forth, Their growing interest in Jesus becomes stronger and stronger. Why? This gracious loving drawing is the Heavenly Father's express will. In 2 Peter 3, verse 9, Peter said this of the Father's love.
He is not willing that any Should perish, but that all should perish. Should come to repentance.
Now Although being omniscient and the author of human free will, The father knows perfectly well that many will reject him and his son. and reject his sons free offer of salvation through his substitutionary death. and resurrection. If with full understanding of the spiritual and mental drawing process, we faithfully persist in intercession for the lost, just as the anonymous widow persisted in petitioning an unjust judge in Jesus' parable in Luke eighteen one through eight, God will periodically In his love and faithfulness. show us open signs That he has been listening to us.
And he has been answering us in the secret place of prayer. Just as Jesus said in Matthew 6, verse 4, your Father who sees in secret will reward you. openly. Friends, we must learn to keep our faith soundly grounded in Jesus' biblical promises and his unfailingly faithful character alone. This will mean That we not trust in these visible signs of answered prayer.
though these small visible indicators are sweet blessings, that's for sure. We must not trust in them. They are Jesus' way of encouraging us to continue believing. in the Holy Spirit's ongoing invisible drawing work in the spiritual realm in response to our sustained prayers in the natural realm.
So they're wonderful and they're sweet. but we must not trust in these visible indicators that God is at work in the labs of those for whom we pray. Here are some examples of these small visible indicators of hidden prayer. For instance, those for whom we intercede begin asking questions about Jesus. Who was he?
Was he really God in human flesh? And is he coming back? We've heard that he's coming back. Is this true?
Some have told us that these are the end times. Is this true?
Is Jesus coming back to the earth? When those for whom you pray begin asking questions like this, friend, be encouraged. These are obvious signs that the Holy Spirit is drawing them to Jesus. Or they start reading the Bible. though for many years they never paid any attention to it, or perhaps they mocked and denounced the Bible as a book of foolish myths.
Well, when you see them start reading the Bible, you know the Holy Spirit. is drawing them to Jesus. Or they begin attending church. When for a long time they repeatedly swore they would never set foot in any church building of any kind. Or attend Any kind of a religious meaning.
Yes, suddenly. you see them quietly begin to go to church. Listen to the word of God being preached. Participate in worship of God, even though they don't personally know Him yet. This is a Wonderful indication that the Holy Spirit is working in their life.
Or they soften their attitudes toward family members, coworkers or other people with whom they've held a long, bitter disagreement or grudge. Suddenly, they begin to be nice to them. They begin to speak gently instead of harshly to them. And instead of arguing with them, they just talk with them about various things. This is a great sign.
God is softening their hearts, preparing their hearts to have the word. The God's Word, the seed of eternal life, planted. in those softened hearts. This month, for a gift of any amount, we are offering one of Dr. Hinnant's three devotionals, Not By Bread Alone, which offers 122 spiritually rich biblical messages designed to refresh your heart, strengthen you in your daily trials, and help satisfy and increase your thirst.
For more of Jesus. For a gift of $60 or more, we'll send you the complete four-volume hidden end times prophecy collection: the second coming of Christ, the tribulation story, Revelation Notes, a verse-by-verse commentary on Revelation. And the Day of the Lord commentary, which interprets all Old Testament prophecies and foreshadowings of the end times. You may give your gift today by visiting the donation page at Greg Hannah. Hinnant Ministries.org or sending your checks to Greg Hennant Ministries, P.O.
Box 788-5. High Point, North Carolina. 27260 or by calling 336-882-1645. And if you are a Logos Bible Software user, you may purchase The Second Coming of Christ, the Day of the Lord Commentary, and Revelation Notes from the Logos Online Bookstore.
Now, again, Dr. Hinnant. Or they become dissatisfied. with sand. For years they were satisfied with the brief fleeting, fleshly and carnal satisfactions of sand.
But now They no longer get satisfaction. or evil thrill. From their sin like they used to.
Something is working. Yes, the Holy Spirit is working in them. And they can no longer be satisfied with Unholiness. Or the fear or awe of God begins coming upon them and. Suddenly with no one standing over them and rebuking them, and telling them you're going to go to hell They sense deeply within their hearts, quietly, yet increasingly, that If they continue living in sin, In immorality, dishonesty and hatred.
Their eternity will be very unpleasant. Let me share my testimony. I was saved. Powerfully. powerfully converted.
in the fall. of nineteen seventy two. But Not long after that, I would say about two months after that, no more than that, I was stumbled by something that happened in my experience, and I began to get disillusioned with Christ, my new faith in Christ, and I fell away. And uh fell back into the sins of the flesh. About a year and a half later, when I was a Freshman.
at Appalachian State University studying music. All of a sudden, I heard a message on the second coming. It was a powerful message. And as I listened, and listen to it repeatedly. The fear of the Lord began to come upon me, the awe of God And you know, I knew that If I continued living the way I was living, I believed I would lose my salvation and go to hell.
Now, I didn't have anyone standing over me saying, now. If you've been saved, you can live any way you want to, and nothing you do can change your eternal status. I'm so glad I did not have someone. To put that teaching in my head at that crucial moment. No, the fear of God was telling me that my eternity would be very unpleasant if I kept living in sin.
So I repented I turned about. I began seeking the Lord. I remember getting up at five o'clock in the morning at what was then Justice Residence Hall. It's been torn down in another. Residence hall has been built.
Where it formerly was. But I remember those mornings getting up at five o'clock in the morning in the dark there in the mountains and seeking the Lord and praying and It was an amazing turnabout in my life, and it was all because. the fear of the Lord came upon me, and that was because my mother had been praying and fasting for me. I remember that. Just as if it occurred yesterday.
Or those for whom you pray become disenchanted with false religion, seeing it for what it is, just an elaborate religious system devised to enchant them and make them imagine that if they try. Hard enough, they can earn their salvation by doing good works or keeping sacraments or repeating creeds ad infinitum.
So when you see people become disenchanted with empty religion and false religion, that's a wonderful sign. They're being drawn toward not religion, but the Redeemer. Or they suddenly abandon atheistic theories, finally acknowledging that God is real. And that his personal creator signature is evident all over the universe. from the awe-inspiring immensity and exquisite order of the planets, to the amazing organization, intelligence and energy in the smallest unit of life.
a single cell. Today, my friend, at this very moment, while you listen to me, You may be seeing these or other signs of answered prayer in the lives of those for whom you have been praying. When you see these positive spiritual indicators, it is absolutely vital. that you not stop Praying. Instead, acknowledge to the Father that you see his mighty hand at work and offer him thanks, profusely thank him.
Then At that moment, don't stop praying. Instead, pray even more consistently. Don't miss one day. confident that a final saving breakthrough will eventually occur. In the life of the one for whom you're praying.
Now, what does that final saving breakthrough look like?
Well, God arranges a pivotal converting circumstance or event.
Something that causes this gradual invisible process of attraction to Jesus to suddenly birth. A distinct Visible, audible, undeniable conversion to Christ. Which is If genuine always involves true True repentance, that is, they People turn from their sin, they do not continue in it. And it involves faith in Jesus. They begin to believe in who Jesus is.
combined with a joyous determination to learn how to obey him, And follow him. the rest of their lives. When you see this, you know A person has been saved. This drawing process has produced a birth.
Something that was not there before, supernatural and eternal in duration. Here are some things that God may use to trigger new birth experiences, the gospel being preached. There is no salvation without the Word of God. though seed has to be planted before the crop can come. When evangelists verbally lift up Jesus and his sacrificial death on the cross, God's power.
Power, the power of the Holy Spirit. draws men and women to the to Christ Lift it up. And sinners begin to fear God. Believe His word, confess their sins and make reconciliation with those they have wronged, and receive Jesus as their personal Savior. Bible teaching is also important.
When anointed Bible teachers explain God's words, those words grip. Sinners' hearts. They pierce and grip their hearts and captivate them with God's convicting, converting grace or testimonies. This is powerful. when Christians just stand up and tell others who Jesus is.
Or what he's done for them, how he's changed their life. Often the surliest, most stubborn goats Repent? And become gentle, loving sheep of Jesus Christ, and they enter the Good Shepherd's Falk. Testimony is a powerful force. Or observing the conversion of relatives or friends.
When sinners Closest acquaintances, their family members or friends, suddenly. From disbelief to discipleship? Often the spirit Suddenly left them. From the floodwaters of sand. Into the ark of Christ.
It was when Andrew converted that Peter converted. And it was when James joined Jesus' following that John did also. And you at this very moment may be observing That The sinner for whom you're praying has seen another person in his or her life convert to Christ, and you see that. powerfully impacting them. Or observing notable conversions when notorious sinners such as Nicodemus or Saul of Tarsus suddenly become humble Christians.
Many are impacted suddenly. The woman at the wells about face through her entire city to the Saviour in John chapter four. When the violent gang leader Nikki Cruz repented and received Christ in the nineteen sixties, other murderous and trouble youths Who had been bound for hell. Followed Cruz's example and his path to heaven through Jesus alone. If you want to read more about that, I encourage you to purchase David Wilkerson's classic book, The Cross and the Switchblade.
Or loving, unified churches. When sinners who are disillusioned with unchrist-like Christians and churches or our hatefully divided society see loving, unified, humble, churches and congregations, they begin taking note of this. And soon they become convinced that Jesus is who He says He is. and they believe in him, the only lasting unifier. Just as he prayed and predicted that the churches would be unified in him, so that the world may believe.
This is his prayer in John seventeen, twenty one and twenty three. The early church's amazing, durable, unselfish and Christlike unity won Jerusalem. To the Savior, thousands and thousands converted because of the unity of the church. and expressions of divine love When sinners, especially those who have wronged us, see us react to them in God's forgiving, unselfish love, soon the goodness of God. In us, through us.
leads them straight to repentance and straight to God, straight to the Saviour's feet. When the Apostle Paul surprisingly gave up his chance to escape unjust and cruel incarceration just to spare the Philippian jailer's life, The Philippian jailer saw what Paul had done, And he believed on Paul's God, and he and his whole family promptly received Jesus. O'er healing sands and wonders Once reported, Christ's healings drew thousands to him and his teaching in the Galilee. The early churches sign in wonders attested to Christ's resurrection. The apostles' authenticity and their message is truthfulness, and many thousands of desperately lost souls wondered and ran together to receive Jesus.
Today, whenever Christ's compassionate miracles through His body of the church are recognized, they still convince and convert. Even the hardest centers to faith in Christ. Other things that convert people to the Lord are Delivered demoniacs. When people see those who have been long bound with demons suddenly free, boy, it's a powerful force. Or Christian endurance when sinners see Christians endure their trials of faith.
They are encouraged to repent and believe on Jesus.
So, friend, believe in this divine drawing process. When you see it at work in those for whom you pray, continue to pray and believe in this wonderful process. that Christ We are so glad you tuned into the broadcast. In our next episode, we will present another message from one of my three devotionals, specifically on the universal and deadly sin of self-pity: where it comes from. How it is stirred, its powerfully destructive effects, and most importantly, how to be rid of it.
Be sure to listen with a friend. If this message has blessed you, tell your friends and please consider helping us stay on the air by sending your tax-deductible donation to Greg Hennett Ministries. Also, remember, you may download the Until He Comes podcast from your preferred podcast app. May you walk closely with Christ and trust and obey Him in your daily tests of faith and patience until He Comes. This is the Truth Network.
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