And again we must consider why one truely believes and the other does not.

Let me tell you a story about John the Satanist, Don the Pseudo-christian, and James the True Believer.

John grew up a son of Pagan parents. Lived a selfish life. Experiemented with drugs, bi-sexuality and embraced the occult. He was never exposed to Biblical Christianity. He heard the name Jesus but was never interested in the Bible or Christianity in general and was ingorant of the truths that lied therein. He lived and died a secular-humanist-satanist type and embraced gross & outward sin & inquity throughout his life.

Then you have Don the pseudo-christian. He lived a good life. He gave to the poor, he participated in youth-groups, he embraced CCM and went to praise and worship concerts. He was a follower of Benny Hinn. He spread the message to everyone wherever he went that God Loves You! He didn't care that nobody responded to his message and were typically annoyed with him. Bascially Don embraced a whole christian-culture. The only problem is Don never felt himself to be a sinner. He never felt lost. He liked the feel-good preaching and message that runs rampant today and the whole culture associated with this particular brand of feel-good christianty but he never felt himself to be a hellworthy sinner and never truely repented for the sins and inquities that lied in his heart. He had bosom sins, secret sins that he continued to embrace throughout his life but he kept them hidden and never felt a need to flea from them and toward GOd that he may be released from the bondage of these sins and the evil and corruption that lied in his heart.

Lastly, we have James. James was pretty much your average guy. He never really had much time or interest in Christinaity even though his parents were stict Roman Catholics. He went to church once in a while, mostly on Holidays. He went to CCD growing up. He would even pray for his favorite football team to win every Sunday, which is how he spent most of his Sundays (watching the games with his friends). AS he got older he spent much of his time engaged in secular pursuits, going to the bars/happy hours after work and on weekends and he would frequent strip clubs on a regular basis. It wasn't until he had a nervous breakdown, that his world began to fall apart. He lost his job, was overcome with anxiety and depression and no longer took pleasure in the things he had before. TO make a long story short one of his friends was a Reformed Christian - this was a friend that James had not had much use for in the past but when times got tough he started to read the Bible and found a small amount of light thru all the bleakness he was experiencing - he called his Reformed CHristian friend and opened up to him. He started to ask many spiritual questions and eventually went to church with this person. He met the minister who not only gave him Christian counsel but also struggled with the same type of psychological difficulties in the past in his own life. Not only did James start to feel spiritually fullfilled but he started to feel better physically and mentally. He now spent most of his sparetime reading the Bible and having fellowship with like minded Christians. HE embraced the doctrine of total depravity and felt truely repentant for his sinful life and had a true desire for mecry, forgiveness and obedience to the Lord. He eventually meets his wife in the Chruch and remains a faithful servant until his death. James died a converted man and was thankful to God for delivering him from his former life and granting him the free and unmerited and undeserving gift of saving grace!


The mercy of God is necessary not only when a person repents, but even to lead him to repent, Augustine