Sinner, unconverted sinner, you have often tried to save yourself, but you’ve often failed. You’ve tried by your own strength to control your sinful passions and actions, and I sympathize with you because all your efforts have been unsuccessful. And I warn you, they will continue to be unsuccessful because

you can never save yourself by your own strength; with all the effort you can muster, you can’t regenerate your own soul or cause yourself to be born again. Though the new birth is absolutely necessary, it’s absolutely impossible for you to achieve on your own unless the Holy Spirit does it.

Sometimes the brightest weather comes just after the rain has stopped, when the wind blows the clouds away, and the sun peeks out to brighten the earth with its rays. It’s the same with a Christian’s heart that has been tested. Sorrow doesn’t last forever;

after the storm of adversity comes the clear shining of joy. Dear believer who has been tried, remember this: After all your suffering, there remains a rest for the people of God.