A Reason For Living — Fred Krauss

Very nice to see you. Thank you for coming, especially those who have made an effort to come over many miles. We do appreciate that in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Tonight will conclude my week-long visit with the assembly.

I appreciate their hospitality and their care and their kindness and we'll having come to know you will pray for you and. And For the gospel outreach and if this is your first time here in this hall, don't let it be the last time.

This is a place where Christians gather who have experienced salvation. And all they are interested in is not winning to you not winning you to church or to system. All they're interested in winning you to the person of Christ.

God's Self-Revelation in Christ and Scripture

Now as announced the tonight I would like to relate to you my personal story of conversion. And I want to read with you first of all a few verses in the gospel of John chapter 1. John's gospel chapter 1 and verse 1 in the beginning was the Word and The Word was with God and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and Without him was not anything made that was made. Notice God's revelation in and through creation. Now verse 17. For the law was given by Moses God's revelation.

Through the law his moral revelation. Let's read on. But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Third revelation. Grace not works. Revelation, please. Chapter 15 verse 4. Revelation 15 verse 4. Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorify thy name for thou only art holy.

For all nations shall come and worship before thee and that's the reason now for thy judgments are made manifest. God's revelation Through judgment. So we have clearly Read this evening that God has revealed himself.

In other words, you can know him. No excuse. I See people find it rather difficult to believe that God is so hard to get to know not tell you why. As the Savior has proclaimed while he was here that God in the past in order to reveal himself sent prophets.

The people killed him. For they did not like the message that the prophets proclaimed then the Savior said finally God sent his well-beloved son. Think in no doubt and That they would reverence his son, but they killed Christ too.

Why. Because they didn't like what he said and the Apostles too we know that history reveals that all the Apostles likely except John they were Martyred just to say why people didn't like what they said now that may be your reaction tonight for you see I am going to tell you some of my Experiences since childhood.

The Four Truths Convicting a Sinner

I'll tell you why. Because although salvation takes place at a flash of a moment within one second. But conviction or recognition as to why we need Christ may take weeks month even years. So I never heard the gospel until I came to Canada which took place in the late 50s.

So I must by necessity go back to my childhood days when God began to deal with me now. Let's be unmistakably clear this evening if ever and I don't know you some of you. If ever you want to be in God's heaven, you have to be sure about four or five things.

First of all God will have to show you that You're a sinner. That's right. God will have to reveal to you what sin is in his sight never mind in the sight of others. God will have to reveal to ensure you that this book is true from cover to cover.

You cannot afford to pick and choose. What I mean by this is this. Some folks have no difficulty believing in heaven, but they don't believe in hell if that's your case. You'll never see heaven. You'll never get saved.

For see Jesus taught both equally spoke more of heaven and more of hell than of heaven. You have to learn that this is the authoritative reliable inspired scriptures. God breathed and he cannot afford to pick and choose what you like and what you don't he threw out.

God will have to teach you that not only You and I are sinners, but God will teach you that he is a judge and not you. For see we meet thousands of people and they judge everything by what they like. Look when you when you come to the go to the God of the Bible when you come to the Old and New Testament.

You're standing accused in the dark and God is your judge. See. And then you have to learn that both heaven and hell is real and you have to learn that you cannot save yourself. That's a critical time and Then ultimately what you will learn or accept is a fact that salvation is not by works.

But by grace and faith in the Lord Jesus as the Redeemer. See, let's be plain about these things. For that's what the Bible teaches. Now, let's start. I have to go back to my childhood days. You see God has revealed himself and he will deal with you.

He will deal with me. But the question is will you accepts God will you accept God's testimony. All of the only thing I do remember along the red religious line was when I was six and seven or eight years of age.

We lived in the mountain area of Silesia, which is now Poland, but before the Second World War was East Germany or Germany my dear mother she Took us to a Protestant Sunday school. But that was good, but all we learned was the Ten Commandments that was good but not good enough.

I Do remember the Sunday school teacher was a young woman and every Sunday she drilled into us the catechism. Oh thou shalt not thou shalt thou shalt not thou shalt not and she provided a good foundation.

However, they never told us how to be saved. They never told us God loved us. They never told us that Christ died for us. It's a personal thing. They never did you see that's all they had the Ten Commandments.

Now I'd like to say for clarification. In case there's somebody here tonight and you believe in the golden rule in order to take it to heaven. You're sadly mistaken. I like to present to you a threefold reason why the law was given first of all Romans Says the law was given that every mouth might be stopped and all the world become guilty.

That's the convicting reason of the law. James says the law was given that we might see ourselves as in a mirror and recognize Who we are sinners? Paul writing to the Galatians says the law of Moses had an educational purpose.

To teach us something that is we cannot keep the law. Oh, come on. I want to ask you personal question. Have you kept the law come on there? You see oh how foolish to believe in the golden rule and to think that the golden rule will take him to heaven when there are Things in your life, you know for a while you've broken the law.

I don't have to go into details. And your friends tonight. I want to show you that the law of Moses God breathed authorized by God today's just as valid as it was given three thousand five hundred years ago because Their spiritual leaders and they say the laws absolutely says who?

Christ taught That God will accept Every sin that men and women commit boys and girls. The law today is just as much as in force as it was when it was given. It was given that we might recognize that we need a Redeemer.

But the laws totally Insufficient to take us to heaven the law just shows us up what we are now. This is what I learned. Lesson number one God's holiness. But alert something else. That's one of the fundamental truth of the Bible and I learned it when I was the age of these boys and girls sitting right In the front row.

I learned one of the chief truth from the Bible that man is totally morally depraved. Totally sinful you say how did you learn that? She was only nine years of age when the war was over. When I was a teenager Reflecting upon those terrible years that took the lives of 60 million people from 1917 till 1945.

War, Human Depravity, and the Absence of Peace

You see I couldn't help but begin to think for see when you hear the artillery and you and and hundreds of bombers flying over your town and Destruction on every hand whole cities like Madison imagine 85 bomb thousands of people died in one night.

I Didn't recognize it when I was nine years of age. But when I was a teenager, I'm going ahead of myself and began to look for the answers. I Could never understand how so-called now listen carefully how so-called Christian nations Could war each others and kill themselves by the millions and remain Christian.

That's a downright hypocrisy. There's no Christianity in that I couldn't accept it. Not that I'm a judge. You see it doesn't make sense. Christ came as a prince of peace. Oh. You say this world has no no peace exactly.

Since the second war we've had 50 wars and it's getting worse and worse and worse. Look at any given family. Tell me is there peace and tranquility? How come so many families are splitting up? Look at the communal picture look at the world picture look at the international scene there is no peace and there will never be peace until individuals accept the Prince of Peace and You see because two thousand years ago the world in its systems Crucified the Prince of Peace there will be no peace until they receive them individually though.

There's no such thing as nations being Christian. Well doesn't history told told you that didn't it? As a teenager, I found that out. I'm going ahead of myself. So here was I learned the total depravity of the human race when one day there was a notice given all men.

Our women and children had to leave the town the Russians were coming. And I'm not going to single out the communists the Russians have the bad boys. Because I'm not talking to you as a German. I'm not talking to as an American.

I'm talking to you as a born-again Christian now. It is true that along the line of history Certain nations are more depraved than others and they will be judged by it. But there's not one nation who can say that we are Christian land including America.

Not to talk. Only he or she can claim to be a Christian who knows Christ. You see I travel in the Middle East quite a number of times and the Jewish people turn around. He said her you call this Christianity they butchered us by the millions.

I told them no born-again Christian would ever kill a Jew. My personally my greatest friend was a Jew the Savior. Oh. Once you're Christian you have a different outlook altogether in history. I Learned one of the fundamental truth of the Bible that total depravity the human race.

Then ultimately the enemy overtook us the higher Escalon officers. Recognizing that there would be no mercy for them. They committed suicide. I was only nine year old boy, and I'm going to say something gruesome because you see that God used it to wake me up.

You could see any day in 1945 you could see bodies floating down the river by the hundreds screams at night. Rape torture murder a life didn't mean that much. Just like that enemies foes cauldron of humanity war unleashes the basis of human feelings.

She had left a lasting impression after all. You see mothers Bury their children malnutrition. Some people didn't even get a decent burial. So this is what I saw when I was nine years of age. That left a lasting impression when I was a teenager I had to get to the root of it.

Nazism, Communism, and the Reformation

Well then Although I never heard the gospel, but during those years When I was six seven and eight years of age The devil made a bid for my soul and that was through the philosopher Philosophical teaching of of Nazism they tried their best to make us party functionaries.

I was too young To imbibe it. I was too young to assimilate it and as soon as the war was over the communist having taken the country they indoctrinated us twice a week with the doctrines of communism and they tried to Make us party functionaries again.

I was too young again to fully understand their policies and so on but both systems are Originated by the devil himself now had I made the statement 50 years ago in relation to my own country. They would have shot me.

Oh, yes. It is very difficult. I say That any German man over 60 years of age now who was part of the satanic system Nazism. It is not impossible, but very difficult to win him to Christ. You see because the system taught you are your own God the Bible is totally unreliable.

That's what they taught. It's just a myth Moses and so on you cannot go by it. And by the way as a child of God as a Christian now as I study history I come to an amazing discovery. Oh Friend tonight to expand your mind as to the truth that is before you 500 years ago in the country that ache I came from the Reformation was born Martin Luther and others in Bohemia in Switzerland in England God moved mightily upon the hearts of a few individuals Who preached the pure gospel of the grace of God and thus thousands were delivered from a terrible oppressive religious system?

They got into the freedom of knowing their sins forgiven. They got into the wonderful relationship that a child of God enjoys with God in a personal way. They they got to know Jesus Christ as their Savior.

That was 500 years ago as a result of the Reformation men aspire to Spiritual things this is why after these 500 years there was such a renaissance in the arts in the music and so on. You see people turning to God affects people in every aspect morally culturally socially in every way.

Darkness and spiritual ignorance will bring men and women into terrible darkness as well as nations now follow me. That was the Reformation wonderful for the country. But only 350 years later on Europe, especially Germany plunged into an awful Sphere of spiritual darkness and the movement was created which we have come to know as the movement of higher criticism religious people sad enough military men University deans and professors looked at the Bible and condemned it as the inspired Word of God.

And a whole nation per se turned away from the inspired scriptures, you know what the result was the country intellectually culturally to a certain degree certainly spiritually. Plunged into darkness and men grope for the light.

Three Questions About Human Existence

Easy friend without digressing if you recognize. Or try to find out the purpose in life. Your relation to God you have to answer three basic questions. I Faced it millions of people have. Question number one.

Tell me where did mankind come from? Where did we originate from? Hmm. You cannot hold both evolution and creation. It's impossible. Question number two most relevant I say it to thousands of young people in this country who because of the vacuum in the life have turned to sin and drugs.

And have nothing. Question number two. What's the purpose of the existence? Why do you live? Come on now? What's the purpose of it? Quest number three most relevant in these days when even scientists point to the ultimate a cataclysmic judgment.

Where is mankind headed for come on? Have you're thinking about it? Where is the whole human race headed for three questions you have to answer? Come back now. Higher criticism when in Germany people turned against the word there was a spiritual vacuum man searched philosophical systems and ultimately a man came on the scene who Propagated the idea of men in a soup and Superman.

His name was Friedrich Nietzsche. And this man produced in turn a man by the name of Adolf Hitler. Who not recognizing or accepting the truth of God fell into terrible darkness and that resulted ultimately in world war number two.

Did that make the picture plain? You see a friend God will hold a nation responsible for either rejecting or accepting Christ. God will hold you responsible. What you do not with a church system nor with the faith of your father's God will hold you personally responsible.

What you have done with Christ? You see there's no church system that will bring it to God. Jesus the only mediator between God and men. No pastor. No priest. No preacher. No evangelist died for you. We can't save you.

We need to save yourselves. Oh Yes, Oh friend salvation is a personal link a personal trust a personal belief in Jesus Christ as your own personal savior. I'll come to that by and by so here was The total depravity of the human race.

Oh, I say I remember scenes. I'll never forget them throughout eternity. The law. Yes, God's moral revelation. I learned that as a six seven year old and that convicted me when I was in my teens when I come to my teen Years for the benefit of teenagers in just a moment.

Escaping East Germany and Searching for Purpose

I Learned the awfulness of sin all round about me. So then after the war was over we settled in what was up until two years ago, East Germany. But the situation was such unless you join the Communist Party, which we didn't want to do.

You never get ahead in business or you never get a job. So we didn't like the idea at all. So my mother made Attempts to get out of the country at this particular time thousands upon thousands of East Germans fled the country illegally.

They were smuggled across the border. The government would not give them exit visas. Anyone who had half a brain to see what was going on they cleared out. But I see we couldn't go we never got a visa nor would never get a passport.

So ultimately we went to the border station mother secured the help of a discharged customs official and in the middle of the night It was May 1948 under the danger of our lives. We were smuggled across.

It was country similar to Wisconsin rather hilly. At this time the Communists had not built what we have come to know as the Iron Curtain in later years that was extremely Difficult if not impossible to cross because they had mines electronic detection gear dogs armed guards searchlights and Everything else almost impossible.

But in those days all they had is about 150 feet of denuded bush. The forest and we just had to wait for cover of darkness and at the any given moment. We had to make a dash as fast as we could across the border and we were safe in what we call the American zone now for a little while and you see I'm only telling these things to Relate to you that certain of these experiences God used to lay a foundation now.

The recognition that you cannot keep the law is not salvation in itself. You'll see won't you in a little while? I'm going to come to the climax but these things all God used to bring before me. Basic truth, which at that time I did not gather from the book.

See what God can teach you in life. So now I'm going to talk about my teen years. Glad to see you young man. Very glad to see you. But I'm going to tell you something the teen years are the most important years in your life.

The Moral and Spiritual Danger of Youth

Don't have to repeat it. The teen years are extremely important. You know why? You see young man young woman you stand at the threshold of discovery. You stand at the threshold of looking for the purpose in life.

Let me tell you something. If as a young boy or girl or teenager You do not yield to the Savior the likelihood is that the devil of the world and sin will get a hold of you. That is knowing the gospel.

That's right. That's why we stress it. We can save boys and girls and teenagers. But this is why we stress again and again trust Christ while you're young. I Know the grace of God can reach and save you in your 80s.

But you see we have found out this that the older men and women get the more settled and the more willful and the more obstinate they become. The more and more they're guided by their own settled opinion and not the Word of God you see because you get sick.

You've heard the old adage haven't you it is easy to bend a young tree, but you try it with an eight-year-old oak. Ho boys and girls young teenagers yield to Christ. While your mind is receptive and before you get into this awful wicked world.

Too many have been absorbed by sin and evil. There's awful more licentiousness that we see all across the country. It's getting worse and worse and worse. See the teen years are years of searching the teen years are years of life commitment.

All remains to be seen when the devil gets a hold of you and you get into that company how you will turn out a Life that knows a person that knows the Lord Jesus certainly is sheltered and preserved. God had preserved me for many a thing and I lived what I call a moral clean upright life.

But that's not the reason why God saved me. Come to that in just a little while. See the teen years and in my teen years. I tried to get the purpose in life and I investigated certain religious systems.

There's nothing absolutely nothing ritual dead stiff ceremony no life. No truth, no substance. Just outward. So then I turned for a little while to politics talking about corruption evil then to culture.

Then I had thought well There's one avenue hadn't tried because in those days the wages in the old country in the 50s were rather meager. I made five dollars not an hour. Not a day a week. That's all I got five dollars a week.

So I'd set my state and my vision to come to Canada at this particular time. They were representatives of her majesty's government who went to Europe trying to solicit young people who? Were willing to come to Canada not afraid of hard work.

And so I thought well, I'll go and you know have nothing to lose and I got my physical exam and passed it and before long I said goodbye to my mom and dad and I do remember I never saw dad cry before but here he said goodbye to his 19 year old boy a tear trickled down his cheek.

Dad was never given to emotions, you know in the light of Parenthood. When your son or daughter leaves not never mind to the next town, but to another continent and you don't know what's going to happen.

Mother says well Fred we were always able to trust you and I'm sure you'll be able to make it. Neither mom nor dad were saved and So here was said goodbye and I came to this country. You see behind the scenes.

God was moving. I Didn't know it. God can bring circumstances in your life. Just the same by the way. You see preacher. Does my experience have to be the same as yours a thousand times? No. You see there are many ways that lead to Christ now like to clarify that.

Because people say many roads lead to God. That's nonsense. That's not scriptural and Some say well, you know, it's like the spokes of the wheel we come all different ways that is not taught in the Bible.

There are many ways that lead to Jesus, but only Christ leads to God. You see the African may come a different way. The criminal might come a different way. Oh, yes, the blood of Christ can save criminals.

The Savior intimated that the people who live Robin sinful lives Possibly likely will yield to the Savior quicker than the self-righteous. You see in the days of Christ the self-righteous people and they hid behind a religious system.

They hid behind Judaism. They hid behind immorality but oh as soon as the Savior tore away the veneer of religion and Pointed out the sins that they carried on in spite of religion. They got raging mad.

By the way, tell me who crucified Christ. Come on who crucified Christ not the common people. Basically the religious leaders. Oh, he exposed them. And you see when you have your sin exposed There's one or the other thing you can do either yield to Christ or fight Christ.

And the final analysis it wasn't the Jews not the Gentiles who crucified Christ, you know what the Bible says. It's your sins in mind that nailed the Savior to the cross. He died for your sins. So here was Trying to come to Canada making your life.

Immigration, Poverty, and God’s Providence

I Have to inform you about certain details aboard the boat. I Had saved up enough money at $65, which in the 1950s was like 300 today. But on board the boat somebody got a hold of my wallet and stole most of it and left me $7.

Must have been a kind and considerate thief $7. So I had no other choice to disembark in Montreal. I had at this time in my possession a little motor scooter and At a little three horsepower motor scooter that little thing took me 120 miles to the gallon.

I wish I had kept it with the gas prices. I need a thing now. All right, so I made it from Montreal to Toronto and all I had at my possession Of course other than personal possession was a letter of introduction to a certain Protestant pastor Who was a friend to our neighbor who was a pharmacist in Frankfurt on Germany?

Now, of course, I was too proud to tell him my dire need and It's amazing what God can do in the basement of the church. There are two elderly ladies their husbands were apparently elders and One looked me over as only mother came because I had just got into terrible thunderstorm before I went to church.

But only two dollars in my pocket you see even before I was converted. I had to live on faith. She said young man, how long have you been in this country said I just arrived this very morning Chris number two.

Do you have a place to stay? No. Well, she said we have a room in the basement. If you don't mind you can have it. I Never asked her. She didn't know my circumstances. Oh, God was good. So she took me home and she never asked me for rent until I had a job and that was my first concern.

I did get a job the next day. So here I was in Canada and trying to be happy and content by becoming rich. You see I thought that was life. Come on, how about you tonight? I'm sure didn't have to tell you it's not the attainment of wealth that will bring ultimate happiness.

Oh. Tell me in God's name. Wealth cannot purchase heaven it can purchase a beautiful home a long holiday a Cadillac. But never a way to heaven cannot be purchased. And I know people who are incredibly rich, but they're just about as tough and hard as a brick or stone.

No, it's not richest friend. So here was and I began to really wonder now because I realized it isn't a job. It isn't money. So I thought well. It's the North country. I always loved nature. That's why I like your country.

So I purchased a little car purchased a little inflatable rubber craft. Purchased a gun purchased fishing gear and head up to Northern Ontario to find peace With God whoever he is in the northern bush.

You know, you can't trust too many people. I had no friends at this particular time had been this country for a year. Have you ever taken a little rubber craft and go to remote island spend the night all by yourself.

All you hear see owls. You open the tent on the morning first thing you see six o 'clock in the morning six foot snake. I thought I better get out of here so I made it back to Toronto and In my search for the truth, you know one day.

Oh, it's amazing. I didn't know God. I didn't know Jesus a Savior, but one day so walked along the street. You know what I did. I lifted my heart to God and I said this to myself. I said Oh God if there's a God in heaven show me the way because I don't know it.

I didn't know well to me. God was so irrelevant. God was a million miles in space, but I turned to him because I said well if there's a God that they talk about. I Said God help me and he did. Yes, he did through a set of circumstances I was forced to move into a downtown area which I didn't like because of the color of the people that lived there but it was just exactly this place where God had on Wednesday evening a number of Evangelical brethren as well as sisters who preached the gospel and after my work ended at 2 o 'clock in the afternoon I had the whole afternoon Open to myself.

So I walked up and down the streets and finally came to part. It was in September 1957 58. Sorry. So it's somebody shouting. I thought well, it's a fight and she's gonna win. That was a fight. All right.

Because you see these brethren preached the gospel of the grace of God and looking back now I know full well that God had a plan in an eternity by gone. You see friend the principle is this If there's a seeking soul, I say a seeking soul not a resisting sinner.

If there's a person on the right hand on the left hand side and you know What do you want to know Jesus a Savior you want to have this peace? Peace with God you want to be right with God. I say if that's your desire God will move all heaven.

He's promised that. For seeking Savior and a seeking sinner must meet. Christ says if you ask it shall be given if you knock it shall be opened. If you Seek you will find a lot of people rebel a lot of people do resist a lot of people.

They fight the truth. So here for the first time I met people they preach the gospel. You know, I do not remember what the communists taught us. Forgotten the whole thing. I do not remember what the Nazis taught us but over 30 years ago, I Remember nearly everything what these men taught in the open air.

They preached the gospel. I thought that's strange. These people don't have clergy go guard. They handle a Bible. They look like to meet folks from different walks of life. One was only 18 the oldest was 65 and they all have the same message very simple man is a sinner.

Man is proud. They'll storm God's throne. Only Christ can save the world is doomed to judgment. Only Jesus can save simple truth. So after the meeting I Said in the little bench over on on the side. Two young men detached themselves and made a beeline or beeline right for me and I thought oh, I'm gonna get it now.

When the spokesman came along likable young fella. And he didn't know my ethnical background he said we saw you sitting through the whole open-air service and He he made a very wise approach. He didn't just you know, preach a little father.

He said what do you think of our preaching? It gave me a chance to express myself. And he didn't know my that I was no Expert in the English language at the time. I said you boys are right. Because you see intellectually grasped the truth that they had proclaimed because When I was a boy, I was brought face to face with the ten commandments which convicts and can save.

As a boy of nine I was brought face to face with the reality of sin. And as a teenager was brought face to face with the aimlessness of life. And that's what they touched on. You see it made sense to me.

And then they told me of the personal experience in Christ and as soon as one fella said that he was As sure as being in heaven as though he was already there. I tell you and I'm not even Irish. I got to work quite worked up.

I thought who do you think you are? Telling me on the way to heaven. No one will know that. Yes, we can know. I know it now, too. See God has revealed himself. God is good. I'll come to that in a moment.

So here was the first contact and they invited me to Gospel meetings, which I did attend. Attended a Bible reading attended prayer meeting and I could sense the presence of God and the little gathering you see in Europe.

I was used to going to great cathedrals. Millions of dollars went in the construction of these tremendous buildings. Tremendous organ cost millions of dollars. Wonderful choir, but basically dead spiritually.

Nothing there for my soul. Well, anybody can tell me how to improve the world. You see but that's not the gospel. Here I met some meet some simple people. They had a personal experience with Christ and I could sense it.

But you know what really didn't. What I didn't really like and I couldn't understand this these people talked about being saved. How do you get this? How do you make it your own? I thought it was my process of intellectual persuasion or assimilation and I get I never got anywhere and They read verses to me and I attended meetings and how to be saved.

They talked about faith in Jesus and believing and I thought well if I just believe enough. But I had to realize that I couldn't save myself and I say I struggled with this for at least two weeks. But you see friend tonight don't fight God's truth.

You get nowhere. Just bow to what the Word of God. I know it will take the starch out of you to realize that not only. Are you a sinner? Oh. But the grace of God can but all you're struggling and all that you do is absolutely to no avail.

But God will have mercy upon you if you come God's way and I did. Oh, see, what did you do? See, I recognized intellectually truth of God, but how to be saved I didn't know. So I asked the preacher sometimes I stayed behind and sometimes would go down to the basement.

And that's one thing I didn't understand at the first. Not only the preachers but I went down with the elders to the assembly and they both knelt down and They prayed so earnestly for God to open my eyes.

I thought these people know God. But I didn't know how to pray. But in my desperation one night, I just Said Oh God if there's a God in heaven, I don't know how to be saved. But Oh God help me God show me and again God heard and God answered.

Conversion Through John 6:37

So one night I stayed behind again the preacher opened the Bible and He realized that I had come to a crisis in my life where I had to settle this and by the way You have to learn not only about sin. You have to learn about the Bible being inspired and absolutely reliable.

You'll have to learn that God is holy heaven and hell exists. But you also have to learn that salvation is of the Lord and you can save yourself so he read verse 37 of John 6. He asked me to read it out loud, which helped me and this is a verse.

I'm quoting to you now all Christ says all that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me. I will in no wise cast out. Now in my spiritual desperation in my hunger after salvation.