Those who preach that God has done all that He intends to do for the sinner in providing a Saviour, and now requires the sinner to make the start, preach a system that will never save a sinner who is enmity against God. The very thing to be done in the start is to change the mind from enmity to friendship, from hatred to love, and the sinner can no more do that than he can create a world.

This change is not produced by commands, arguments, threats or exhortations.  If one were sensible that another hated him he would not think of trying to induce him to love him by commanding him to do so, or by arguing the expediency of it, or by threatening him with punishment for his hatred, or by exhorting him to love. The fallacy of all this is apparent to all thinking minds.

While God commands all to love Him, and shows the best of reasons why they should, and threatens those who continue in a state of hatred with everlasting destruction, He seeks not to produce the necessary change by these means.  Those who are in the flesh are never exhorted to get into the Spirit.  Those who are enmity against Him are never exhorted to change that enmity into love.  The natural are never exhorted to become spiritual or to perform spiritual service.

The friendship and love of those who are friends to Jesus and really love Him did not originate with them. Their loving Him is not the cause of His loving them.  The very reverse is true.  They love Him because He first loved them.  Their friendship did not win His, but His friendship won theirs.  They were enmity against Him till He shed abroad His love in their hearts.  Thus the enmity was driven out and love was implanted.  For this reason Jesus says, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you."  It is by this means that all who ever become the friends of Jesus are brought into this blessed friendship.  —Elder John R. Daily   Zion's Advocate, 1903