Dead men do not cooperate with grace. Unless regeneration takes place first, there is no possibility of faith.
R. C. SproulBut the blessing Christ promised, the blessing of great reward, is a reward of grace. The blessing is promised even though it is not earned. Augustine said it this way: Our rewards in heaven are a result of God's crowning His own gifts.
R. C. SproulThe presumptuous sin of Uzzah was that He assumed his hands were less polluted than the dirt.
R. C. Sproul