Were Christians any more deserving of salvation than anyone else?
No. Christians were hell-bound sinners just like everybody else, just as deserving of God's punishment as anyone could be. They escaped only because they accepted God's pardon, and this escape is entirely by the grace of God, not by any personal merit or deserving.
Les explains that believers were hell-bound sinners just like everybody else and were just as deserving of God's punishment as anybody could be. The only reason they escaped is that they accepted God's pardon, and it is only by the grace of God that God put the finger on them. Les says no one can boast of being smart enough or having the wherewithal, because it is all by grace. After salvation, believers can understand that God had them in His sights before the world was created.