Monday, March 09, 2009

Self-deception

"[M]any people experience a superficial conversion and allow themselves to be deceived. For example, there is some anxiety about sin and questions about grace whenever someone is sick, but the person is soon comforted. These feelings of convictions can be easily awakened and also very lightly laid to rest again. Many desire the help of God without being prepared to abandon everything in actual life. 'The heart is deceitful above all things' (Jer. 17:9). Through the pious appearance of religion, people many times deceive themselves. If they would only realize that God searches the deepest recesses of the soul, then this word of David [Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts (Ps. 51:6)] would be a word of heartbreaking power and at the same time a word of healing and quickening."—Andrew Murray

<idle musing>
Ouch! I would say this is only too true, in my experience. Break our hearts, Lord! Bring us to true repentance that we might see sin as you do and salvation as you do!
</idle musing>

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