"The most sincere
philanthropist or moral crusader has within him the same seeds of corruption,
the same potential for wickedness as the devil himself.
If the measure of
a man's own good works compares favorably to everyone else's-- i.e., if they
are not noticeably meaner or viler than his neighbor's-- he thinks he can pass
God's inspection. Before the Holy Spirit can convict such a person of his need
of Christ, he must agree with God that all his righteousness is but filthy
rags. It may help him understand his own wickedness if he sees how utterly
polluted the spring is that incessantly feeds it.
Can you somehow
get a mental picture of the monstrous intensity of Satan's wickedness? Then you
have an idea of every man's potential for evil. The finest human being-- the
most sincere philanthropist or moral crusader-- has within him the same seeds
of corruption, the same potential for wickedness as the devil himself. If his
true nature has not yet shown through, it is because God's grace is
intervening. For until you are made a new creature in Christ, you are of the
same brood as the Serpent; his seed is in you. And the devil can only beget a
child like himself.
Sinner, if you do
not blossom into Satan's likeness here on earth, you can be sure you will in
hell. There the flames will wash off the paint that hides your true complexion.
In heaven, the saints will be like the angels in alacrity, love, and constancy to
God; in hell, the damned will be like the devils, in sin as well as in
punishment. Before you excuse yourself by claiming "good intentions,"
know this: If your heart is good, then so is the devil's! His nature is wicked,
and so is yours! The blemishes which you think are so small and insignificant
are symptoms of a deadly disease within. Without Gospel medicine-- the blood
of Christ-- applied to you personally, you will die a leper. Sin is a
hereditary disease that increases with age: a young sinner will be an old
devil. And the malady is always passed on to the next generation.”
Thank God Jesus paid the price for our sin and we are alive to God in
Christ, dead to sin and have the free will and help of God to chose life and
not death!
Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete
Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S Bell.
http://www.moodypublishers.com/pub_productDetail.aspx?id=41823&pid=53617
No comments:
Post a Comment