the poisonous nature of humanity
John Owen, “Be killing sin, or it will be killing you.”
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
(prayer) “Dear Lord: Help me to feel the horror of sin, the way I feel the horror of my disability.”
“There is a mean, violent streak in the true Christian life! But violence against whom, or what? Not other people. It’s a violence against all the impulses in us that would be violent to other people. It’s a violence against all the impulses in our own selves that would make peace with our own sin and settle in with a peacetime mentality. It’s a violence against all lust in ourselves, and enslaving desires for food or caffeine or sugar or alcohol or pornography or money or the praise of men and the approval of others or power or fame. It’s violence against the impulses in our own soul toward racism and sluggish indifference to injustice and poverty and abortion.
“Christianity is not a settle-in-and-live-at-peace-with-this-world-the-way-it-is kind of religion. If by the Spirit you kill the deeds of your own body, you will live. Christianity is war on our own sinful impulses.” (ht:JP)
August 11th, 2008 at 8:46 am
You have personalized how we should view sin and the effect of your words is not only a reminder for you but also for all who read your note and realize you weren’t quoting someone else.
August 11th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
well… I actually was quoting someone else. But I just personalized the prayer to me. The person who said that prayer was a mother whose 10 year old son has lissencephaly, which literally means smooth brain. She prayed said this prayer in the prayer room at her church. I found it to be a good reminder for me.