Grace Gems - The Deceitfulness Of Sin

Grace Gems is a vast treasury of writings and excerpts from Reformers,Puritans, and other great godly people from history. My wife and I are both on the mailing list and we receive precious spiritual food from them every day (Click here to sign up for Grace Gems). Yesterday's Grace Gem by Jeremy Taylor was a very sobering reminder of the ever present peril of sin and how it attacks by stealth - so much so that I am posting it here today:

"Lest any of you be hardened through the
deceitfulness of sin!" Hebrews 3:13

First sin startles him,
then it becomes pleasing,
then easy,
then delightful,
then frequent,
then habitual,
then confirmed!

Then the man is impenitent,
then obstinate,
then resolves never to repent,
and then he is damned!

"For the wages of sin is death!" Romans 6:23

Grace Gems - Daily Nutrition For Free

Grace Gems is a vast treasury of writings and excerpts from Reformers,Puritans, and other great godly men from history. My wife and I are both on the mailing list and we receive precious spiritual food every from them every day. Here is todays tasty morsel (and remedy for the abundance of self-esteem focussed psychobabble) from a man who is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers - AW Pink.

The secret of development of Christian character (extract from "The Sovereignty of God" by AW Pink)

The loss of all confidence in ones self, is the first essential in the believer's growth in grace! The Christian, conscious of his own frailty, will turn unto the Lord for strength. "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak--then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:10

There must be consciousness of our weakness, before we shall turn to the Lord for help. While the Christian imagines that he is sufficient in himself; while he imagines that by the mere force of his will, that he shall resist temptation; while he has any confidence in the flesh--then, like 'boasting Peter'--so we shall certainly fail and fall. The plain fact is--that of ourselves we are utterly unable to practice a single precept, or obey a single command that is set before us in the Scriptures! Apart from Christ--we can do nothing! (John 15:5). The promise of God is, "He gives power to the faint; and strengthens the powerless!" Isaiah 40:29

The secret of development of Christian character, is the realization of our own powerlessness, and the consequent turning unto the Lord for help. A consciousness of our powerlessness, should cast us upon Him who has all power.

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble!" Psalm 46:1

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