What is sin?

Were we able to daily understand the reality of sin and its consequences, it would have far less attraction to us. Two statements from two different writers have helped me in comprehending what sin really is. I have heard John MacArthur say on numerous occasions, “Sin is what we do when we are disappointed with […]

Today’s Quote – Indwelling Sin (Spurgeon)

Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students: Watch the twists and turns and singularities of your own mind, and the strangeness of your own experience; the depravity of your heart, and the work of divine grace; your tendency to sin, and your capacity for holiness; how akin you are to a devil, and yet how allied […]

Shepherd the flock

For those who serve in leadership in the church, 1 Peter 5:2ff is a familiar section: Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, […]

Today’s Quote – Sin and Grace (Lundgaard)

Kris Lundgaard, The Enemy Within: …[the] first and most wretched attack [of the flesh] is to abuse God’s grace to make sin seem less sinful, less dangerous, less threatening. You must understand this: the flesh weakens conviction against sin by separating the remedy of grace for the design of grace.… The flesh works to make […]

Today’s Quote – Salvation (Pink)

A. W. Pink: The nature of Christ’s salvation is woefully misrepresented by the present-day evangelist. He announces a Savior from hell rather than a Savior from sin. And that is why so many are fatally deceived, for there are multitudes who wish to escape the Lake of fire who have no desire to be delivered […]

Today’s Quote – Sin and Grace (Mahaney)

C. J. Mahaney, Living the Cross-Centered Life: When you’re deeply aware of your sin, and of what an affront it is to God’s holiness, and of how impossible it is for Him to respond to this sin with anything other than furious wrath — you can only be overwhelmed with how amazing grace is. Only […]

Today’s Quote – Sanctified Memory (Lloyd-Jones)

Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: …you and I must never look at our past lives; we must never look at any sin in our past life in any way except that which leads us to praise God and to magnify His grace in Christ Jesus. I challenge you to do that. If you look at your […]

Today’s Quote – Sin (Piper)

John Piper, Preaching the Cross: Every sin flows from the failure to treasure the glory of God above all things.

Today’s Quote – Flesh (Owen)

John Owen, The Mortification of Sin: Lust of the flesh (Rom. 7) will darken the mind, extinguish convictions, dethrone reason, interrupt the power and influence of any considerations that may be brought to hamper it, and through all break into a flame.

Today’s Quote – Sin (Tozer)

A. W. Tozer, The Knoweldge of the Holy: Sin has many manifestations but its essence is one. A moral being, created to worship before the throne of God, sits on the throne of his own selfhood and from that elevated position declares, “I AM.” that is sin in its concentrated essence; yet because it is […]

Sunday Leftovers (7/19/09)

The depravity of man is not a subject that is often widely embraced or enjoyed. “Thanks, Pastor, for telling me what a terrible sinner and how awful my condition is,” is not a typical response to the topic of sin and depravity. Yet two truths must be acknowledged — Scripture is unrelenting in its affirmation […]

Today’s Quote – Sin and Grace (Whitfield)

George Whitfield: A sense of my actual sins and natural deformity humbled me exceedingly; and then the freeness and riches of God’s everlasting love broke in with such light and power upon my soul, that I was often awed into silence and could not speak!

Grab Bag

I few ideas and items that have passed through my mind in the past few days: I have been listening to the audio from the recent Resolved Conference. While the conference is designed for college students, the messages are appropriate for everyone. This year’s conference addressed the topic of sin, and the messages are particularly […]

Today’s Quote – Sin (Pascal)

Blaise Pascal, Pensées: There are only two kinds of men: the righteous, who believe themselves sinners; the rest, sinners who believe themselves righteous. (HT: CQOD)

Today’s Quote – Suffering (Mahaney)

C. J. Mahaney, Humility: True Greatness: Those who know true joy in the midst of suffering are those who recognize that, in this life, our suffering is never as great or as serious as our sins. As Jonathan Edwards wrote, “How far less [are] the greatest afflictions that we meet with in this world…than we […]