An Abiding Sense of One’s Own Sinfulness

From The Joy of Fearing God: The Fear of the Lord is a Life-Giving Fountain by Jerry Bridges:

“Nothing produces humility in a Christian as much as an abiding sense of one’s own sinfulness … As we seriously pursue holiness we’ll grow in humility, for we discover, as Calvin said, that ‘our nature, wicked and deformed, is always opposing his uprightness; and our capacity, weak and feeble to do good, lies far from his perfection.'”

‘It is not enough to appreciate God’s love only in terms of our initial salvation. We should be growing each year in our awareness of the depth of His love for us in Christ—as we become more aware of the reality of our own sin even as believers. An increasing understanding of God’s holiness, one’s own sin, and the value of Christ’s death will always mark a person who’s growing as a Christian.’

Wow! This is a GREAT book. I’m actually surrounded by great books right now—on the bed next to me, on the floor (my “reward” for getting through them), piled at my elbow, stacked upstairs too. How blessed I am to get to study and read and pray and prep for my new women’s retreat on fear. Thank you, Saylorville Baptist! Thank you, Dianne! My research is up to 30,000 words so I should really stop soon and lay out your handouts because otherwise, I’m rocketing towards another BOOK. 😉 !