Following are several quotes worth pondering from Brokenness, Surrender, Holiness: A Revive Our Hearts Trilogy, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss:
“Broken men and women don’t care
who finds out about their sin; they have nothing to protect and nothing to
lose. They are eager for God to be vindicated. David’s response when confronted
with his wrongdoing was that of a humble, broken man. And his was the heart
that God honored. Again and again, God’s Word reveals that He is not as
concerned about the depth or extent of the sin we commit as He is about our
attitude and response when we are confronted with our sin” (52). “But once we
have really been contrite and humble before God, it will not be threatening to
be humble and honest with others—we have nothing to lose, no reputation to
protect—because we have died. The broken person is willing to say, ‘Will you
pray for me? I have a need in my life—God is dealing with me in this specific
area’ ” (94).
“Because God is holy, we must be
holy. And here’s the good news—because God is holy, we can be holy. If you are
a child of God, the Holy God lives in you. He is the standard for your
holiness, and He is the source of your holiness—He is your righteousness. He
can wash your unholy heart with the blood of Jesus and make you clean—so the
world will know what He is like… To be holy is our created purpose. It is our
destiny. And it will be the outcome for every true child of God and for the
entire body of Christ” (293-294).
“As Christians, we have not been
left alone to deal with our sin. God has graciously put us into a body of
believers who are called to look out for one another and to stand together
against the enemies that would threaten our holiness. This family—the body of
Christ—is a vital provision God has given to help us in our pursuit of
holiness. This is why it is essential for every believer to be in a committed
relationship to a Christ-centered local church. Many believers today think
nothing of jumping from one church to another every time they find something
not to their liking. In fact, a growing number of Christians don’t see the need
of plugging into a local church at all. Some are disillusioned with their local
church experience. They think they can have an independent relationship with
God or that their spiritual needs can be met simply by plugging into the
Internet. Being disconnected from the local church, for whatever reason, is a
dangerous way to live. Not only do these ‘lone rangers’ miss out on the
blessings of functioning within the context of the body of Christ, but like
lone sheep away from the safety of the flock and the watchful care of the
shepherd, they are vulnerable to predators of every sort” (344).
“We have tiptoed around Old and New
Testament passages that proclaim the holiness of God, His hatred of sin, and
His wrath and judgment against unrepentant sinners, preferring to consider only
references to His mercy, grace, and love. We have promoted a ‘gospel’ that says
it is possible to be a Christian while stubbornly refusing to address practices
or behaviors we know are sinful. We have accepted the philosophy that it’s OK
for Christians to look, think, act, and talk like the world” (368).
What more can be said?
“Surely that man must
be in an unhealthy state of soul who can think of all that Jesus suffered, and
yet cling to those sins for which that suffering was undergone. It was sin that
wove the crown of thorns; it was sin that pierced our Lord’s hands and feet and
side; it was sin that brought Him to Gethsemane and Calvary, to the cross and
to the grave. Cold must our hearts be if we do not hate sin and labour to get
rid of it, though we may have to cut off the right hand and pluck out the right
eye in doing it” (J. C. Ryle, Holiness).
© 2019 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are
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the views of my church or employer.
