It is easy, I think, to overly self-congratulate ourselves. Self-assessment, true self-assessment is not the strong suit of fallen people. Consider these provocative words from Spurgeon:
"The iniquities of our public worship, its hypocrisy, formality, lukewarmness, irreverence, wandering of heart and forgetfulness of God, what a full measure have we there! Our work for the Lord, its emulation, selfishness, carelessness, slackness, unbelief, what a mass of defilement is there! Our private devotions, their laxity, coldness, neglect, sleepiness, and vanity, what a mountain of dead earth is there! If we looked more carefully we should find this iniquity to be far greater than appears at first sight."
Spurgeon goes on to quote a contemporary pastor who states "My parish, as well as my heart, very much resembles the garden of the sluggard; and what is worse, I find that very many of my desires for the melioration of both, proceed either from pride or vanity or indolence."
The conclusion? Christ bore all of our sins. Not just the bad things we do and not just the good things we neglect to do. But he also paid for our half-hearted, self-centered devotion to Christ. He simply covered it all so He can present us as His unblemished Bride!
Spurgeon's full devotional can be found here: morn-eve 0108
To God Alone be the Glory
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