“Most of us have never really understood that Christianity is not a self-help religion meant to enable moral people to become more moral. We don’t need a self-help book; we need a Savior. We don’t need to get our collective act together; we need death and resurrection and the life-transforming truths of the gospel.” -Counsel From the Cross, by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson

I find it very disturbing how prone we are to becoming absorbed in our own spiritual selves. While it may look and sound spiritual, what often passes as spirituality is the expression of our disordered hearts. Every since Genesis, all sin is about getting what we want for ourselves. You see this expressed in our sex lives, our use of money, and our misuse of food among other things. Interestingly, we immediately recognize this hateful nature of evil in others, whether in our child, a friend or our spouse, but often miss the beam in our own eye. Our unruly desires can get us lost in a blinding fog and the darkness of unbelief. Particularly, it is hard to see how self-serving our spirituality has become. The potential for deceit in our spiritual lives is more potent as we strive spiritually to find meaning specifically for ourselves. Continue reading →