This reminded me how great my sin is and how unfathomable His love:
“And let us learn from the story of the passion always to hate sin with a great hatred. Sin was the cause of all our Savior’s sufferings. Our sins twisted the crown of thorns; our sins drove the nails into his hands and feet; on account of our sins his blood was shed. Surely the thought of Christ crucified should make us loathe all sin. As the Church of England Homily of Passion says so well: “Let this image of Christ crucified be always printed in our hearts. Let it stir us up to the hatred of sin, and provoke our minds to the earnest love of Almighty God.”
~ J. C. Ryle (Expository thoughts on the Gospel)
Taken from “Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross” edited by Nancy Guthrie
Sin can be an opportunity to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Savior. Suddenly we are faced with ourselves and, oh my goodness, we do not have goodness. Any good we think we have are as filthy rags.
Yes, Christ, who opens our eyes to the ’sinfulness of sin’, as one Puritan author put it, in light of the majesty of God and the greatness of His love, transforms us!
JC Ryle is a tremendous writer. This quote spoke to my very core.