The self is so deceptive that it can claim repentance while refusing repentance. Its desire for self-righteousness can produce a self-congratulating repentance. It is selective in what it turns from. It lives with a kind of dissonance that leaves the soul with no song. It brings a false virtue, leaving us empty of the good and genuine. To cure this we must have a real desire for sincerity and being genuine. This will require honest humility, self-examination and truly laying one’s soul bare before the Father.
“Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. ‘The time promised by God has come at last!’ he announced. ‘The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” Mark 1:14-15 (NLT)
{From “Sonlight for the Soul”, by H. Lamar Smith)
