Terry

“the purpose of confessing our sins is not to render us miserable by simply reminding us what great sinners we are. It is to remind us of what a great Savior we have.”
― Barbara R. Duguid, Prone to Wander: Prayers of Confession and Celebration

“It is possible to hate your sin and at the same time be compassionate toward your own weakness. Sometimes we act as though there are only two options: either we hate our sin and punish ourselves for it, or we give ourselves a break, which leads toward careless and escalating amounts of sin. There is another way. Like the apostle Paul, we can hate our sin and plan not to do it, yet understand our weakness and accept it, casting ourselves on the mercy of God. Paul is right when he exclaims, “Wretched man that I am!” (Rom. 7:24). We are all wretched sinners throughout our lifetimes. Paul does not chase this thought away with a better plan to read the Bible and pray more. He cries out, “Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Rom. 7:24–25). He has already been delivered by the death of Christ, and he knows that he will be delivered comprehensively and forever in the life to come. Paul”
― Barbara R. Duguid, Extravagant Grace: God's Glory Displayed in Our Weakness

“We are new creation and old sinful flesh dwelling together—two natures competing for our affections and allegiance. To be sure, these two natures are not equal in their opposition. We are indwelt by the Spirit of the Living God, and God always gets his way. Our sinful hearts are no match whatsoever for his power and ability to work in us, with or without our permission. We see this more clearly in matters of salvation. If the God of this universe chose you to worship him before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4), then you will not be able to resist his will. Those whom the Father has given to the Son are his sheep and no one can prevent them from coming to Christ, or subsequently snatch them out of his hand (John 10:27–29). God does this transforming work of salvation by making Christ so beautiful and irresistible to you that your greatest desire becomes worshiping him, and you may even believe it was your idea in the first place. There is no conflict between our wills and God’s will in salvation because God sovereignly changes the wills of those whom he chooses to save so that we freely desire to come to him, something we would never have desired if left to ourselves. POWERLESS”
― Barbara R. Duguid, Extravagant Grace: God's Glory Displayed in Our Weakness

“If you are united with Christ today, the number of sins you will commit in your lifetime is a finite number, and they were all paid for in full before you emerged from your mother's womb.”
― Barbara R. Duguid, Extravagant Grace: God's Glory Displayed in Our Weakness