Quotes from the Cloud #49

This year, I hope share weekly posts of quotes. These quotes are from authors I'm reading and enjoying from the Clouds of Witnesses Reading Challenge. 

For fellow participants, what I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to see is for people to share quotes from what they're reading. I'd love for you to share quotes occasionally with your readers and let me know about it. If you don't have a blog, you could always leave quotes in the comments here.

We need to realize that hiding from God is the essence of sin. Unless God immediately sends help and calls back sinners, they will keep on trying to hide from God. And because sinners try to justify themselves with lies, they pile one sin on top of another. In the end they reach the point of open hypocrisy and deep despair. As a result, one sin leads to another, until the weight of their sin pulls them down into the pit. Even though all people are guilty of sin, they don’t acknowledge it. Rather, they place the blame on their Creator. This only increases the burden of sin to infinite proportions unless God shows his mercy and comes to help. Adam believed that his wicked and foolish thoughts were the highest wisdom. He was so overcome by his fear that he was barely aware of what he was saying or doing. As he tried to excuse himself, he actually condemned himself over and over and increased his burden of sin proportionately. At any rate, we must not think that these things happened to Adam alone. Every one of us does the same. Our human nature allows us to do nothing else, especially after we have committed a sin. We all prefer to put the blame on God rather than admit that we are sinners. ~ Martin Luther, October 15

Pride is more than the first of all the seven deadly sins; it is itself the essence of all sin. ~ John Stott

Far from offering us flattery, the cross undermines our self-righteousness, and we can stand before it only with a bowed head and a broken spirit. ~ John Stott

“You may read in the paper one day that D. L. Moody is dead, but don’t you believe it.” ~ D.L. Moody

I cannot pray, except I sin; I cannot preach, but I sin; I cannot administer, nor receive the holy sacrament, but I sin. My very repentance needs to be repented of; And the tears I shed need washing in the blood of Christ. ~ William Beveridge

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible