We Love God!

God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)

Though we have been forgiven, and though we have been made new in Christ, we’re like Lazarus. We came out of the grave; we have new life, but we stink. We have our dirty grave clothes on. We are a new creation, incarcerated in unredeemed flesh. And we are seduced by the remnants of our fallenness. Satan’s temptation to us is to hold onto sin and not come to righteousness. Satan’s temptation to us is to hold onto the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
John MacArthur

Here are four differences between deceit and honesty in our hearts: One, a deceitful heart doesn’t know its sins because it doesn’t want to know. But an honest heart is saying, “I’m listening. I’m open.” Two, a deceitful heart is more alert to how a sermon applies to someone else. But an honest heart is too concerned about itself to be busy with other people’s weaknesses. Three, a deceitful heart, when it isn’t growing, blames its inertia on hardship or its church or even on God Himself. But an honest heart says, “I need to get in gear.” Four, a deceitful heart delays response: “I’ll get around to it. But I just can’t right now.” An honest heart puts God first: “Lord, whatever You want, even right now.”
Ray Ortlund