"Whiter Than Snow"

Here's a helpful and convicting excerpt from Paul Tripp's latest book Whiter Than Snow: Meditations On Sin and Mercy. It is helpful because it is convicting.

Sin lives in a costume, that's why it's so hard to recognize. The fact that sin looks so good is one of the things that make it so bad. In order for it to do its evil work, it must present itself as something that is anything but evil. Life in a fallen world is like attending the ultimate masquerade party.

Impatient yelling wears the costume of a zeal for truth.

Lust can masquerade as a love for beauty.

Gossip does its evil work by living in the costume of concern and prayer.

Craving for power and control wears the mask of biblical leadership.

Fear of man gets dressed up as a servant heart.

The pride of always being right masquerades as a love for biblical wisdom.

Evil simply doesn't present itself as evil, which is part of its draw.

The bottom line is that sin causes us to not hear or see ourselves with accuracy. And we not only tend to be blind, but to compound matters, we tend to be blind to our blindnessWhat does all of this mean? It means that accurate-self assessment is the product of grace. It is only in the mirror of God's Word and with the sight-giving help of the Holy Spirit, that I am able to see myself as I actually am. In those painful moments of accurate self-sight, we may not feel as if we are being loved, but that is exactly what is happening. The God, who loves us enough to sacrifice his Son for our redemption, works so that we would see ourselves clearly, so that we would not buy into the delusion of our own righteousness, and with a humble sense of personal need, seek the resources of grace that can only be found in him.