The greatest enemy to human souls is the self-righteous spirit which makes men look to themselves for salvation.
Interpretation
The quote warns against the danger of self-righteousness, suggesting that relying on one's own virtue can hinder true salvation.
In this quote, Charles Spurgeon emphasizes that the greatest barrier to spiritual well-being and salvation is the belief that one can achieve righteousness through their own efforts and moral superiority. This self-righteous attitude can blind individuals to their need for grace and prevent them from seeking true redemption outside of themselves.
In practice
This quote could be used in a sermon about humility in the face of one's own shortcomings.
Amusement should be used to do us good “like a medicine”: it must never be used as the food of the man...Many have had all holy thoughts and gracious resolutions stamped out by perpetual trifling. Pleasure so called is the murderer of thought. This is the age of excessive amusement: everybody craves for it, like a babe for its rattle.
When you see no present advantage, walk by faith and not by sight. Do God the honor to trust Him when it comes to matters of loss for the sake of principle.
It is far easier to fight with sin in public than to pray against it in private.
You will never glory in God till first of all God has killed your glorying in yourself.
After faith comes repentance, or, rather, repentance is faith's twin brother and is born at the same time.
["All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant."] The original Hebrew word that has been translated "paths" means "well-worn roads' or "wheel tracks," such ruts as wagons make when they go down our green roads in wet weather and sink in up to the axles. God's ways are at times like heavy wagon tracks that cut deep into our souls, yet all of them are merciful.
Each nation has a main current in life; in India it is religion. Make it strong and the waters on either side must move along with it.
Great stories are still just great yarns. News remains the best human drama ever. Technology is not changing the story; it is just changing the way in which we deliver it.
You've always made the mistake of being yourself.
The ox suffers, the cart complains.
I put forward formless and unresolved notions, as do those who publish doubtful questions to debate in the schools, not to establish the truth but to seek it.
So which is the lie? Hard or soft? Silence or time?
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.