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Then Shall the Sanctuary Be Cleansed - Donald K. Short

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God can free us from our hidden moral<br />

deformities only in proportion to our internal<br />

conviction of <strong>the</strong>m. Our escape from sin can be no<br />

greater than our seeing sin for what it is and hating<br />

it enough to cease sinning. Repentance can only be<br />

as deep and sincere as <strong>the</strong> conviction which grips<br />

us.<br />

We sin because we are tempted and drawn<br />

away by our own lusts (James 1:14). These sinful<br />

desires disguise <strong>the</strong>mselves as thoroughly as <strong>the</strong><br />

serpent hid his motives in <strong>the</strong> garden of Eden. The<br />

lustful inward whisper of pleasure and happiness<br />

leads us to follow <strong>the</strong> road to destruction. Only<br />

conviction can save us from <strong>the</strong> subtle lies of <strong>the</strong>se<br />

egocentric desires. Conviction becomes <strong>the</strong> reality.<br />

Our petty, selfish, disgusting aspirations are<br />

unveiled in <strong>the</strong> light from <strong>the</strong> cross. In that light <strong>the</strong><br />

things which once appeared sweet and full of<br />

promise become loathsome and repulsive.<br />

The depth of this conviction is <strong>the</strong> depth of our<br />

repentance and this depth measures our conversion<br />

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