The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 542

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XVI. Self-Denial.

man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." Matt. xvi. 24.

" If any

Good works

are not the saint's sanctification,

drops of water are the fountain

from the fountain of

;

any more than

but they spring as crystal drops

sanctification.

They

are good, not

when

the

be good, but when they conform to the divine law and proceed from a true faith. Yet the hitentiori is of great importance the Church has always taught that a work could saint intends

them

to

;

not be called good unless it is directed to the glory of God. This is a vital point which must animate and give direction to the whole matter: only

makes the good work

impossible without the

This

is

the reason

sanctification

become

Every other intention glory of God. Even the effort to do good works is Soli Deo Gloria."

to the

evil. "

why

so

sinful.

many well-meant efforts at so-called For the man who applies himself

earnestly and diligently to good works, solely to attain a holier

become a holier person, has lost his reward. His end in view is not God, but himself; and while every good work humbles a man and real sanctification leads to the breaking down and casting out of self, this wrongly planned sanctification causes self-exaltation and spiritual pride. To think that by self-sanctification God is honored and His glory exalted is self-deception. The divine honor and majesty are so holy and exalted that His glory must be the direct end in view. To work for self-sanctification directly, and for His honor indirectly, is unworthy of His holiness. The end and aim of all things must be the Lord God alone. Justice must dwell in the land, not only to preserve order, but to remove iniquity from before the presence of the Lord. The misstatus and thus

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