“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:32.
God will have the soul truly sensible of the bitterness of sin, before it shall taste the sweetness of mercy. The plough of conviction must go deep, and make deep furrows in the heart, before God will sow the precious seed of grace and comfort there—that so it may have depth of earth to grow in. This is the constant method of God: first to show man his sin—then his Savior; first his danger—then his Redeemer; first his wound—then his cure; first his own vileness—then Christ’s righteousness
The sinner must see the vileness and unprofitableness of his unrighteousness, before he profit by Christ’s righteousness.
Sin is the greatest evil in the world—it wrongs God; it wounds Christ; it grieves the Holy Spirit; it damns a precious soul. All other evils cannot be compared with this. Though to DO sin is the worst work—yet to SEE sin is the best sight! Sin discovered in its vileness—makes Christ to be desired in his fullness.
If ever your sin is pardoned–it is Christ’s infinite mercy which must pardon it! If ever you are reconciled to God–it is Christ’s infinite merit which must do it!
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” – Luke 19:10