In all unbelief there are these two things: a good opinion of one's self and a bad opinion of God. Man's good opinion of himself makes him think it quite possible to win God's favor by his own religious performances; and his bad opinion of God makes him unwilling and afraid to put his case wholly into God's hands. The object of the Holy Spirit's work (in convincing of sin) is to alter the sinner's opinion of himself and so to reduce his estimate of his own character that he shall think of himself as God does, and so cease to suppose it possible that he can be justified by any excellency of His own. The Spirit then alters his evil opinion of God, so as to make him see that the God with whom he really has to do is the God of all grace!
Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)
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