Grace Quotes

(John Angell James, "Christian Love" 1828) "People will be lovers of themselves." 2 Timothy 3:2 Selfishness is the cause of all sin--the opposite of all holiness and virtue. The essence of man's sin, the sum of his moral depravity, is to love himself supremely; to seek himself finally and exclusively; to make self, in one shape or another, the center to which all his busy thoughts, anxious cares and diligent pursuits, constantly tend. Self-love is the most active and reigning principle in fallen nature! SELF is the great idol which mankind are naturally disposed to worship; and selfishness the grand interest to which they are devotedly attached! Selfishness is contrary to the habitual temper of our Lord Jesus Christ. "For even Christ did not please Himself." The perfection of all virtue lies in unselfish love. The nearer we approach to this state of mind, the nearer we come to sinless moral excellence. "Love is not self-seeking." "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." Phil. 2:3