Who among us could be so blind to the fact that our souls are constantly in need of more curing? The reality is that most of us are not readily aware of our need for more curing–particularly when it regards a self-righteous attitude or posture toward others who are struggling with sins other than our own at present.

David Powlison, in his excellent book Seeing With New Eyes, touches on the reality of indwelling sin–particularly with regard to what we believe and how it impacts our actions. Powlison rightly insists that all believers live in a tension between the flesh and the Spirit in this life. Employing the illustration of “competing voices” he writes,

“In each saint, the cravings and works of indwelling sin grapple against the Holy Spirit’s desires and fruit (Gal. 5). It is no surprise, then, that in life stories you often notice competing voices jostling for the final say. A transcription of what takes place in a person’s soul reads like a courtroom drama where different witnesses tell contradictory stories about what happened.”

He then gives the following example:

“A man may repent of a criminal lifestyle and find genuine new life in Christ. But, at the same time, in the name of Christ he embraces a bizarre eschatological scheme and a political conspiracy theory. He may genuinely turn from violence and drug addiction–high hosannas! At the same time he may become newly self-righteous toward former partners-in-crime and adopt the abrasive manner of the person who led him to Christ–a Bronx cheer for such results. Souls are cured, but they also sicken in new ways. Souls always need more curing.”

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