To be spiritually dead is to be diabolically alive
R. C. SproulRead
The clearest sensation that a human being has when he experiences the holy is an overpowering and overwhelming sense of creatureliness. That is, when we are in the presence of God, we are humbled and become most aware of ourselves as creatures. This is the opposite of Satan's original temptation, "You shall be as gods.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Experiencing the divine brings a profound awareness of our own limitations as humans.
In this quote, R. C. Sproul emphasizes that encountering the holy leads to a deep recognition of our humanity and creatureliness. This realization contrasts sharply with the allure of pride and the temptation to aspire to god-like status, which is associated with the original sin. By recognizing ourselves as creatures, we are humbled, fostering a proper relationship with God and an understanding of our place in the cosmos.
Themes
HumilityDivineCreaturelinessSelf-AwarenessGod
In practice
Example use cases
In a sermon discussing the nature of humility before God, this quote beautifully captures the essence of our relationship to the divine.
More from R. C. Sproul
All quotes →I’ve often wondered where Jesus would apply His hastily made whip if He were to visit our culture. My guess is that it would not be money-changing tables in the temple that would feel His wrath, but the display racks in Christian bookstores.
R. C. SproulRead
The real crisis of worship today is not that the preaching is paltry or that it's too drafty in church. It is that people have no sense of the presence of God, and if they have no sense of His presence, how can they be moved to express the deepest feelings of their souls to honor, revere, worship, and glorify God?
R. C. SproulRead
We talk about predestination because the Bible talks about predestination. If we desire to build our theology on the Bible, we run head on into this concept. We soon discover that John Calvin did not invent it.
R. C. SproulRead
Without God man has no reference point to define himself.
R. C. SproulRead
I do not want to drive across a bridge designed by an engineer who believed the numbers in structural stress models are relative truths.
R. C. SproulRead
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