How can I deepen my understanding of my own sinfulness?
The two primary ways to do that are prayer and the Scriptures. I would give those same two answers for a lot of areas of spiritual growth, spiritual discipline, and spiritual development.
The more I am taking in God’s Word and God’s Word is being for me a mirror that causes me to see myself as I really am before God (James 1:22–25), the more it helps me recognize my sinfulness and my need for the grace of God.
Prayer, particularly prayer that includes the element of confession (which should be a regular part of Christian practice), keeps before me my sinfulness and neediness before God.
Those are the two pillars that help me stay on the right path in terms of seeing God as He really is and seeing myself as I really am.
This transcript is from a live Ask Ligonier event with H.B. Charles Jr. and has been lightly edited for readability. To ask Ligonier a biblical or theological question, email ask@ligonier.org or message us on Facebook or Twitter.
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H.B. Charles Jr.
Dr. H.B. Charles Jr. is pastor-teacher of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla. He is author of several books, including It Happens After Prayer: Biblical Motivation for Believing Prayer, On Preaching: Personal and Pastoral Insights for the Preparation and Practice of Preaching, and On Pastoring: A Short Guide to Living, Leading, and Ministering as a Pastor. He is host of The On Preaching Podcast.
