Tuesday, October 23, 2012

AC 3796 - looking within and making judgments

AC 3796 [3]
it is the mark of someone wise
to be aware of which ends are present in himself.
Sometimes it does seem as though his ends are selfish
when in fact they are not,
for the human being is such
that in every thing he considers how it affects himself.
This he does regularly and habitually.
But if anyone wishes to know
the ends he himself has in view
he has merely to take note of his feeling of delight -
whether it is on account of his receiving praise and glory,
or whether it is on account
of his performing some unselfish service.
If it is the latter delight which he feels,
genuine affection is present in him.
. . . A person is able to find these things out in himself,
but not in others,
for the ends in view to anyone's affection
are known to the Lord alone.
This is why the Lord said,

Do not judge, lest you are judged;
do not condemn, lest you are condemned.
(Luke 6:37)

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