Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
Do not buy into the lie and look within. Goodness is not inside us. It is outside. It does not spring up from inside us when we're at our best, it comes down from outside us like sunlight. The world is not illuminated from within, but from without. Goodness doesn't rise, it descends. Shadows are cast on a dark world by light from outside, but the source of light has no shadow whatsoever. That which casts a shadow is dark begetting darkness. That which has no shadow is light itself.
God did not shine upon us and provide us rebirth because of any goodness or light He found in common with us. He did so out of sheer grace in giving what could not be earned. He was not compelled by our accomplishments, He was moved by His own will. He send the seed of the Word of truth to be planted in soil He prepared to receive it.
As the implanted word takes root in us and branches out of us, we ought to be careful to prune it and tend to our soil so that the weeds which previously dominated our landscape do not choke out what God has embedded into us. Listening more, speaking less and relying less on our sense of intuitive justice are like miracle grow for weed-ridden souls. We must faithfully walk our rows and rip out the hangers-on when they appear. We must in meekness confess our sins and repent of them in order to honor and align ourselves with the seed that has been sown in us. This word is able to save our souls. It goes deeper than we could ever go, tilling soil we could never reach.
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