We know, or we should know anyways, just how bad off we were prior to salvation. But did you ever consider what things would have been like had God not intervened in our lives - had He not called us out.
Think about it a bit. I mean, in the bible we read about Paul saying he was "chief among sinners" and we can understand that since we know where he was from. But the other apostles were just as evil at heart as he was. Consider the life that John or Peter may have led if Jesus had not chosen them. Then consider your own life.
Consider all the vile things which you did and considered doing before you were saved. Now think about the temptations, thoughts and urges that come to your mind even now. Without the Spirit's power and the grace of God, what would be there to stop you from doing those very things? Really, think about it.
We kick ourselves (I know I do on occasion) when we are even tempted by some vile thought or urge, but if we did not have the grace of God actively in our lives, we would not merely think those things but do them. We are, after all, prone to going towards the bad over the good in our flesh.
Praise be to God that the work He had started within us at the moment of our salvation He did not abandon for we most definitely do know how to do evil, do we not.
So take a bit of heart in the knowledge that those thoughts and urges are just that. That while they are tempting in some measure (temptation is called such because it is tempting after all), that because of the work of the Spirit within us they stay as thoughts and urges, not manifested into action. And even those things which do get the better of us from time to time and we give into, are not near as vile as what we could and would do if not for the healing grace of God.
Just something to think about.
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