Be More Afraid of Your Duties Than of Your Sins

“It was the saying of a precious saint that he was more afraid of his duties than of his sins; for his duties often made him proud, but his sins always made him humble. It was good counsel Luther gave, ‘We must take heed not only of our sins, but of our good works.’

Duties can never have too much diligence used about them, nor too little confidence placed in them. They are good helps, but bad saviors. It is necessary we do them, but it is dangerous to rely upon them. If the devil cannot dissuade us from performing pious duties, then his next work will be to persuade us to rely upon them, to make saviors of them; because this will as certainly ruin our souls, as if we had wholly neglected them.

Now, let all these things work you to renounce your own righteousness—and to take sanctuary alone in the pure, perfect, and most glorious righteousness of Jesus Christ, and in the free grace of God.”

- Thomas Brooks, A Cabinet of Choice Jewels