The horrible culpability of the depravation

I fear that the emphasis is not placed enough on the horrible guilt of this depravity. One does not make enough effort, by clear and sharp messages, to show the sinner that his heart is irremediably corrupt and guilty, and that he is inexcusable.

No awakening will be truly profound until sinners and retrograde Christians have been sounded and mortified to such an extent that they will be unable to keep their heads high. As long as sinners and retrograde Christians can attend revival meetings with their heads held high and looking straight at you without being confused, I am absolutely convinced that there will be proof that a thorough inspection of the hearts has not been made. These are by no means ready to be completely broken before God and to be converted.

I particularly wish to draw the attention of my brothers to this fact. When sinners and retrograde Christians are truly convicted of sin by the Holy Spirit, they are profoundly ashamed of themselves. As long as they do not manifest a deep shame, one must know that their hearts have not been sufficiently probed, and that they do not see themselves as they should see each other. When I go to a meeting where the hearts are to be probed, and I look around the crowd, if I see the assistants with their heads up, looking at me and looking at each other, I immediately understand what I have to do. Instead of urging them immediately to come to Christ, I must strive to convince them of sin (...).

I have learned that an awakening never takes a desirable and proper direction, as long as the preaching and the means used do not all tend to produce this true and deep conviction of sin. It is this conviction which completely breaks the sinner and the retrograde Christian, and produces in them an indescribable shame and confusion before the Lord. They are then totally stripped of all excuses, and fully accept to condemn themselves by giving reason to God.

Jeremy Sourdril