“Roland had taught him that self-deception was nothing but pride in disguise, an indulgence to be denied.”

“Self-centered indulgence, pride and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle.”

“The Good News means we can stop lying to ourselves. The sweet sound of amazing grace saves us from the necessity of self-deception. It keeps us from denying that though Christ was victorious, the battle with lust, greed, and pride still rages within us.”

“I should not have cared to see it as an act of self-sacrifice even if it had been one; for there is nothing clever in self-sacrifice, nothing to pride oneself on.”

“Confession is the God-given remedy for self-deception and self-indulgence. When we confess our sins before a brother-Christian, we are mortifying the pride of the flesh and delivering it up to shame and death through Christ. Then through the word of absolution we rise as new men, utterly dependent on the mercy of God. Confession is thus a genuine part of the life of the saints, and one of the gifts of grace.”

“There seemed to be nothing left in the world, for I felt that Roland had taken with him all my future and Edward all my past.”