From his book, ”The Promise of Discipleship,” Neal A. Maxwell wrote:
“. . . the natural man manages to get his ticket punches at almost every stop on the temptation train; after all, is seems so natural. Being unpenitent, he regards the similar behavior of other passengers merely as confirmation of his own conclusion: “I am only human“ (see Alma 26:21) Moreover, if he is sorry at all, it is not “Godly sorrow” he feels (2 Corinthians 7:10); rather he is sorry for the inconvenience of being discovered or interrupted.
As Jesus said, some “justify [themselves] before men for that which is . . . an abomination before God” (Luke 16:15). Instead of pursuing his repentance, the natural man’s shoulder-shrugging self-indulgence demands our forgiveness (2 Corinthians 7:10) Sensuality thus has its own form of assertive self-pity!
Sending words his way may not help the natural man, because, as Jesus said, “Lusts . . . choke the word” (Mark 5:19). Effectively, the natural man is already “shut out from the presence of God” (Moses 6:49)
So the natural man insists on being the pseudo orphan—be either does not hear or refuses the loving calls to come to his real Home! Even if, perchance, he should hear the voice of God, it will be regarded only as brief and interrupting thunder in the distance (John 12:29). The distraction passes; hence, so he can hurry back to the sand piles!
Our minds—and with them, desires—have to be changed. . . .(continued)
~Neal A. Maxwell, The Promise of Discipleship (Salt Lake City:Deseret Book, 2001). 42-43
