We must distinguish between seeking heaven and seeking God. We must distinguish between shunning hell and shunning sin. This is so important because there is a difference between them. Sin must become sinful because we see that sin separates us from God. Sin works in our members, which makes us say like the Apostle Paul, "O wretched man that I am!"

It is so beautiful that you cannot quarrel with a person who is in his right place, because all he will reply is, "Guilty, guilty." You can’t pick a quarrel with a person who knows his own heart. He will only say that he is wretched. He doesn’t have a stone to throw. It is so blessed if the Lord brings us to this point.

LUK 18:11-12 says, "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, [I want you to see something here. He saw righteousness in himself. He said] God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess." The Pharisee was looking for righteousness in himself, but the publican needed a righteousness outside of himself.

A starving man can not feed upon his own heart or liver. I want you to think about that! Likewise, the person who is hungering and thirsting after righteousness cannot feed upon his own righteousness. The nourishment has to come from an outside source.

LUK 18:13 continues, "And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner." The Pharisee was feeding on his own righteousness. The publican had a true hunger and thirst after the righteousness of Christ, and he could not even so much as raise his eyes. He only asked God to be merciful to him a sinner.

A man who does not hunger after righteousness can slight the day of grace; he can continue as if there is no judgment day. In PRO 27:7 we find, "The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet."

Let’s ponder this just a little! If you have just finished eating a feast, you can walk by a table full of the most delicious food without being attracted at all. You are full because you have just finished eating. On the contrary, after coming from a hard day’s work in the heat of the day, you need food and water. If you see a dry morsel of bread and a glass of water, you see it as a feast.

"...but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet." That which is bitter to the flesh becomes so sweet to the soul when the Lord sanctifies it with His Spirit. When we see that the Lord uses His chastening rod of correction to bring His sheep back into the fold, every bitter thing is sweetened. Then we see and understand the reason and the methods that the Lord has used to chasten us.