From Dietrich's Pen

“The word of grace cannot be proclaimed and accepted when a person lives in unrecognized and undisclosed sin.  In such a case the word of grace becomes a poison.  It no longer arouses us but rather lulls us into a deadly quietism.  When the effect of the poison has worn off, one still has a disconsolate conscience.  Impenitence and callousness become more firmly entrenched.  Countless Christians hear the word of grace only in this way.  For them it has become a sleeping pill.  The person is cheated out of a salutary life in awe of God.”

From Spiritual Care