And yet all it would take was a fire in a neighbor's field to spread in his direction, and all his work could go up in smoke. In fact, even after the crop was harvested, and was standing bound in sheaves, there was always the danger of fire. The danger is a real one for us as well. Insofar as we have done the work of repentance, the Lord is causing an affection for heavenly things to take root within our minds. But, even while this is happening, there are things within the mind which can still destroy the work that has begun.
Regeneration involves the overthrow of the ruling loves of self and the world.
These are dangerous loves. Before they are completely vanquished, they continue to burn with hatred and antagonism towards those new heavenly loves which the Lord establishes within the mind. We may be increasingly ruled by love and charity, but there are still things within us which hate and abominate what is from the Lord. Heaven may be growing within the mind, but there are other things, still alive and active, which can destroy the Lord's work. Everybody has such thorns within his mind.