Quotatious (6)

I came across this quote from Leo Tolstoy in The Jesus I Never Knew:

The test of observance of Christ's teachings is our consciousness of our failure to attain an ideal perfection. The degree to which we draw near the perfection cannot be seen; all we can see is the extent of our deviation.

Probably we can't really see "the extent of our deviation" either, not with any kind of clarity. Still, I like the quote and think it is essentially correct. Even the least honesty about these matters will leave us knowing our need for a rescuer, and loving the Rescuer.