Neither fear nor self-interest can convert the soul. They may change the appearance, perhaps even the conduct, but never the object of supreme desire.. Fear is the motive which constrains the slave; greed binds the selfish man, by which he is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed (James 1:14). But neither fear nor self-interest is undefiled, nor can they convert the soul. Only charity can convert the soul, freeing it from unworthy motives. Bernard Of Clairvaux
About This Quote

As you can see, James is saying that fear and self-interest are not the only things that can lead to sin. Sin enters our lives when we’re drawn away by lust or selfish motives, which tempt us to do wrong, but charity is what will replace those motives with the purest impulses of love. That’s why James says that charity can convert the soul. It does so by freeing us from unworthy motives, whether they be out of fear or self-interest.

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