Lack of growth in the Christian life is directly tied to self-justification, the second deterrent to overcoming sin that follows self-deception. Once a person begins stripping away self-deception by comparing himself to God's Word, he often dislikes what he sees and, rather than repenting, defends his behavior or his unwillingness to change. This pattern traces back to the first humans, who hid their sins from God and themselves, and it remains a universal human tendency to blame circumstances, other people, or even the weather rather than take responsibility for failures. Solomon's writings warn that this self-justifying tendency, when unchecked, is destructive; because judgment is not immediate, the human heart becomes emboldened to continue in wrongdoing. This principle applies directly to spiritual unproductivity. In the Parables of the Minas and the Talents, the servant who fails to use what his master gave him offers excuses rather than fruit, and Christ calls him wicked and lazy. This demonstrates that Christ judges by works and productivity, not by intentions or justifications. The many familiar excuses people offer for their lack of growth—claiming it was too hard, there wasn't time, or blaming upbringing or outside influences—do not impress Him. This excuse-making is often passed down, as parents who justify their own sins teach their children to do the same, a pattern illustrated by the kings of Judah whose sins influenced their heirs. Society has become so skilled at self-justification that even serious wrongdoing is excused through claims like temporary insanity, which may succeed in human courts but not before God. A particularly common justification for lack of growth is the appeal to universal human sinfulness—the idea that since "all have sinned," personal faults need not be specifically addressed. This allows a person to admit sinfulness in the abstract while avoiding repentance for particular sins, for fear that acknowledging them would require actually giving them up. Yet God is not interested in such excuses; He desires each individual's personal repentance, overcoming, and growth. The general fact that all humanity sins never justifies any individual's failure to change. Ultimately, self-justification for sin and lack of growth gains nothing, since the penalty for sin remains death. Only the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ can truly justify a person; self-justification cannot substitute for this. God seeks those who admit their faults and work daily to overcome them, promising eternal blessings to overcomers. David serves as the corrective example to this pattern of excuse-making. Though he initially justified his adultery and murder much as anyone would, when confronted by Nathan he abandoned self-deception and self-justification entirely, bitterly repenting and asking God to cleanse and purge him. He made no further excuses but dedicated himself to serving God and others. His example shows that overcoming lack of growth requires genuine repentance rather than justification, working out one's salvation with fear and trembling while seeking the Kingdom of God.