Cherished Sin

"That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:27 (KJV)

Sounds impossible today, to be without spot or blemish, because all people fail God right? That is the thinking of many in the post-modern corporate church, that we can not be without sin. Of course that ignores the fact that 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us; “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

So do we believe that God is faithful? And that we are able to choose His solution when confronted by sin? Food for thought as we journey on our Walk Of Faith, and desire to be a disciple of Christ Jesus. God never asks of us anything we can not actually 'do'. He tells us that He does not give us more than we can bear, reread the above quote from 1 Corinthians and understand truly what it means. So again, we either believe this of God or we do not. But many claim that it is not expected of us to be perfect, that He only wants us to be as good as possibly can. This of course is stated with the intention to leave room to sin.

Often we expect God's Grace to come in and save us, even when we have chosen to sin, especially Cherished sin(s). Using Grace as some kind of 'get out of jail free' card played out in life. This is the thinking of many Christians today, they don't even try to stop from failing as they look to Grace as a safety net, even when it is not designed as such.

Grace is for accidental or unintentional sin, not deliberate sin without repentance. Even if we choose to sin deliberately, if our heart compels us to repent, Grace can then save us. But the heart can be deceitful, as the Bible tells us, and can look to using Grace as a means to sin as one wishes. This makes our Walk Of Faith of no effect as it is sin itself that sabotages our relationship with God.

Deliberate sin is what could be more accurately called Cherished Sin. So let's look at the word cherish and how sin could actually be cherished, and thus, again, separate us from God.

* Definitions from One Look (http://www.onelook.com)

• To take care of someone or something because you love (cherish) them (or it) very much.
• To keep something pleasant in your mind for a long time.
• To think that something is very important and to wish to keep it. 

The sins that we have the most difficulty removing from our lives, are sins that in some manner we cherish. This also speaks to secret sins that we hold close, or have deluded ourselves in keeping, that we hide from others. Or even that we have convinced ourselves that they are not sins at all. You can not walk in discipleship in Christ with these sins in your life as the basic definition of sin is “separation from God!”

Romans 8:5-8 tells us:

“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."

Providing for sin

“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” Romans 13:14

“And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.”Revelation 2:23

 The first definition of Cherish tells us that cherishing something, in this case sin, is done by providing (take care) a means for that sin to be in our lives. And the reason is clear, because we love it 'very much'! An example of that is lust. Take for instance a young man has just married someone he loves. He does all the outward things that show his love for his wife.

However he still 'flirts' with the women at work, the cashiers at the store, or anyone he deems are attractive and desirable. He may convince them, his wife, and maybe even himself, that he is just being friendly. But inside his heart he is truly being double-minded. He allows his flesh to covet a relationship with these women. Remember it is the heart that God searches to find the measure of that person.

And there is even a more insidious thing going on here, namely disrespect. If he cherished his wife completely, instead of the sin, respect would keep him from his flirting. And many have fallen to extra marital relationships by indulging in the precursor to a relationship with someone. Then if a woman responds to his advances and he accepts, then that sin becomes fully realized and the man falls.

This why God admonishes to not have anything that even resembles sin.

The Carnal Mind

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” Romans 6:16"

"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Romans 8:7

If one is carnally minded you are walking in sin, or to put in context, you have become, (or remained) the enemy of God. This is not me judging you, which I can not or desire to do, but rather what the Bible asserts as God's truth. Again, sin is separation from God. I have even it said 'Carnal Christians' describing those still ensnared in the world by choice. Let us be clear: if you are carnal you can not be Christian.

True Christianity is discipleship in Christ and He Himself made clear what that is in Luke 9:23

"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

A carnal mind is predisposed to sin, the thinking of it, the doing of it, and seeking whatever sin they are ensnared in to give them the results they want. They are not looking to Christ, nor are they willing to FULLY dedicate themselves to righteousness and a righteous life. The reason is that righteousness does not give them the results they are seeking, especially if the desire is for something of the world. And rest assured that a person knows what they hold in their hearts if honest.

This is true even if the person has indulged, or justified, in sin until they no longer view it as such. This is what God has declared is a reprobate mind:

“They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” Titus 1:16

Clinging to sin

"Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.” Romans 13:2

God always gives us a way to resist sin, as stated in 1 Corinthians 10:13 at the beginning of this article. It is when we cherish a sin, or sins, that we find ourselves resisting the proffered solution to it. We don't take it because we want the sin.

This is something most Christians do not want to be confronted with. Instead they will pray prayer after prayer to be free of it, but inside they really want it. God doesn't go against our desires, so it is imperative to be truthful to ourselves instead of denial, so we can truly be free. It is not a process, as many believe, there for allowing 'time' to get healed from something. Rather it is a decision that must be made if we truly want to be free.

Christ Jesus said to some that they were not His sheep. They were Jews like any other, The listened to His messages like any others, and they witness the power of God first hand just like many others. The difference? They wanted to keep their much cherished sins. They wanted to say the prayers of repentance and redemption, but they really didn't desire to change. They enjoyed, coveted and even nurtured, their much cherished sins. And in that Christ recognized they were not His sheep. His sheep lived a life of rejection towards sin, and walked in redemption and discipleship, just as they do today.

Conclusion

So we see that a cherished sin is just sin we want. We need only change what we want in order to be free, really free. It takes self-examination and a unyielding clarity of mind coupled with a discipleship with and of Christ that is of denial. Denial of the human mind and heart that leans towards perdition (sin nature) of the world. It takes the strength of our convictions, everyday, every waking moment, and with an expectation of an earned reward.

Earned? Yes. Salvation is a gift, given by Christ, but if we choose to follow the world by allowing sin to rule in our lives, then we have actively, and consciously, rejected that gift. That is why is said to work out your salvation in fear (respect) and trembling (conscious understanding of what's at stake). This is no short term fix, but rather a completely immersive change of life focus. The weak minded need not apply, for Christianity, true Christianity, is for the strong.

Be blessed, be loved, and be at peace. May the light of God's glory and presence fire the brilliance of your souls.