Cherish Sin

Does Satan have a stronghold in your life where you find yourself battling a habitual sin that you can’t seem to shake? He might have beaten you down so badly with shame and addiction that you feel like you’ll never be free of it. Or, you may have grown so accustomed to your sin, that you’ve learned to justify it to a point that it doesn’t even prick your conscience anymore. If that is you; if Satan has his hooks in you but you’ve decided to accept that you’ll never be free, I challenge you not to give up. Set aside the shame, humble yourself, and continue to pray and believe that Jesus will set you free. Because the more you grow comfortable with your sin, the more you are distancing yourself from God. In Psalm chapter 66, verses 18 and 19, the psalmist shares these words:

“If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.”

You see, we can’t comfortably continue in our sin, and think that our prayers will be effective. If we cherish sin in our heart, this psalmist says that the Lord will not listen. There is support for this truth in other areas of the Bible as well, explaining that God may not hear the prayers of those who cherish sin in their hearts, but the prayers of the righteous will avail much. So I challenge you not to cherish, or love, the sin in your heart. Because if you do, the Lord will not listen to you, and your separation from God will grow. Do what the psalmist did. Allow the Spirit to clean your heart. Then God will surely listen and hear your voice in prayer.

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Our spiritual unfaithfulness has a greater effect on our relationship with God than we might think. When we are spiritually far from God, he is spiritually far from us. But once we repent; once we humble ourselves before the Lord with a broken spirit, he will forgive us, restore us, listen to us and “hear the voice of our prayer”, as the psalmist puts it. So I challenge you not to cherish sin in your heart. Learn to see sin as God sees it; as evil and a vice that separates you from him.

His Workmanship

Do you believe that God created you for a purpose? Before answering too quickly, I want you to really give thought to that question. Do you really believe that God created you for a purpose? Preachers tell us that there is a purpose to our life, your parents may have even said this to you, and even some unbelievers might say it from time to time, but do you believe it? I know that I do, and Paul would agree as he puts it this way in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10 which says:

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Paul says that we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works. He even says that God prepared his plan for you in advance. In effect, Paul might be saying that God had a plan for your life before you were even born. If that is true; if God does have a plan for you, then what is it? Well, it is to do “good works”. What that looks like for you may be totally different than what it looks like for me. But the point is that there is a plan. And if there is a plan, are you fulfilling it? If you’re not sure, I encourage you to pray to God and find out what his plan for your life is. It certainly isn’t for you to do nothing. I believe that his plan for your life is to, in some way, impact the kingdom of heaven. I believe that his plan for every believer is to make ripples in eternity by reaching out to our fellow man through the power, love and encouragement of the Spirit.

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Were you created for a purpose? Is there a plan for you life? Yes there is. Your job is to find out what that is. Paul tells us that “we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”. I pray that you seek out what “good works” God has planned for you to accomplish. If you do, you will find no greater pleasure, no greater satisfaction, than being within his will and being used by him for his glory.

Be Adults

I don’t know for sure, but I have a sneaking suspicion that most Americans who call themselves Christians have never advanced in their faith beyond infancy. Some may have never read the word of God for themselves, others may be spiritually conflicted due to the liberal ideology we receive from the media and society in general, and still others may be content with merely dipping their toe into what it means to be a Christ-Follower. As a result, I believe that many who call themselves Christians do not understand the Bible enough, or have grown in their faith enough, to think and understand the deeper things spoken of in the Bible and have never advanced beyond the elementary things. Paul warns the Corinthians about this in first Corinthians chapter 14 verse 20 which says: 

“Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.”

This is found buried in Paul’s teaching about the gifts of prophesy and speaking in tongues. Now, I realize that there have been heated debates as to whether speaking in tongues still happens today, and even what it means to “speak in tongues”. But my question to those who would quickly dismiss the phenomenon is, “if you have a problem with speaking in tongues, what will you do if God decides to do something really crazy?” To have the faith to believe in the miraculous goes beyond thinking like a child. It is the realization that God sets the rules, God sets the boundaries, and at any time and in any way that lines up with his word and his character, he can choose to move. So I encourage you not to put God in a box, because when we decide that there are limits to what God will and will not do, I believe that we are actually revealing our lack of faith.

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Like Paul says, we need to advance in our faith and stop thinking like spiritual children. Yes, we are to be inexperienced - or infants - when it comes to evil, but with regards to the deeper things of God; the things that stretch our faith and grow our understanding of who he is, we should be adults. I encourage you to filter what you hear and learn about God through the Bible aided by the Holy Spirit. Then open your mind and understanding to a mighty God whose power and influence are limitless. If you do, you might be able to stretch your faith in such a way, that God will move in your life in ways that are beyond what you can think or ask.

Eyes Shut

You may have heard the phrase, “seeing is believing”, implying that if we’re not able to see something with our own eyes, why should we believe it? It is human nature to subscribe to this notion because we live in a fallen world where people are subject to exaggerate, mislead, or even lie when talking about events or so-called facts. And as we grow older we become even more jaded and cynical. But when it comes to our God; when it comes to his word and his promises, believers do not have to see to believe. Paul reminds the church of Corinth in second Corinthians 5:7:

“We live by faith, not by sight.”

Here, Paul is referring to our heavenly dwelling; that we should be confident in knowing that when we are here in the body, we are away from the Lord. But he alludes to the fact that once we leave this body we will be with God in heaven. And even though we don’t see that now, we should believe because we live by faith, not by sight. As you put your trust in God here on earth, I encourage you not to judge how things are progressing, or even the final outcome of your prayer requests, by what you see with your eyes. Have faith that God is in control, even when things are at their worst. Know that God hears your prayers, know that he has your best interest at heart, and know that there is nothing too big for our God. Don’t think it, know it. And if you do, you’ll be living by faith, not by sight.

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“We live by faith, not by sight”. More often than not, that verse is easier to say than to do. But faith is what every believer must possess. As a matter of fact, that is what it means to be a believer. Faith is the first step to everything Christian. Without it, it is impossible to please God. So, every true believer lives by faith. Just like the spirit world is very real even though we don’t see it, God is at work even though we may not see it. His words and his promises are true, even though we may not feel that they are. And he is very near, even though at times it may seem that he is far away. I encourage you, in every way that you trust in the Lord, live by faith, not by sight.

Fear Over Beauty

In my opinion, the most beautiful of all God’s creation is woman. Not only are they beautiful on the outside, but women have the ability to be strong, nurturing, loving, supportive, and the absolute perfect companion for men. But Proverbs would attest that the best attribute a woman can have is a healthy reverent fear of the Lord. In Chapter 31, verse 30, it says.

“Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”

This verse is lifted from the very famous chapter often referred to as, “The Wife of Noble Character”. Even though this verse is in reference to the fairer sex, to reverently fear, honor and respect the Lord should be the goal of every believer; male or female. Charm and beauty are wonderful attributes, but they can only serve a woman here on this earth. We can’t take our charm or our beauty with us when we die. And even while on earth they fade over time. Proverbs says they are fleeting. But the fear of the Lord is useful in this life and will set our hearts in the right place when we eventually go to heaven and spend eternity with God. So remember Proverbs 31:30, “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”

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I often think that beauty and charm are wasted when given to women of poor character; women who might use it as a weapon to manipulate men. But it is a breath of fresh air when found on a woman of noble character; a woman whose heart is set on honoring God. Proverbs says that a woman like that is to be praised. So I encourage you, even if God has blessed you with incredible charm and striking beauty, to remember this verse. Beauty and charm are universally attractive, but it is the fear of the Lord that is eternally attractive - so much so that it should be praised.