Psalm 66:18 “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”
God and sin aren’t compatible. Psalm 5:4 says, “You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell.”
I think too often, there is a disconnect between our profession as Christians and our living as Christ did. Do we hate sin like God does? Do we live to flee temptation? Do we live to honor God with our bodies? Are we careful to not set things before our eyes that offend God’s holiness? Are we careful about what we are ingesting? Does it matter to us where we go for entertainment? Does it matter to us what Jesus thinks about how we are occupying our time? In a strong and healthy marriage, one spouse would consider if their attitudes and actions were offensive to their spouse. How much more should we consider what God thinks about our lives? If we want to be in right relationship with Him, if our relationship is important, then choosing to stay away from that which offends Him is critical.
When we cherish sin, we love what God hates, and we compromise our relationship with God.
Sin disgusts God. If your spouse was doing that which disgusted you, there would be a distance, a disconnect, right? You wouldn’t draw closer in that moment. You would separate yourself. It is no different with God. Cherishing sin means we are choosing that which disgusts God over God Himself.
I think many Christians have begun to evaluate their behavior in light of the behavior of the world rather than in light of God’s holiness. The world isn’t our standard, but too often, we have allowed it to become so. When we think, “I don’t drink as much as so and so,” or “I don’t lie as much as so and so,” we have moved away from our relationship with God as the One to whom we are accountable. How we look compared to so and so means nothing to God. It is how are we stacking up against Jesus.
To cherish sin means we are looking for ways to do it. It means we are planning on it. It means we are making room for it in our lives. We aren’t supposed to be planning rendezvous with sin. Romans 13:14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
Christians who value their relationship with the Lord aren’t going to be spending time on purpose thinking about how they can deviate from the relationship. They will instead be focused on ways to grow it. That is what they will cherish.
When we cherish sin, we choose the wrong path, and we compromise our destiny.
Sin not only separates us from God, hindering our relationship, but it takes us on a path apart from God, a path in the opposite direction from God. It not only seeks our attention, but Satan, through getting us to sin repeatedly, wants to change the trajectory of our lives. He wants us on the wrong road. He wants to steal our potential for the Kingdom of God. He doesn’t want us to become what God knows we can. He doesn’t want us to live with the blessing and favor of God. He doesn’t want us enjoying a relationship with God. He sure doesn’t want us walking down the path God has planned for us.
Satan is so clever that he lures us one step at a time in the wrong direction because he wants to rob us of our destiny. Before people realize it, they are trapped in a dark place. You see, sin causes a disorientation in our thinking. When we cherish sin as a lifestyle, our minds get messed up. The Bible calls it being “darkened in our understanding” (Ephesians 4:18) It is a kind of “spiritual disorder.” We won’t clearly understand spiritual truth when we cherish sin. Even when other people point out that we are headed down the wrong path and are headed for destruction, even when it is obvious to everyone around us, we won’t see it.
When we cherish sin, we hinder our prayer life, and we compromise our daily victory.
Psalm 66:18 “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”
Oh, God still hears every prayer, but He refuses to act on some of the prayers that are prayed from a heart that cherishes sin. That may not sound nice to us. It may not seem right to us, but it is true. When we are cherishing sin, how can we ever pray with the right motives or for the right things? When we are cherishing sin and living in the mental instability it creates, how can we even think to pray correctly? When we are cherishing sin, we cannot pray in faith. When we are cherishing sin and have put distance in the relationship between us and God, why would we assume He should be at our beckon call?
If we are going to live successful Christian lives, we can’t bench God. We can’t compartmentalize our lives and say, “This is the part I live for God and this is the part I live for myself.” Healthy, lasting marriages don’t work that way, right? My husband doesn’t say, “Here is our life together, I will budget 50% of my time and affection to honoring us, and I’ll give 50% of my time and affection to honoring someone else.” How could my relationship with Thom flourish under those circumstances? How could I ever want to grow closer to him or trust him or assist him when he needed help? I would never stand for that, and he would never tolerate it coming from me. God is a jealous God. He isn’t going to share His people with Satan and sin.
Be assured by this, however, there is one prayer God will always hear. It is the prayer that comes from a repentant heart. It is the prayer that says, “Lord, forgive me for my sin.” It is the prayer that says, “God, redirect my life. God, restore my relationship with you.” I John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Instead of a lifestyle of sin, why not live a lifestyle of confession? Why not open yourself up on a regular basis for God’s cleansing and empowering? David prayed, “See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:24). Why not just be sure? Why not ask God for cleansing from sin on a regular basis as a way of life?
It seems in every way that we deal with God, it all comes down to our hearts. What are we cherishing? Anyone sensing a distance between you and God this morning? Anyone aware that they are traveling the wrong road? Anyone wondering how you let things get so far out of hand? Anyone struggling to feel as if God is responding to them in prayer? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, I want to ask you “What’s in your heart?” What do you cherish? Is what you cherish tied to the things of God or the things of the world? Is what you cherish connected with God’s holiness or the ways of hell’s rebellion?
I know this: God cherishes you. He wants a relationship with you that will enable you to live your best possible life. That isn’t a life of sin. It is a life of salvation, sanctification and surrender to God as you walk with Him each and every day.
