Cherished sin our double foe

Christ's Object Lessons, p.46-48.

“He that receiveth the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while; for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.” COL 46.2

"The seed sown upon stony ground finds little depth of soil. The plant springs up quickly, but the root cannot penetrate the rock to find nutriment to sustain its growth, and it soon perishes. Many who make a profession of religion are stony-ground hearers. Like the rock underlying the layer of earth, the selfishness of the natural heart underlies the soil of their good desires and aspirations. The love of self is not subdued. They have not seen the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the heart has not been humbled under a sense of its guilt. This class may be easily convinced, and appear to be bright converts, but they have only a superficial religion.COL 46.3...

The roots of the plant strike down deep into the soil, and hidden from sight nourish the life of the plant. So with the Christian; it is by the invisible union of the soul with Christ, through faith, that the spiritual life is nourished. But the stony-ground hearers depend upon self instead of Christ. They trust in their good works and good impulses, and are strong in their own righteousness. They are not strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Such a one “hath not root in himself”; for he is not connected with Christ. COL 47.1

The hot summer sun, that strengthens and ripens the hardy grain, destroys that which has no depth of root. So he who “hath not root in himself,” “dureth for a while”; but “when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.” Many receive the gospel as a way of escape from suffering, rather than as a deliverance from sin. They rejoice for a season, for they think that religion will free them from difficulty and trial. While life moves smoothly with them, they may appear to be consistent Christians. But they faint beneath the fiery test of temptation. They cannot bear reproach for Christ's sake. When the word of God points out some cherished sin, or requires self-denial or sacrifice, they are offended. It would cost them too much effort to make a radical change in their life. They look at the present inconvenience and trial, and forget the eternal realities. Like the disciples who left Jesus, they are ready to say, “This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” John 6:60. COL 47.2

There are very many who claim to serve God, but who have no experimental knowledge of Him. Their desire to do His will is based upon their own inclination, not upon the deep conviction of the Holy Spirit. Their conduct is not brought into harmony with the law of God. They profess to accept Christ as their Saviour, but they do not believe that He will give them power to overcome their sins. They have not a personal relation with a living Saviour, and their characters reveal defects both hereditary and cultivated." COL 48.1

"When the word of God points out some cherished sin...they are offended."

"This is an hard saying; who can hear it?" (John 6:60)? The whole book, Christ's Object Lessons, is chock full of hard sayings. The Author's hard sayings in Christ's Object Lessons and in His many other books through Ellen White answer to His own description in The Great Controversy, p. 425.

"Says the prophet: “Who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers’ soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” Malachi 3:2, 3. Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God's people upon earth. This work is more clearly presented in the messages of Revelation 14."

So, we should not be surprised at the books' close-in chopping away of all bewitching veils and rubbish, which we and our fathers have used to block the glory shining from the truth. Let the word of God be "quick (it hits a nerve every time), powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword (scalpel)." Let it be the hammer that breaks the rock in pieces. If breaking doesn't happen, so that we don't fall broken on the Hammer, then Ellen White was a false prophet.

Cherished sin. What does He mean by cherished? A precious sin. That darling sin.

Is our cherished sin an object? A dream house, or a dream car? Is it a new, first model year, or an impeccable vintage model? Is it the latest computer, or phone? 

What is the idol that we gush over? Is that cherished sin a substance, illegal or legal. Is it food? Is it over-eating? Is it the blasphemous, dessert-like sin that is "so heavenly", and "just divine"? What is our ungodly lust that the Spirit of God has so often called "adultery" and drunkenness? "In eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken." (1Cor. 11:21). "The inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication." "With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication." (Rev. 17:3). 

What is the thing or stuff in which we ultra-indulge our flesh? Is it entertainment? Is it gaming? Or, movies? Is it a magazine, even though this world passes away? Is it socially accepted spiritualism? Is it New Age spirituality? Is your brand of spiritualism delving into church-accepted Spiritual Formation, of which any religion is guilty that rejects/ignores the condemnation of sin from the authoritative, last days prophet, Ellen White? Is it playing around with, or even just dabbling around the edges of, the occult?

Is it an emotion? Hatred toward an individual, a group, a culture, a nation, a race? Unforgiving, brooding over a past affront, daily consuming, every moment absorbing, an adversary's anger and hate. By beholding becoming changed into the same image until we have the mark of the beast in our foreheads?

Cherished and imagination-fondled sins of any category make terribly deep roots in our hearts and memories. We should never underestimate the almost omnipotent power of sins that have sneaked their way into our bosoms. They have actually stolen the place that God intended only for Himself. All who determinedly do that until the end become "the habitation of devil's, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." (Rev. 18:4). The deep roots constitute the stony ground of Christ's parable.

Jehovah, through His Spirit, infinitely desires the habitation that human hearts can provide Him.

"The household of God...in whom ye are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." (Eph. 3:20, 22).

 But, how can He dwell in a heart that still has the roots of love for another god, a lust that will assuredly manifest itself toward God's holy Spirit? Why should He enter when He knows the host will noticeably cringe when He speaks His beloved righteousness into his or her thoughts? This is why Jesus must require standards prior to Their entrance.

"He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.... If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him." ( John 14:21,23).

 If He were to enter polluted minds He would necessarily have to cohabit with the spirit of Satan/Baal/Dagon. Do we really know what we are doing to Jesus, and His holy Father, by polluting our bodies and minds, and then presuming to open ourselves for Their entrance? It's like asking Them to kiss an ashtray. He doesn't deserve that and it will just not happen. Either Dagon and all his caustic smoke must go! Or, Jehovah and His pleasures for evermore must go, and that with the slightest indication that such hearts can't leave the spirit of Dagon. The Spirit of Jehovah will leave; and He will plague the secret parts of all who grieved Him by their Dagon-cherished hearts.

But the standard is high, as we read above from Christ's Object Lessons. Who is able to hear the Spirit of truth, the powerful testimony of Jesus that breaks the stubborn rocks in pieces? Who can stand in the presence of the mighty Cleaver of truth that cuts and squares and scourges God's children to be fitted and prepared for the great Temple of God? The Law is not optional. We must all stand before the perfect Law of liberty. And we should never think that the roots of all our cherished, deeply rooted sins are completely removed from our hearts and minds, our memory and wicked psyches. While the grace of Christ  can give us the victory over every besetting, inherited and cultivated tendency to evil, until we get the victory, it would be a healthy practice to at least think on Paul's everlasting plea, "O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death?!"