Is Christianity Corrupt? Potentially.
Have you ever heard of the term “pet sins?”
It’s a term that refers to a sin that we deem “acceptable” or forgivable without repentance.
I think that in this generation and community of Christianity, we are quite literally corrupting our own faith without realizing it.
1 John 2:15 – Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.
Let me be transparent, pet sins are something everybody struggles with, you are not alone. I struggle with pet sins.
Sometimes I excuse my sin with the excuse:
“Well, all of my other Christian friends do it, and it looks like they still love Jesus so I guess it okay.”
it’s not okay, but don’t lose hope.
The problem is that everybody is different. Some Christians think drugs are okay. Some Christians think sex outside of marriage is okay. Some Christians think cursing is okay. Some think that pornography is okay. Some think drinking alcohol is okay. Music?
A sensitive topic, but some Christians are jamming out to music that blatantly praises the life of sex, drugs, alcohol, partying and living for yourself. How can you enjoy that, turn around and listen to your Christian music and claim to desire to live for Jesus?
When we do this not only are we choosing the world over Christ-like 1 John 2:15 says, but anybody else that sees us has a misrepresented view of Christianity.
When we live like this we corrupt our faith and break down our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Romans 12:2 – Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Is a life lived apart from the world and dedicated to Christ easy? No way! Living for Jesus isn’t easy and He never said it would be. Can you imagine being Jesus just for a second?
Imagine heaven, Imagine having unlimited power over the world, it’s inhabitants, then choosing to come to earth for the very people that you created, but that mock you and call you a liar, a fraud, and then holding back on all you can do because, despite their actions, you still love those people as they drove spikes through your hands and feet?
That’s love and that’s self-control.
There is a misconception that Jesus came to earth entirely because of His love for us. Yes, Jesus loved us and that is part of the reason He came to earth, but He also came because God his father commanded Him to, and He followed in obedience.
He could have, called angels down to take Him off the cross, He could have thought it and all of the world could have ceased to exist in a moment. He could have breathed and everybody would’ve bowed down and acknowledged Him as Jesus Christ. Yet, He didn’t he suffered and died out of obedience.
Jesus isn’t asking you to die for Him, but He is asking you to die to self and to LIVE for Him.
Jesus isn’t even asking a whole lot out of us, He is CALLING us to live different, live for the cause of Christ.
Maybe you feel like you are not close to Christ, or maybe you feel like Jesus isn’t as evident in your life as you’d hope. He wants to be close to you. He wants you to love Him as much as He already loves you. But maybe it’s that pet sin.
Maybe it’s that one thing that you can’t let go of, that thing that you run too instead of running to Christ. Let it go. Don’t harbor sin, it’s only hurting you and pulling you farther from Christ.
Don’t excuse sin.
Be Different.
Don’t get discouraged, when you do fail, turn right back to Christ – He’ll be there waiting.
P.S – I am sorry this one was shorter, it was on my mind, and I felt like I should share.