In my morning devotion from Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost For His Highest, it began with this statement: “There is no heaven that has a little corner of hell in it.” Hmmmmmmm. What is the point, you may ask? We certainly agree with the statement. It would be absurd to imagine any space in heaven where we could find a little bit of hell.
I think the point being made is – why are we ever content to allow space for sin in our life? I have heard Christians excuse a vice with the contention, “everybody ought to be allowed at least one.” Can we imagine God will provide a room in heaven where we can occasionally escape to satisfy our need to commit little sins? Of course not. But, we think, while we are suffering through our earthly existence perhaps it is okay to allow Satan to have one foot in the door. You know. No one is perfect. Right?
What we sometimes forget is that every area of disobedience in our life is destructive. We are not perfect, but we are always seeking to give God authority over everything. If He is Lord, He must be Lord of all of me! We are never ever interested in wearing the uniform of the opposing team. We are always suspicious of what Satan and sin may be trying to steal from us. We know there is danger when we search the scriptures for permission to do that which God’s Word and His Holy Spirit have already said no. We must not play Satan’s games. We cannot reserve a little part of ourselves for sin to reign.
Our honest and sincere prayer is, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.” We want our lives to be like heaven. “There is no heaven that has a little corner of hell in it.” The psalmist prayer is “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:2). Scripture reminds us of this: “as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15-16).