The Christian and "fudging"

     I'm not talking about something you bring to a church potluck or a church home group.  Nor am I talking about something that grandma, aunt, mom used to make and now it's up to you to put together the secret recipe and carry on the family tradition.  What I'm talking about are the ways we have come up with to be less than honest, less than having integrity, and less being Christ like.  Yes, we do the "fudging" thing quite often and there are ramifications for our actions and inaction's.  It doesn't matter what kinds of nuts you add to fudge; the end product is still fudge.  Nor does it matter what name you put to your fudge.  The name may be different but it's still just fudge.  Change the recipe so that it's sugar free?  Yep, it's still fudge.  Put frosting on it so it looks more like cake?  It is still fudge.  Some people even put marshmallows in their fudge (miniatures are the best) and yet it's still just fudge. 
     In the garden (the original garden) Satan slides up beside Eve and says, "Did God really mean you will die if you eat of the tree of life?"  Eve succumbs and here we are.  While there are many steps that take us to that place where we have been able to rationalize or justify just about anything in the name of ______ (insert your name here); it's still an act of justification and rationalization.  In other words, you still are the same person, doing the same things, with negative consequences brought about by your action or inaction.  Satan put together a recipe for fudge that Eve decided to accept.  She did this knowing that it was wrong...but it sounded so good!  Making fudge (and bad decisions) takes several steps.  First and foremost there needs to be a want inside of us that causes us to begin to romanticize the fudge.  You get to the point where you want what you want so bad that you tell yourself all the reasons why making the fudge and eating it are no longer taboo.  You give yourself permission to begin gathering together the ingredients, the time to make the fudge and the items needed to complete the recipe.  For instance, you have decided to wait until marriage to have sex and then buy yourself condoms "just in case."  You buy and install a radar detector despite the claim that you won't break the speed limit.  You get the point. 
     When you begin to mix the ingredients for the fudge you begin to get the pangs of guilt and of course hunger.  Which one wins?  The one you feed the most.  It's like there are two wolves inside of you vying for the top dog position.  One is the good dog and the other is the bad dog.  The one you feed the most is the one that wins every time.  We can and do make up the best excuses and call them "reasons" to break the law, violate our covenant with God, and make the best fudge.  Not wanting to feel overly guilty we do what comes naturally.  Eve invited Adam to eat of the fruit.  You invite a friend you know will join you in your sin in order to lighten your guilt load.  I once washed a load of whites with bleach and was surprised to find that all the garments were red in color because there was a red sock in with the white clothes.  Not noticing the red sock caused all of my whites to become violators as well.  One choice was guilty and affected everyone around it.  So now we have a whole church that brings fudge to the potluck.  The difference is found in the variety of kinds of fudge that are simply named something other than fudge.  Grandma's Best is still fudge.  Best of the Best is still fudge.  Sin is still sin. 
     Fudging on your taxes, your time at work, your cheating on tests, and other "fudging" activities will follow you every day of your life should you let fudging get a handhold on your life.  Pretty soon the fudging goes from one or two items to being predominant in our lives.  God waits patiently as his children do everything but come to him for help.  Where are you on the subject of fudging today?