Sin

Tatu · #1 22nd October 2006, 04:11 PM

I've been wanting to sin, so bad.

I know I'm not the only person, so don't judge. Every one of you has been here.

I know it's a heart problem. And I'm working on my heart. It hasn't been in the right place for a while.

But what do I do until then?

Just physically refrain from sin as much as possible, regardless of personal motive for doing so? Even if my heart is not in it, and my only motivation is not love?

jdispensa · #2 22nd October 2006, 05:03 PM

Originally Posted by Tatu

I've been wanting to sin, so bad.

I know I'm not the only person, so don't judge. Every one of you has been here.

I know it's a heart problem. And I'm working on my heart. It hasn't been in the right place for a while.

But what do I do until then?

Just physically refrain from sin as much as possible, regardless of personal motive for doing so? Even if my heart is not in it, and my only motivation is not love?

First of all no one is perfect... if you do sin just pick yourself up and get back right with God. While Grace is not freedom to sin it does make it easy knowing that God is there right when you need to get things right.

Next of all to prevent sin... spend time with God.. read the forum post on fasting. At the end of the day... if you go away from everyone and everything and spend time with God and talk with Him and work it out between you and Him...

Often I would work late late hours at my church and would take a few hours about 3 or 4 am and just walk around the sanctuary in the church and I would make sure I brought up the subjects that hurt me most that God was trying to deal with me about... it was in those times when I brought it up and let God talk with me about it... having my bible handy for scriptures He gave me... I found that the strength and relationship I got from those times made the presure and worry and doubt just go away.

Ill keep you im my prayers,
But Go spend time with God and His word...
Next if that does not help go to leadership that you trust in your church. They are there for helping you!

foadle · #3 22nd October 2006, 05:08 PM

Tatu you are right I have been there. The only advice I can give is this - go through your Bible and right a list of all the scriptures that pertain to this sin and what God says about you. Then speak them out (making it personal)
Things like:
God has made me more than a conqueror
God is my God and I will serve him only
I belong to God and so I am no longer serving evil desire but God
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength
etc.
Keep speaking them out until you really feel them drop into your heart - this may take hours but keep going
Also even if you do that (or start doing that) and you fall don't beat yourself up. Romans 7 tells us that we indeed do stuff that we really don't want to.

God I praise you that you are indeed God and that nothing impossible for you. I pray for Tatu and ask that you would show him the power he has within you to stand. Be his strength and his courage Lord in the precious name of Jesus
Amen

lyonguard · #4 22nd October 2006, 05:54 PM

Sin often starts in the thoughts. These are some of the things I would do.

First, if possible, I would remove the temptation instead of trying to resist it. If it isn't there, you won't think about it as much.

Second, I would not think about it. You have control over your thoughts. Instead of thinking about the sin you want to commit, rebuke the thought in the name of Jesus and command it to go. It must obey. Do not allow it back.

Next, if you are thinking about something that you shouldn't, begin talking out loud. You cannot talk aloud and think about something else at the same time. This is a great time to quote scripture.

Finally, when you pray, ask God what the source of the problem is, what scriptures He wants you to stand on, and how He wants you to handle the problem.

While you are doing the above, you should also do all the things you already know to do - read the word pray in the Spirit, etc. Remember, sometimes you have to do these things by faith. You may not feel like it but if you do them, eventually you will feel like it and the victory is yours.

And you are right - we've all been there. I decided to live there for a while and it wasn't pretty!

Just remember, you are more than a conqueror and no weapon formed against you will prosper!

pdudgeon · #5 24th October 2006, 11:57 AM

first off, remember that temptation is not the same thing as sin. We are all tempted--no one is exempt--(1Corr.10:13) but there are patterns that satan uses to get to us and they are always the same ones. but with the opportunity to sin also comes the opportunity to do good and to obey God.

Satan uses the same 5 steps all the time as shown in Genesis 3:1-13, so we need to recognize them.
1. he draws us in, comming to us when we are in a weak position.

2. he works his appeals to us thru what we desire.

3. he causes us to doubt what is true and what God says.

4. he works thru deception and half truths.(John 8:44)

5. he works towards our destruction thru sin.

so how do we get out and get past these temptations?
glad you asked!

the first step is to recognize the patterns of temptation.
Temptation happens either when we are already in a vulnerable situation, or else right after a great victory against satan. Temptation is rarely blatent, but it is suble and designed to get around our defenses, and lead us into the temptation.
I think that's why Jesus included the phrase "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" in the Lord's prayer, so that we could be sure it would not be God's will ever to tempt us. (James 1:13,14)

secondly to realize that it IS comming. no one goes thru life untempted, so we need to be on our guard.

third, to prepare our mind to deal with it by allowing God to change the way we think. We do that by getting His word inside us and by capturing the thoughts as they come. (Romans 12:2, 2Corr. 10:5)

fourth, to avoid the areas we are likely to be tempted by. We need to recognize our own strongholds and not put ourselves into situation where we could be tempted. Eve when she was in the garden was already in the vacinity of the tree that God told her not to eat from. and it was that time that satan chose to tempt her.

fifth, when tempted--RUN AWAY! we are not called to play tug of war with satan. (2tim. 2:22) if we stand there and battle against satan we may or we may not win, but why take that chance? But if we run away from the temptation and run to Christ then we always win.

and sixth, find encouragement in Christ one of the reasons Christ endured and overcame temptation was so that He could help us to do the same. (Heb. 2:17,18)

spiritfilledwoman · #6 24th October 2006, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by pdudgeon

first off, remember that temptation is not the same thing as sin. We are all tempted--no one is exempt--(1Corr.10:13) but there are patterns that satan uses to get to us and they are always the same ones. but with the opportunity to sin also comes the opportunity to do good and to obey God.

Satan uses the same 5 steps all the time as shown in Genesis 3:1-13, so we need to recognize them.
1. he draws us in, comming to us when we are in a weak position.

2. he works his appeals to us thru what we desire.

3. he causes us to doubt what is true and what God says.

4. he works thru deception and half truths.(John 8:44)

5. he works towards our destruction thru sin.

so how do we get out and get past these temptations?
glad you asked!

the first step is to recognize the patterns of temptation.
Temptation happens either when we are already in a vulnerable situation, or else right after a great victory against satan. Temptation is rarely blatent, but it is suble and designed to get around our defenses, and lead us into the temptation.
I think that's why Jesus included the phrase "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" in the Lord's prayer, so that we could be sure it would not be God's will ever to tempt us. (James 1:13,14)

secondly to realize that it IS comming. no one goes thru life untempted, so we need to be on our guard.

third, to prepare our mind to deal with it by allowing God to change the way we think. We do that by getting His word inside us and by capturing the thoughts as they come. (Romans 12:2, 2Corr. 10:5)

fourth, to avoid the areas we are likely to be tempted by. We need to recognize our own strongholds and not put ourselves into situation where we could be tempted. Eve when she was in the garden was already in the vacinity of the tree that God told her not to eat from. and it was that time that satan chose to tempt her.

fifth, when tempted--RUN AWAY! we are not called to play tug of war with satan. (2tim. 2:22) if we stand there and battle against satan we may or we may not win, but why take that chance? But if we run away from the temptation and run to Christ then we always win.

and sixth, find encouragement in Christ one of the reasons Christ endured and overcame temptation was so that He could help us to do the same. (Heb. 2:17,18)

Great response! I especially like where you stated that we need to be aware of the pattern of temptation that Satan uses to draw us away. How true! While we need to focus more on the word of God than on the enemy, we must understand the tactics of Satan so we will not be pulled away. Once you know the pattern of attack, victory is sure. I have found this to be true in my life over and over again.

Diatheke · #7 24th October 2006, 12:30 PM

If its possible to physically refrain then run away - no matter what the motivation is - the word says resist the devil and he will flee, you don't need the perfect reason and your heart doesn't have to be happy about it at this very moment - just resist!

You can get your heart issues worked out, just spend time in the Bible and talk to God and ask for strenght but I can tell you from experience its easier to get your heart right if you are physically removed from the temptation - once you give in to sin then the guilt and remorse sets in and its much more difficult to get your heart right at that point.

Go for a walk, prayer in tongues, seek God, whatever you do SPEAK THE WORD OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!

Faith moves God and faith moves mountains but faith won't move anything until it moves you!
The first part of you that your faith will move IS YOUR MOUTH!

The devil cannot read your thoughts, the only thing he understands is what you say so its vital that you get in the habit of running your mouth.

People who say nothing lose by default - you cannot win the battle in your mind -
if your fighting the battle in your mind without speaking it's a waste of time - the devil has no idea what your thinking - you have to speak, Jesus didn't say "think at the mountain" He said "speak to the mountain"

I'm not sure why I'm stuck on this but SPEAK IT TATU!

churchlady · #8 29th October 2006, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by Tatu

I've been wanting to sin, so bad.

I know I'm not the only person, so don't judge. Every one of you has been here.

I know it's a heart problem. And I'm working on my heart. It hasn't been in the right place for a while.

But what do I do until then?

Just physically refrain from sin as much as possible, regardless of personal motive for doing so? Even if my heart is not in it, and my only motivation is not love?

One thing that most people don't realize is that sin can cost you years of going forward in Christ.

Let me tell you something that I would rather keep private, in the hopes that you will do what the Bible says about temptation to sin.......Mathew 26:41 "Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation, the spirit indeed is willing, but flesh is weak." (also Mark 14:38 and Luke 22:46)

When I was in my early 30's (I'm 61 now), I was in an emotionally abusive marriage and very unhappy. I was praying but nothing seemed to be changing.

I met a man at church and we were both attracted to each other. We both knew it was wrong, but unhealed wounds and unmet needs can be a powerful pull.

We never got past the flirting stage of it because of a prayer that I cried out to God as I was driving home one day. "God, please stop me, because I can't stop myself".

From that point on, God changed some circumstances where this guy and I were no longer thrown together without many other people around. Other things happened too that made it possible to get away from this even though flesh didn't want to at all. I mean, what did I have to look forward to in leaving it behind and returning emotionally to home. My home was like hell at the time, and God hadn't given me the okay to leave it, as I was asking Him to.

But, (please listen Tatu), even though I escaped the actual carrying out of the end results of this infatuation, it took away my passion for God, my ability to concentrate on Godly things, and made me an emotional mess for over 2 years, and about 4-5 years before I recovered my sense of passion for the Lord.

Run run run run from sin. It's not worth the hidden cost!

DiscipleWhomJesusLoves · #9 29th October 2006, 11:48 PM

You need to believe that sin is no longer the issue.

How did Jesus die to sin at the cross?

Did He die to sin so that you will never ever sin again?
The answer is obvious.

Or did He die to sin such that when you sin, there is no condemnation?
Likewise, reckon yourself dead to sin in this same manner.

There are no 5 steps or 3 principles to apply. You cannot do what only Christ can and has done.

churchlady · #10 30th October 2006, 12:11 AM

Originally Posted by DiscipleWhomJesusLoves

You need to believe that sin is no longer the issue.

How did Jesus die to sin at the cross?

Did He die to sin so that you will never ever sin again?
The answer is obvious.

Or did He die to sin such that when you sin, there is no condemnation?
Likewise, reckon yourself dead to sin in this same manner.

There are no 5 steps or 3 principles to apply. You cannot do what only Christ can and has done.

The part of your post that I bolded and underlined is what I'd say to some Christian brother or sister who had already fallen into sin and was buried under the weight of guilt.

To the Christian who is in the throes of powerful temptation, as Tatu posted, I would warn them that to step into sin is to step into darkness and deception. Sin has cost to it. Jesus died so that we don't have to fall victim. We don't know what sin that he is being tempted by, so we don't know how big the consequences might be. But it has a price.