Deliverance from my Habitual Sin...

I’m writing the biblical truth that god reviled to me in prayer today. I have decided to start writing these things down because I believe God had chosen me to help people that have been in similar situations as me.
The fact is I’m a sinner, period. Really I’m worse I’m a habitual sinner who has been struggling with the sin of pornography for the past 10 months. Literally the whole time that I have been a Christian has been spent struggling with this sin.
I could go on and on about the background on me but I need to write these things down while they are still fresh in my mind. Besides what happened to me is not important at this point in time. What is important is what God has reviled to me in prayer.
As I finished sinning in the realm of pornography today I decided that I should go take a shower. I stood in the shower with the water running over me and I leaned my head against the cool side of the shower with a thump. I simply said, “Father, why have you yet to deliver me from this sin? You have shown me the things that I must do yet I keep on falling to this sin as if in total rebellion to you. What am I doing wrong? What is it that I am missing? I have asked repeatedly for your strength and for your help in this matter where are you?”
Almost in that instant it clicked in my mind. This scripture flooded into me as if out of left field and it spoke to me.


1 John 5:13 “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him.”
God spoke to my heart and asked me, “Why do you keep asking of me that which I have already heard? Is it not my will that you be delivered from pornography?”
Then this scripture came to my mind.

Luke 11:11“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

If even evil people know how to give good gifts the what makes us think the Father wouldn’t give them to us as well? I know this particular scripture is speaking of the Holy Spirit but the Father is ready to give us Good things. Why would the Father withhold any good thing from us that he has already told us is ours? It was at this point that I realized this simple truth:
God has already sent me the things that I have prayed for. He has been with me this whole time. I have been begging him for something that I already had. I should be thanking him that I have been delivered from the sin of Pornography.
I have been going through the http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com way of purity course. It has really helped me but even on day 20 I have still been stumbling. Today was the last day of any stumbling in this sin. Thank you Father.

This was something that I wrote out for myself and I thought I would post it here for any comments that you may have. Anything that you would like to add to it. Scriptures that would help me and others. I really feel like I'm supposed to help others and I have started writing down all of my thoughts.

Thanks..

__________________

Most "purity" programs out there resort a lot to accountability partners, memorization of scriptures, etc.

I'm telling you, ShaunJ, your sin has already been dealt with.

You call yourself a sinner. And you base this on your experience (or behavior). You're hoping that if you can somehow change your experience (behavior) that you can call yourself something else - maybe a saint.

The Truth is, when you believe who you really are in Christ, your experience (behavior) will follow your faith and not the other way around.

You are calling yourself a sinner becuase you rely on your experience (behavior) which is based upon your belief system. And your belief system is skewed. And you then fail your desire (to be righteous) and it then only "proves" to you that what you believe about yourself is true - BUT it goes against what the Bible says about you. The Word of God is your ultimate TRUTH. We will deceive ourselves with our feelings and experience until we have this revelation.

You can believe a lie and TO YOU, it will be YOUR truth - even though it is a lie.

I should know, God delivered me from 10 years of porn addiction.

The deliverance has already been done. What needs to change is YOUR MIND!!!

Romans 6:1-14 - WHAT SHALL we say [to all this]? Are we to remain in sin in order that God's grace (favor and mercy) may multiply {and} overflow? Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer? Are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live {and} behave in newness of life. For if we have become one with Him by sharing a death like His, we shall also be [one with Him in sharing] His resurrection [by a new life lived for God]. We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective {and} inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin. For when a man dies, he is freed (loosed, delivered) from [the power of] sin [among men]. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, because we know that Christ (the Anointed One), being once raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has power over Him. For by the death He died, He died to sin [ending His relation to it] once for all; and the life that He lives, He is living to God [in unbroken fellowship with Him]. Even so CONSIDER YOURSELVES ALSO DEAD TO SIN {and} your relation to it broken, but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore rule as king in your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies, to make you yield to its cravings {and} be subject to its lusts {and} evil passions. Do not continue offering or yielding your bodily members [and faculties] to sin as instruments (tools) of wickedness. But offer {and} yield yourselves to God as though you have been raised from the dead to [perpetual] life, and your bodily members [and faculties] to God, presenting them as implements of righteousness. For sin shall not [any longer] exert dominion over you, since now you are not under Law [as slaves], but under grace [as subjects of God's favor and mercy].

Your old nature died in Him. It was crucified on the Cross and laid in the tomb with Him.

Your portion is to CONSIDER the old nature dead and the NEW NATURE alive unto righteousness in God.

Reckon it to be so. Reckon it to be done.

Stop looking at the sin and look to the Answer to sin - JESUS.

You may ask:
If my old nature is dead, why do I still have a longing to sin? And even though I fight the urge, I lose to it?

Notice that the scripture says your "old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross" with Jesus.

It is your responsibility to RENEW your mind to your New Nature in Christ.

Donkey and Rhino

A donkey is a donkey and lives by donkey life - donkey nature. He has long ears and he brays and he is stubborn because, why? He is a donkey. And he knows he's a donkey.

But one day, the Lord comes along and says, "I'm giving you the opportunity to become a rhinocerous".

Gladly, the donkey accepts. And BAM!!! God does His supernatural work and changes donkey into a rhino.

Only, there's a problem. Donkey still thinks he's donkey, even though the long ears are gone and he doesn't feel so stubborn anymore. So he continues to believe that he lives by donkey life - donkey nature.

So, even though he is RHINO now, he brays and sits on his hind quarters in stubbornness because that's what donkey's do - it is their nature to do as such.

Soon, rhino becomes depressed. "I thought God said he was going to make me into a rhino. But here I am - still just the same old donkey I've always been."

But the truth is, he has been changed inwardly and he now has rhino life living in him and through him. He is just simply unknowledgable about what he has become.

So he looks at his behavior and says, "See, just like I said, still a donkey."

Could it be that he acts like a donkey, even though he's a rhino, because he BELIEVES (or has faith) that he's a donkey?

He has the opportunity to live by rhino nature and rhino life because it was made into him when God created him into a New Creature. He is not the same old creature that he was before. So what does he do?

What do all Christians need to do in order to live by the New Nature - the Divine Nature - of Christ within us?

We "change our mind". Do you realize that that is what "repent" means in the New Testament?

We change our mind regarding and concerning what we have been made into.

Romans 12:2 - Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, {even} the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

We are to RENEW our mind to the Truth!

What Truth?

The Truth that your old nature has ALREADY (past tense) been crucified and buried with Christ. He died unto sin and you died with Him unto sin.

He arose to Righteousness and you rose up with Him.

Colossians 3:1-3, 10 - IF THEN you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at {and} seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. And set your minds {and} keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth. For [as far as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. And have clothed yourselves with the new [spiritual self], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed {and} remolded into [fuller and more perfect knowledge upon] knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it.

If you have been raised to newness of life with Him (which you have) then SET YOUR MIND on things above. Renew your mind to this very Truth. Your life is hidden with Christ in God.

It is up to you to go to your spiritual closet and take off the old man and put on the new man that you may be "clothed" with the new spiritual nature you have in Christ.

__________________

The Inheritance is yours,
riverpastor

Galatians 3:19 - What then was the purpose of the Law? It was added because of transgressions and [to make men more conscious of the sinfulness] of sin; and it was intended to be in effect until the Seed (the Descendant, the Heir) should come, to and concerning Whom the promise had been made.

Changing your identity post

__________________

The Inheritance is yours,
riverpastor

Galatians 3:19 - What then was the purpose of the Law? It was added because of transgressions and [to make men more conscious of the sinfulness] of sin; and it was intended to be in effect until the Seed (the Descendant, the Heir) should come, to and concerning Whom the promise had been made.

Thanks. That just confirms what I have not been doing. Staying in the word. I do believe that is the one reason I keep falling.

__________________

Do you understand the donkey - rhino story?

Staying in the Word is one thing. Are you trying to apply it in your own strength or are you simply resting in it and allowing your spirit to marinate in it?

You should apply it to your life BUT only after you realize that it has changed you inwardly, otherwise, it becomes a law unto you.

No external law can cause your behavior to change - not even if the law is the Bible.

__________________

The Inheritance is yours,
riverpastor

Galatians 3:19 - What then was the purpose of the Law? It was added because of transgressions and [to make men more conscious of the sinfulness] of sin; and it was intended to be in effect until the Seed (the Descendant, the Heir) should come, to and concerning Whom the promise had been made.

RP you really really blessed me. I love that. From Gods mouth to my spirit. I heard someone say "the truth shall set you free" he said it's the knowledge of the word that sets u free. And that's just like you have said.

Thank you..

__________________
"Jesus I am so in love with you" "Keep The Faith"
"Who will go for me: Sent ME" " I will stand in the gap"

Shaun J.. When you realize that Jesus has already set you at liberty not to commit sin, when the temptation comes, realize and know, that Jesus is saying "Shaun, you dont have to do this, Your not a slave anymore. I have already set you free, and made you a son. You are agreeing that your old nature is not going to rule the new. It comes down to a conscious decision to do it, renew your mind to this truth. You have to realize that Jesus has already made you whole.

__________________

Truthfuly I have been reading the Bible as if it were another book. I never stop to "marinate" in the word. Here recently I have started to really stop and just let God speak to me when I read scripture. I don't just read it anymore.

Today is the first day that God has really spoke to me through scripture. It is the first time I didn't just "read" the bible. It made me very excited and I'm going to write all my thoughts down from scripture from now on.

I'm not just reading words any more...

__________________

Riverpastor, what an awesome post. The donkey and rhino thing was a great analogy for the Christian condition.

Thanks you,
Asaph

Man, When I hear stories like that ,I want to blow a trumpet and run thru the neighborhood hollering, Jesus has rescued another one.