I can't repent

[acceptjesus]

I don't believe myself to be saved, due to me not letting go of a sin in my life (inappropriate contentography) I've set up an accountability program with my pastor. I haven't viewed it since but I'm constantly on the verge of "giving in". I think I'm lost and this leads me to believe that I'm still under the dominion of sin. Am I repentant? Someone told me repentance is willingly turning from sin and turning towards Christ "I don't want to view it anymore" so am I repentant? When I tell the Lord I don't want to do whatever sin it may be am I repenting when I do/say this? I just feel as sin is overpowering and it leads me to believe that I can't repent Please Help!

 

[Rubiks]

Tell God that you know it is wrong and want to stop. Tell him to give you a repentant heart. He will understand. Don't feel bad if you find sin attractive or even pleasurable. If sin was not like that, battling sin would be easy!

It's a VERY good sign of spiritual life that you're admitting it as sin instead of making excuses for yourself.

 

[acceptjesus]

Is telling God I want to stop repentance?

 

[Rubiks]

Is telling God I want to stop repentance?

Yes, as long as you mean it.

 

[acceptjesus]

So when I tell God "I want to stop" I've repented? Sorry if it sounds like a dumb question

 

[Rubiks]

So when I tell God "I want to stop" I've repented? Sorry if it sounds like a dumb question

yeah, it seems to mean if you want to turn away from that sin and turn towards godliness, that is repentance.

 

[Alithis]

So when I tell God "I want to stop" I've repented? Sorry if it sounds like a dumb question

God loves you -- know this .

yes .tell the lord how you feel , tell him how after the act of this sin ..you loathe yourself ..
don't make promises you cant keep ..if you could save yourself then Christ died for nothing .

admit confess ask forgiveness ,receive it . you cannot qualify .
now .. ask the lord Jesus to save you ,deliver you change you .. ask in deep sincerity .
then get up and walk on for the lord believing that whatever you have asked in his name according to HIS will - HE WILL DO IT

because he said HE is able to present us before the throne of god holy and blameless ...
and he promises in psalms "I will perfect that which concerns you ".. because we have never been able to perfect ourselves .. So believe on him with all your heart .. get up .and walk on
JESUS LOVES YOU .. KNOW THIS !

 

[Near]

You only really mean it fully if you actually stop the sin. An adulterer who goes back to the other woman, maybe felt bad, but wasn't diligent enough to stay faithful.

The key to self control, is to be led by God. There are probably times during your day in which you are somewhat selfish, and that selfishness leads to the sin you mentioned. What you should do is meditate on scripture and avoid the things that lead to your sins. Stay outside even, that'd help.

I Corinthians 10:12-13 NKJV

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

 

[Alithis]

You only really mean it fully if you actually stop the sin. An adulterer who goes back to the other woman, maybe felt bad, but wasn't diligent enough to stay faithful.

The key to self control, is to be led by God. There are probably times during your day in which you are somewhat selfish, and that selfishness leads to the sin you mentioned. What you should do is meditate on scripture and avoid the things that lead to your sins. Stay outside even, that'd help.

I Corinthians 10:12-13 NKJV

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

there is a season to build up..another to tear down.

 

[Rhamiel]

God bless you my dear brother in Christ

God bless you for taking steps to avoid sin

God bless you for talking to a more mature Christian about this

God bless you for being so open and honest about your problems

may God use your honesty and openness about your own weakness to bring GLORY to His name, because He uses the weak to shame the strong!

Trust in the Lord, He is stronger then your weakness, He is stronger then your fear, He is stronger then any conflicting emotions you might have and He is STRONGER then the sin in your life, He defeated sin on the Cross, He defeated death when the grave could not hold Him

you are not alone, you are not left an orphan for this world to chew up and spit out
you are ALIVE with the Holy Spirit

the devil is the adversary, that old crooked Serpent wants you to focus on your sins, he wants you to loose hope, do not listen those lies.
the past is the past
Jesus offers you forgiveness, do not dwell on past sins
only God knows the future, and He has a special plan for you, do not worry about the future
just do what you can right now, and know that you are not working under your own power, because on our own we are all lost
no, not on your own power, but the power of the Holy Spirit, the Living God, who made the Heavens and the Earth and everything in the Earth. THAT is whose power you are working under right now, and sometimes you don't feel it, hey, sometimes I do not feel it either, feelings are dumb, feelings are easily tricked
we do not have to rely on feelings
we KNOW that God is helping us.

thank you again for being so open with your problems, it won't be until you are in Heaven that you will know just how many people you helped by being so honest and open

 

[Dan61861]

I don't believe myself to be saved, due to me not letting go of a sin in my life (inappropriate contentography) I've set up an accountability program with my pastor. I haven't viewed it since but I'm constantly on the verge of "giving in". I think I'm lost and this leads me to believe that I'm still under the dominion of sin. Am I repentant? Someone told me repentance is willingly turning from sin and turning towards Christ "I don't want to view it anymore" so am I repentant? When I tell the Lord I don't want to do whatever sin it may be am I repenting when I do/say this? I just feel as sin is overpowering and it leads me to believe that I can't repent Please Help!

My friend, I sin as well. I hate it. Paul addresses it, I do the things that I hate and don't do the things that I should do, what a wretched man that I am. Thank God for Jesus our savior.

I think a repentant heart is one that knows he is wretched and in need of a savior. For we all sin and fall short. The one who believes he sins not is nonrepentant. We are different, humbling ourselves before the cross in need of our Lord.

 

[pfcreed]

Have you taken any steps to replace that habit with another. You have confronted it and recognized it as a problem in your life, but the next time you do it really think about what its giving you and how you feel immediately after, Im going to assume it will make you feel good and relaxed. The feeling after that immediate one might be guilt. There is power in the Bible and prayer. Reading helped me. next time you feel the urge, find a book and read 20 pg or 5 or however many, after a while you will see that what ever habit you replace it with will give you the same feeling without the guilt. Also take a minute and think about what your doing before you do it. Make yourself make the choice of doing it rather then instinctual just doing it, IE right before bed or before work or after a stressful situation. You can do it, GOD bless you.

 

[Alithis]

My friend, I sin as well. I hate it. Paul addresses it, I do the things that I hate and don't do the things that I should do, what a wretched man that I am. Thank God for Jesus our savior.

I think a repentant heart is one that knows he is wretched and in need of a savior. For we all sin and fall short. The one who believes he sins not is nonrepentant. We are different, humbling ourselves before the cross in need of our Lord.

I do not adhere to the opinion that Paul was speaking about direct sin.. ie-he did not around administering the gospel while involved in sexual immorality.but I do agree that a person who fully acknowledges there sinful state is a person who Receives forgivness.
Like David says:I did not hide,he's says I acknowledged my transgression and the lord forgave me the guilt of my sin.

 

[Alithis]

Have you taken any steps to replace that habit with another. You have confronted it and recognized it as a problem in your life, but the next time you do it really think about what its giving you and how you feel immediately after, Im going to assume it will make you feel good and relaxed. The feeling after that immediate one might be guilt. There is power in the Bible and prayer. Reading helped me. next time you feel the urge, find a book and read 20 pg or 5 or however many, after a while you will see that what ever habit you replace it with will give you the same feeling without the guilt. Also take a minute and think about what your doing before you do it. Make yourself make the choice of doing it rather then instinctual just doing it, IE right before bed or before work or after a stressful situation. You can do it, GOD bless you.

I am making assumptions.. but speaking as one who has been delivered from inappropriate content addiction Sin.

So I feel qualified to quash this form of advice.
There is no program ,no pattern,no outer practice.that works.they work only Untill the effort of the flesh tires.
There is JESUS..he alone is my deliverer
He is able to do what we can never do.. save ourselves.
So call on him with all your heart.
Believe on him with all your heart
Trust him with all your heart
Get up again and walk on..
Your redeemer lives.

 

[Logan Musil]

Acceptjesus,
I know the title of your post is “I can’t repent,” but by the grace of God you can! What you’re struggling with reminds me of Paul’s struggle in Romans 7:21-25: “So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
I encourage you to press on through total victory my friend, until inappropriate content is totally available to you, and you have zero desire to watch it.
In case it would be helpful, I’d like to offer this new release: ‘From inappropriate content to Infinite Pleasure: Rescue from inappropriate content’s Prison.’ It’s on Amazon at www.amazon.com/From-inappropriate content-Infinite-Pleasure-Rescue/dp/1500129038 and free at From inappropriate content to Infinite Pleasure |. There are a ton of resources listed in the last two sections, a lot of them free.
I know inappropriate content’s draw is very powerful, from personal experience. I do believe however that if we will really ask and really allow God to do His work in our lives, all things are possible. I think God is big enough to help us conquer whatever it is - lust, anger problems, anything. But I think we really have to reach out to Him by faith and follow His plan. I pray that you will be victorious in this and come to a deeper place in your relationship with Him.
Blessings, Logan

 

[Alithis]

it is difficult in a short post to express everything we may mean.so it can cause misconceptions.
The thing is there is a difference between godly repentance and what I call intellectual repentance. Godly repentance is a work of the holy spirit in us and so results in all the glory being God's.
Intellectual repentance is us knowing and trying and any victory we have is mingled with our own strength and so some of the glory is vain glory..self glory.
But the principles you share are fully correct and the practice of casting down thoughts and making good choices are valid .
But there is not set formula for victory over sin because the lord Jesus has already achieved that victory.we need to simply allow him to appropriate that victory in our lives.and it seems that is done a little differently for every one of us. ..hence,no set formula can work for some one else... we must have faith in him who gave all and won all for us and he works in us his own righteousness to his glory and we can take No credit.the fact that we desire to be changed is evidence of the sincerity of our faith.so there I is no condemnation.Our heavenly father loves us.
If a person has no desire to be changed,or even admit fault,that may be evidence of a lack of sincerity in faith.
I have on here (cf) a testimony of how he wrought that appropriation in my life I will send the link. But it's all about personal relationship ,so there are never two testimonies exactly the same.. no set formula except that Jesus our lord and savior died and rose again for us.

 

[Alithis]

http://www.christianforums.com/t7821114/#post65559953

 

[pescador]

I don't believe myself to be saved, due to me not letting go of a sin in my life (inappropriate contentography) I've set up an accountability program with my pastor. I haven't viewed it since but I'm constantly on the verge of "giving in". I think I'm lost and this leads me to believe that I'm still under the dominion of sin. Am I repentant? Someone told me repentance is willingly turning from sin and turning towards Christ "I don't want to view it anymore" so am I repentant? When I tell the Lord I don't want to do whatever sin it may be am I repenting when I do/say this? I just feel as sin is overpowering and it leads me to believe that I can't repent Please Help!

Everything that we do as Christians comes from God not from ourselves. You can try to do all kinds of things but as long as you try to do them nothing will change. Stop trying to achieve success on your own and trust God. Rather than struggle with inappropriate contentography ask God to give you a new heart toward women. See them as God meant us to see them: the divine complement to men. We are meant to be attracted to women and to view sexual intercourse as a loving experience shared by two people, not as some athletic event.

Pray that the eyes of your heart might be opened toward women and sex and let God change you from within. Only He can do it; you can't.

 

[acceptjesus]

I appreciate all the replies, I'm not sure if I mentioned this in the original post but I set up a accountability partner @ xxxchurch with my pastor. So that will help me stop while on the computer. I just don't know if I'm repentant that's all and this makes me question my salvation. I want to stop! but I don't know if this constitutes repentance (I'm not even sure if constitutes the right word lol) Someone told me like I mentioned in the above post that repentance is willingly turning from sin towards christ and like I said I WANT TO STOP! so does that mean I'm repentant? I haven't viewed inappropriate content in about a week and a half but I still have the urge to view it so please just pray that the urge/desire would go away. Thanks!

 

[acceptjesus]

I am making assumptions.. but speaking as one who has been delivered from inappropriate content addiction Sin.

So I feel qualified to quash this form of advice.
There is no program ,no pattern,no outer practice.that works.they work only Untill the effort of the flesh tires.
There is JESUS..he alone is my deliverer
He is able to do what we can never do.. save ourselves.
So call on him with all your heart.
Believe on him with all your heart
Trust him with all your heart
Get up again and walk on..
Your redeemer lives.

You said the programs work only until the effort of the flesh tires I've seen this concept in David Wilkerson books but don't fully understand what it means pray that the Lord would give me eyes to see but I agree with what you said their is no program or formula I've tried and looked for many to no avail. Thanks for your advice and the advice of all the other people on here It's much appreciated!