My heart is so hardened

Thir7ySev3n

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I addressed you on another post about this same issue only weeks ago. I don't say this with an abrasive tone, so don't read that into my text because I say this out of genuine concern to help you. I told you before that when a Christian sins and, after being warned, continues to be stubborn God is going to visit them with trouble and distress (Romans 2:9), with the rod (Psalms 89:31-34), and with the threat of withdrawing His Holy Spirit from them and perhaps even leaving them in a desperate situation where they will waste away from the exhaustiveness of the discipline (Psalms 51:11, Psalms 39:11).

Remember that God often disciplined Israel in ways that reflect the spiritual (and sometimes also physical) discipline we receive in Christ. Think of the 70 years of captivity in Babylon he lead them into. Those who were alive for the punishment would have died in it, and even their children would have grown old within the consequences. Yet this was discipline and not condemnation, and he returned them to their own land. For comparison, what did Paul say about the immoral brother in Corinth? "When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord (1 Corinthians 5:4-5)."

Because you would not repent after many warnings, but have not yet thrown off Christ (which is a sure sign of condemnation) the Scriptures are clear that God will lay a heavy discipline upon you and may even cast you to the outside where you will suffer great loss and be made to pay back many more times than you stole (as in the case of David with Bathsheba; he lost not only the wife he stole, but all his other wives, four of his children, his health and worst of all his closeness and peace with God for an enduring time).

God will make your sins not worth the time or pleasure gained in them, and if you remain and endure your punishment, it will have it's intended effect for which God has sent it and you will be an example of what happens to the disobedient son, but a son nonetheless. If you fall away, then you will be exposed as the false convert you always were and will not have lost salvation but revealed you never had it. But here is always the command, regardless of where you find yourself or think you may be presently: Repent and turn to Christ.
 
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paul1149

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Someone didn't read the parable of the seeds with different types of soils. The problem is you think all genuine born again believers are the soils that produce a crop but a believer can truly be saved for a period of time and turn away.

Let's talk about that. There are four soil cases in the parable. In two of them, the hardpan and the ledgerock, there is no hope. The seed is stolen or the plant dies. In the good soil, there is of course life. But the third case stands alone. In it, the soil is evidently fine and the plant apparently is healthy, but becomes choked by weeds and becomes unfruitful. The fault is not the soil's, it is the gardener's. Note that our Lord doesn't say the plant dies, only that it becomes unfruitful. He could have said it dies. That happens in nature if the choking goes on long enough. But He did not. I submit He knew what He was talking about, and did that for a reason.

Which soil are you? Do you know authoritatively, for sure, so that you are willing to bet your life and your eternity on it? Or are you willing to take a chance that you are only weed-choked and need to do some husbanding of your soul? Jeremiah tells us, "break up your fallow ground and stop planting among thorns."

After all I did pray to God to help me quit inappropriate content and I haven't touched it since but it feels so empty.

I already got put on some meds since my depression hit me so hard.

Why don't you factor this into your perspective? You have left your emotional prop and are depressed. Nature hates a vacuum. That prop has to be replaced by something godly. Start with gratitude for what the Lord has done, and go to rejoicing in Him. He who is forgiven much loves much. Read the book of Philippians. Chapter 3 talks about leaving the past behind. Chapter 4 is about rejoicing in everything as a protection for your heart. Brother, that is what you should be doing. Better to do one ounce of that than a gallon of sitting around quoting condemning verses. What if you get to the other side and the Lord shows you what you could have had, could have achieved, had you only exercised faith? The lost opportunity would be a tragedy. NEVER underestimate the Lord. It is His kindness that leads us to repentance.

I challenge you to stop the negative thinking. Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Be faithful with what is least, even with unrighteous riches, so that true riches may be given to you. Prepare the way of the Lord - do what you can to make straight the paths of righteousness, and fulfill the verse that same writer of Hebrews has given us:

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. -Heb 11.6​

If you fail, you fail. But if you win you win big. As our president sometimes says, "what have you got to lose?"
 
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Invalidusername

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Well like I mentioned I'd fill yourself with all the parables Jesus gave to instill within one a healthy respect and sober consciousness of the fear of God. Like the Ten Virgins 5 wise & 5 foolish. You see you speak of the Spirit but the Spirit uses the words of Jesus to do these things....or the words of his anointed Apostles. Jesus said about the Holy Spirit He will glorify me, because He will take of what is mine and will make it known to you. Jn 16:14 Trust me if you show and interest he'll be there to encourage you.

Appreciate the suggestions, friend. Will start reading up on sober parables.

First of all, salvation is not dependent upon feeling whatsoever. Second, the book of Hebrews was written to Messianic Jews (Jewish Christians) who were familiar with the Old Testament; they were being tempted to revert back to Judaism or to Judaize the gospel (this was a problem Paul addressed in Galations). It sounds like you need intimacy restored between you and God which is accomplished through spending time in His Word with the aid of a good study Bible.

I'd do anything to get the Holy Spirit back. I do miss my intimacy with Him but I sense nothing when reading His word.
Perhaps God is teaching you to live by faith instead of feelings?

Jesus is the Lily of the valley. Could He be taking you through the valley for a time & for a purpose.

As a "trial of your faith":

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: (1 Pet.1:7)

"Don Francisco's, Love is not a feeling from the album "The Early Works" "

"Live life conscious of how much God loves you...":
https://www.christianforums.com/thr...ou-will-be-free-indeed.8068728/#post-72795746

I hope this is all just one great big trial and that I come through it intact.
 
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Invalidusername

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I addressed you on another post about this same issue only weeks ago. I don't say this with an abrasive tone, so don't read that into my text because I say this out of genuine concern to help you. I told you before that when a Christian sins and, after being warned, continues to be stubborn God is going to visit them with trouble and distress (Romans 2:9), with the rod (Psalms 89:31-34), and with the threat of withdrawing His Holy Spirit from them and perhaps even leaving them in a desperate situation where they will waste away from the exhaustiveness of the discipline (Psalms 51:11, Psalms 39:11).

Remember that God often disciplined Israel in ways that reflect the spiritual (and sometimes also physical) discipline we receive in Christ. Think of the 70 years of captivity in Babylon he lead them into. Those who were alive for the punishment would have died in it, and even their children would have grown old within the consequences. Yet this was discipline and not condemnation, and he returned them to their own land. For comparison, what did Paul say about the immoral brother in Corinth? "When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord (1 Corinthians 5:4-5)."

Because you would not repent after many warnings, but have not yet thrown off Christ (which is a sure sign of condemnation) the Scriptures are clear that God will lay a heavy discipline upon you and may even cast you to the outside where you will suffer great loss and be made to pay back many more times than you stole (as in the case of David with Bathsheba; he lost not only the wife he stole, but all his other wives, four of his children, his health and worst of all his closeness and peace with God for an enduring time).

God will make your sins not worth the time or pleasure gained in them, and if you remain and endure your punishment, it will have it's intended effect for which God has sent it and you will be an example of what happens to the disobedient son, but a son nonetheless. If you fall away, then you will be exposed as the false convert you always were and will not have lost salvation but revealed you never had it. But here is always the command, regardless of where you find yourself or think you may be presently: Repent and turn to Christ.

I will endure my punishment. I have been tempted to give up and just return to my worldly ways but I know that would be signing my death warrant so I keep trying to pray and intercede to God to reveal Himself. One verse I quote to myself often is Micah 7:8-10. I don't know if it applies to me but I hope it does. I shall bear the Lord's indignation until he lifts me up again.
 
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Invalidusername

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Let's talk about that. There are four soil cases in the parable. In two of them, the hardpan and the ledgerock, there is no hope. The seed is stolen or the plant dies. In the good soil, there is of course life. But the third case stands alone. In it, the soil is evidently fine and the plant apparently is healthy, but becomes choked by weeds and becomes unfruitful. The fault is not the soil's, it is the gardener's. Note that our Lord doesn't say the plant dies, only that it becomes unfruitful. He could have said it dies. That happens in nature if the choking goes on long enough. But He did not. I submit He knew what He was talking about, and did that for a reason.

Which soil are you? Do you know authoritatively, for sure, so that you are willing to bet your life and your eternity on it? Or are you willing to take a chance that you are only weed-choked and need to do some husbanding of your soul? Jeremiah tells us, "break up your fallow ground and stop planting among thorns."





Why don't you factor this into your perspective? You have left your emotional prop and are depressed. Nature hates a vacuum. That prop has to be replaced by something godly. Start with gratitude for what the Lord has done, and go to rejoicing in Him. He who is forgiven much loves much. Read the book of Philippians. Chapter 3 talks about leaving the past behind. Chapter 4 is about rejoicing in everything as a protection for your heart. Brother, that is what you should be doing. Better to do one ounce of that than a gallon of sitting around quoting condemning verses. What if you get to the other side and the Lord shows you what you could have had, could have achieved, had you only exercised faith? The lost opportunity would be a tragedy. NEVER underestimate the Lord. It is His kindness that leads us to repentance.

I challenge you to stop the negative thinking. Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Be faithful with what is least, even with unrighteous riches, so that true riches may be given to you. Prepare the way of the Lord - do what you can to make straight the paths of righteousness, and fulfill the verse that same writer of Hebrews has given us:

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. -Heb 11.6​

If you fail, you fail. But if you win you win big. As our president sometimes says, "what have you got to lose?"

I hope that I am just a plant that was choked for a period of time but can still be saved. If I had given up on my fate then I would've not made this thread. I will try to keep on approaching to God. I do know one thing about God, He does from time to time relent. So even if I am lost, I will search Him in the hopes that someday he will relent and show me mercy.
 
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sometimes our feelings arent there but we still do whats right anyway. that is acting out of true obedience, and God is pleased with that. we are told if you 'seek and you shall find' and i believe that truly if you really want to be in that intimate place with God again, then it will happen. it may take time, but keep being obedient as you are, and it will come
 
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WilliamBo

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I will endure my punishment. I have been tempted to give up and just return to my worldly ways but I know that would be signing my death warrant so I keep trying to pray and intercede to God to reveal Himself. One verse I quote to myself often is Micah 7:8-10. I don't know if it applies to me but I hope it does. I shall bear the Lord's indignation until he lifts me up again.

you have to remember that God is love. The reason people go to hell is because they're rejecting love, to reject true love is evil. We all have evil in us, it's part of the curse from Adam, but we have to do everything we can to crucify it, Jesus' words teach us how to do that. I'm preaching to myself here also, don't think I'm some mature Christian because I'm not, but I know enough to know these things.... It's very simple. It's taken me almost 7 years to understand the Simplicity of it.
 
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Stone-n-Steel

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I fell into a long season of willful sins and when I realized what I was doing I tried to repent of it. I was able to physically repent of my sins in the manner of simply not doing them anymore. I was able to quit my addictions and etc. but my soul still has a void in the inside. I think I even remember a time when I sensed the Holy Spirit left me. I keep praying and praying and interceding but God does not answer. I search for him diligently but he will not be found by me.

When I quit all of my sins it just left a void in my heart. Since I have nothing to replace my sin since God left me, I can't enjoy my victory over sin. I think I have done Hebrews 6 where I cannot ever repent truly from the inside out again. There is a sin unto death and you should listen to the Bible warning about it. It's been 1 year now and I still have no resolution. Almost everyone else I see in the same predicament as me(truly born again and fell away) are in the same state as me feeling spiritually dead.

If you want to give me a story about a backslider who was restored, don't bother because most of those stories are only superficial believers who fell away. I think I am a true born again believer as described in Hebrews 6 and I truly fell away. I don't even feel fear anymore. Just consuming apathy. The second death is here and now.

Have you considered the context of your chosen scripture. It is my understanding that the letter to the Hebrews is for the nation of Israel specifically but to us as an example. There is no mention of our relationship in the Body of Christ nor the sealing action of the Holy Spirit.

Maybe the feeling is based on your guilt over grieving the Holy Spirit by sin. Maybe focusing on what the word has to say about you and not how you feel. More is said about knowing Jesus than feeling Him. To quote a Hebrew verse you should "come boldly unto the throne of grace" instead of letting a feeling take control of you.
 
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Chris V++

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I listen to this radio forum host Steve Arterburn and just found this quote from his New Life Ministries site that hopefully will comfort you. I know it probably sounds like Christianity 101, but maybe over- thinking right now is your nemesis.

https://newlife.com/accepting-forgiveness/

'Many of us struggle with a sense of guilt that won’t go away, even after we’ve confessed our sin and know in our minds that we’re forgiven. It’s hard–sometimes too hard–to accept that God has forgiven us. When you ask God to forgive your sin, he does. The Bible says he removes your sin “as far as the East is from the West.” Do you know what that means? It means that the second time you ask forgiveness for a sin, God says, “What sin?” Because he already erased it from your record, forever.

Mistakes aren’t sources of shame in your life; they are avenues for grace. God’s grace is not reserved solely for our salvation. God gives his grace to us day in and day out.

Your weakness or failure shouldn’t disqualify you or discourage you from making an effort in the first place. Don’t think: If I try harder, I will never fail again. Instead, think: Even though failure’s a possibility, by God’s grace, I will go forward.

When you find yourself struggling with accepting God’s forgiveness, try this: Write a letter which says to your spouse, your children, or a good friend who struggles with not feeling forgiven. If you need some help, search the Bible . . . it’s full of stories and instruction on forgiveness. When you finish, read the letter to yourself, and ask the Holy Spirit to apply the truth of God’s promises to your heart.'

– Steve Arterburn
 
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Loren T.

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I feel like there are times for all of us sooner or later, when we just don't feel God's love. It's frustrating and hard to understand. But it's just a season. I also think serious willful sin for a period of time will make it harder to get back to feeling God's presence. I don't want to say "Fake it until you make it." But, rather, keep going until that feelings return. Keep praying every day, keep getting in the Word, attend worship. Sooner or later, something will click.
 
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Chris V++

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If God stands outside of time, He already knew of your most recent, deliberate willfully sinful episodes even before he called you and saved you the first time. Were not your past, present, and future sins all forgiven when you accepted Jesus as your Lord and personal Savior? Nothing you did recently would have come as a surprise to God. Yet He still saved you those many years ago already knowing that you would fall short and would again repent.
 
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Bible Highlighter

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I fell into a long season of willful sins and when I realized what I was doing I tried to repent of it. I was able to physically repent of my sins in the manner of simply not doing them anymore. I was able to quit my addictions and etc. but my soul still has a void in the inside. I think I even remember a time when I sensed the Holy Spirit left me. I keep praying and praying and interceding but God does not answer. I search for him diligently but he will not be found by me.

When I quit all of my sins it just left a void in my heart. Since I have nothing to replace my sin since God left me, I can't enjoy my victory over sin. I think I have done Hebrews 6 where I cannot ever repent truly from the inside out again. There is a sin unto death and you should listen to the Bible warning about it. It's been 1 year now and I still have no resolution. Almost everyone else I see in the same predicament as me(truly born again and fell away) are in the same state as me feeling spiritually dead.

If you want to give me a story about a backslider who was restored, don't bother because most of those stories are only superficial believers who fell away. I think I am a true born again believer as described in Hebrews 6 and I truly fell away. I don't even feel fear anymore. Just consuming apathy. The second death is here and now.

You can only apostatize if you deny Jesus as your Savior after having the Spirit and the power thereof (Hebrews 6:4-6). Falling into sin (going prodigal) can be forgiven (See James 5:19-20 and Luke 15:11-32), but it may take time for you to heal your heart with God. if you truly feel grieved by your sin, and you are sorry, then seek the Lord's forgiveness again with a broken heart. Confess your sin to Him. For if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (See 1 John 1:9).

David committed adultery and murder, and he confessed his sin to God and was forgiven. Just feeling bad about your sin is not going to work with God. Judas felt bad for betraying Jesus but he did not repent. Judas did not seek forgiveness with the Lord. My suggestion is to get on your knees and beg for the Lord's forgiveness again over your sin. Poor your heart out to Him and ask for Him back. If there is nothing yet, then wait upon the Lord. Let Him renew your strength.
 
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Dorothy Mae

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I fell into a long season of willful sins and when I realized what I was doing I tried to repent of it. I was able to physically repent of my sins in the manner of simply not doing them anymore. I was able to quit my addictions and etc. but my soul still has a void in the inside. I think I even remember a time when I sensed the Holy Spirit left me. I keep praying and praying and interceding but God does not answer. I search for him diligently but he will not be found by me.

When I quit all of my sins it just left a void in my heart. Since I have nothing to replace my sin since God left me, I can't enjoy my victory over sin. I think I have done Hebrews 6 where I cannot ever repent truly from the inside out again. There is a sin unto death and you should listen to the Bible warning about it. It's been 1 year now and I still have no resolution. Almost everyone else I see in the same predicament as me(truly born again and fell away) are in the same state as me feeling spiritually dead.

If you want to give me a story about a backslider who was restored, don't bother because most of those stories are only superficial believers who fell away. I think I am a true born again believer as described in Hebrews 6 and I truly fell away. I don't even feel fear anymore. Just consuming apathy. The second death is here and now.
If you seek God in order to meet a need, He doesn’t usually let Himself be used that way. If you want Him, then He will respond. The test of waiting until your heart has dropped getting rid of the empty feeling as a goal and all that is left is a desire for Him, whenever and wherever He chooses, purifies.

If you would like to do Him a service, you can tell those who believe the Holy Spirit once given never leaves that they are wrong.

You could tell those who believe you cannot lose your salvation that you did but repented. You could tell those who think we cannot overcome our sin that you did.

A great deal of our faith and walk lay upon us (not salvation as that comes from God but we can lose what was given) and it would be good if those who know this from experience tell.

So think of doing what you think helps the Kingdom and the King will not fail to visit you again.
 
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FatalHeart

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I fell into a long season of willful sins and when I realized what I was doing I tried to repent of it. I was able to physically repent of my sins in the manner of simply not doing them anymore. I was able to quit my addictions and etc. but my soul still has a void in the inside. I think I even remember a time when I sensed the Holy Spirit left me. I keep praying and praying and interceding but God does not answer. I search for him diligently but he will not be found by me.

When I quit all of my sins it just left a void in my heart. Since I have nothing to replace my sin since God left me, I can't enjoy my victory over sin. I think I have done Hebrews 6 where I cannot ever repent truly from the inside out again. There is a sin unto death and you should listen to the Bible warning about it. It's been 1 year now and I still have no resolution. Almost everyone else I see in the same predicament as me(truly born again and fell away) are in the same state as me feeling spiritually dead.

If you want to give me a story about a backslider who was restored, don't bother because most of those stories are only superficial believers who fell away. I think I am a true born again believer as described in Hebrews 6 and I truly fell away. I don't even feel fear anymore. Just consuming apathy. The second death is here and now.

Silly. Your sins were probably used to fill a void and your hardness left you numb to everything. Feeling empty after stopping and not having the same sense of connection is just a consequence of where you've been. But God isn't a feeling and how do you think you escaped your addiction? Satan likes to make things dark and his demons like to twist the word of God in your mind and can even go so far as to create spiritual experiences to make you believe it's God. Everyone always is the worst person. It's always too far gone, too little, too late. God cannot save. "God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all." "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one."

I'll be praying for you tonight. Be aware that a man can become addicted to a type of thinking and thought behavior as well and understand Satan's real battle is in the mind, against the Spirit.
 
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FatalHeart

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Also, I would like to note, that our obedience is not about the ending. It says clearly that those who purify themselves do so because they look forward to being as Jesus is, but there's a well known verse about three men that did what is right regardless if God saved them or not. It's a ploy of Satan to lose hope in being like Christ, but it's also a matter of maturity to live for more than yourself.

"Whomever the Son sets free is free indeed." It is not beyond God to remove your hope from you, so that you can be free from yourself as well. When at the end of all things our purpose is God, we are perfect and lack nothing, untouched by loss, or grief, or pain, or any joy or sorrow at all. "Once more I will shake, not just the Earth, but the heavens." He will remove anything that is shakable. So, why wouldn't He build in His children, through disobedience or obedience, a heart that truly beats for Him? "For whose sake I have lost all things." All means all.
 
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Dorothy Mae

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I may truly be done but I won't let you stop me from trying.
Don’t let anyone convince you you weren’t truly born again because you fell away. That comes from the pit and is actually works theology mascarading as OSAS. For those who believe this false theology, “true saving faith” is measured by never falling away in the future. It’s a vicious circle.

If you truly believe, you won’t fall away but if you do, you never believed at any time. But if you truly believe today, you can sin as you like and you’ll still go to Heaven cause you truly believe and no one can snatch you out of his hand. But if you sin so much that you fall away (cause you were taught no sin can cause you to fall away and lose your salvation), well you never were saved. And if you repent, well you were truly saved. if you don’t, you weren’t. Means you can never really know you are today truly saved cause it’s measured by never falling away. Unless you decide you measure your salvation by your assurance today. Two different standards.

The easy way although less satisfying to the flesh, is to realize you CAN sin you salvation away and avoid sin. Jesus warned us to take care. That is a better theology than “no worries, he’s taking care.”
 
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Dorothy Mae

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It sounds as if you believe that it is your place to stop sin rather than allowing God to remove your sin.
I’m not saying God doesn’t help us in the fight against sin, but there are people addicted to various sinful practices who stopped and never asked God for help. Shows that at least people can do this. It’s untrue to say we can’t save ourselves from drugs or inappropriate content or gambling or substance abuse. There are atheists who do this all the time.
 
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Dorothy Mae

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Perhaps God is teaching you to live by faith instead of feelings?

Jesus is the Lily of the valley. Could He be taking you through the valley for a time & for a purpose.

As a "trial of your faith":

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: (1 Pet.1:7)

"Don Francisco's, Love is not a feeling from the album "The Early Works" "

"Live life conscious of how much God loves you...":
https://www.christianforums.com/thr...ou-will-be-free-indeed.8068728/#post-72795746
Reminds me of the advise of Jobs friends although not the same. It’s the modern, “hey, if God is not speaking to you cause your sin separates you from Him, no worries. Just tell yourself how much He loves you and tell yourself He’s testing you. No need to seek restoration as that is really troublesome. Just tell yourself what you want to hear instead.”
 
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Yarddog

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I’m not saying God doesn’t help us in the fight against sin, but there are people addicted to various sinful practices who stopped and never asked God for help. Shows that at least people can do this. It’s untrue to say we can’t save ourselves from drugs or inappropriate content or gambling or substance abuse. There are atheists who do this all the time.
A person can stop doing things which were addictive but none of that helps our salvation or helps bring us closer to God, which is the point of Christianity. The OP said that stopping left a hole in him and my point was that he left God out as Judaism does.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: fat wee robin
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