A new future

[JackB03]

As I said in my earlier post, I am 23 and just now learning about the Lord. I always knew there was a GOD but never believed and put faith in him. I even started questioning things, and telling myself, I am trying to learn about GOD, but what I was really doing, was trying to convince myself and others, that maybe GOD doesnt exist. Well, Ive been learning about GOD for probably the past couple of weeks. Ive gotten a couple of books, one by Joel Osteen and even a DVD of his. Plus "23 Minutes in Hell", which really opened my eyes. And a book for living a better life. Last night, I prayed to GOD and told him I wanted the "hardness" out of my heart and I wanted him to enter it. I asked him to be saved and him to guide my life. I feel awhole lot better today and really feel now that GOD has saved me.

After saying all that, Ive come to my problem Im unsure about. In high school up to this year, I was married-2 kids-divorced. I had multiple sex partners(dont wanna say exactly how many), but now I feel ashamed of what I have done. I didnt know GOD back then, and I feel like I ruined alot of things. I will say this. My ex-wife still prays for me, and we still talk about GOD and I guess you could say, we are working things out slowly. Im not really ready for a relationship with anyone, Im putting GOD before anyone else and trying to learn by him.

But Ive caused many sins and even asked for forgiveness, but yet, I still feel ashamed and wish I could go back and save myself for when I was married.

Can anyone give me some advice on how to handle this?

Thank You,
Jack

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

 

[Emmy]

Dear JackB03. If you have given your past to the Lord, and God sees the sincerety to start a new future, God will guide you and give you His Blessings. You must let God know how you want to live that new future. Your wife, who is a Christian, and prays for you, seems a good start. You would also be able to help leading your children, the way your wife would want to, too. BUT Jack, only you can choose the way of your new future, God has given us free will to choose our ownfuture, He will guide and help us, if we ask Him. It is a very serious step you have in front of you, we can pray that you choose the right way, but which way is completely your choice. I say this humbly and with love. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[Johnnz]

Past memories remain and can haunt us. Knowing that God has put that behind Him and us gives us a new hope. Having an understanding of what life with God is all about gives us something very positive to live for and that can begin to replace old patterns.

John
NZ

 

[drich0150]

Sometimes the hardest part of find forgiveness in God is learning to forgive yourself. You have to understand, there is nothing you can do to undo what has already been done... But, you can live the rest of your life as the person you wish you were, or you wish to be. You will find if you make an earnest changes people, given time, will except you for who you are and not for who you were..

 

[Autumnleaf]

Don't worry about things you can not change and/or have no control over. Its a complete waste of time.

 

[BigNorsk]

Often, even when past sins are no more, when they are fully and completely forgiven, their effects remain. You can read the bible and see where that was often the case.

The thing to do is to do your best to make things right, and then you have to let it go. False guilt is really a very selfish thing.

Instead of turning to Christ in faith, what it does is it keeps you looking at yourself, and in the end it destroys the Christ alone portion of the gospel.

So when you are consumed with this guilt for your past, then is the time to think of Christ and praise God that even a sinner like you was not lost but was saved. All heaven rejoices in that, you should join in.

Sure, we wish we never sinned, that is contrition, a necessary thing. But to continue in contrition for what is over and done with is not faith, turn to Christ and the cross and hold on and believe.

 

[penguinsrule42]

God loves you. He loves you no matter what you have done in your life. You are now his child. When you asked for his forgiveness, he forgave it all. NOTHING withheld. Nothing. He loves you.

 

[zayder06]

I have had a similar background.My problems with change and forgiveness was that I wanted everything to go according to my timetable (right now not later)much of what I have learned about God,myself,my faith came about through HIS timeing,some of my enlightenments took decades,however most of my prayers were answered much sooner.

 

[Christsdaughter]

Philipians 3:12-21

Pressing on Toward the Goal

12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained. 17Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. 18For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

 

[Christsdaughter]

You have been forgiven. Accept this forgiveness as a gift and concentrate on what lies ahead. Trust in Christ to give you the strength and power to resist sin/temptation and to obey him. Allow him to work in and through you to transform you into who he wants you to be. And don't feel the need to be perfect. Noone is, except Christ. You are not going to obtain perfection while you are still alive. It is Christ that does the work through you, if you submit to him. Just trust in him and know that you can't do it without him. Depend on him for all that is good.

God Bless You!

 

[Christsdaughter]

You have been forgiven. Accept this forgiveness as a gift and concentrate on what lies ahead. Trust in Christ to give you the strength and power to resist sin/temptation and to obey him. Allow him to work in and through you to transform you into who he wants you to be. And don't feel the need to be perfect. Noone is, except Christ. You are not going to obtain perfection while you are still alive. It is Christ that does the work through you, if you submit to him. Just trust in him and know that you can't do it without him. Depend on him for all that is good.

God Bless You!

 

[Christsdaughter]

You have been forgiven. Accept this forgiveness as a gift and concentrate on what lies ahead. Trust in Christ to give you the strength and power to resist sin/temptation and to obey him. Allow him to work in and through you to transform you into who he wants you to be. And don't feel the need to be perfect. Noone is, except Christ. You are not going to obtain perfection while you are still alive. It is Christ that does the work through you, if you submit to him. Just trust in him and know that you can't do it without him. Depend on him for all that is good.

God Bless You!

 

[Christsdaughter]

You have been forgiven. Accept this forgiveness as a gift and concentrate on what lies ahead. Trust in Christ to give you the strength and power to resist sin/temptation and to obey him. Allow him to work in and through you to transform you into who he wants you to be. And don't feel the need to be perfect. Noone is, except Christ. You are not going to obtain perfection while you are still alive. It is Christ that does the work through you, if you submit to him. Just trust in him and know that you can't do it without him. Depend on him for all that is good.

God Bless You!

 

[Christsdaughter]

You have been forgiven. Accept this forgiveness as a gift and concentrate on what lies ahead. Trust in Christ to give you the strength and power to resist sin/temptation and to obey him. Allow him to work in and through you to transform you into who he wants you to be. And don't feel the need to be perfect. Noone is, except Christ. You are not going to obtain perfection while you are still alive. It is Christ that does the work through you, if you submit to him. Just trust in him and know that you can't do it without him. Depend on him for all that is good.

God Bless You!

 

[childofGod31]

There is nothing we can do with regrets, except leave them at the cross of Jesus. And accept his forgiveness.

I just wanted to mention that God calls us to Himself at the right time. He chooses his children before the world begins, then He places them on the paths where they make choices. And then, at the right time, He calls them home. (to believe in Him). And then he forgives them all that they did while being still on their paths, without Him.

So many people do bad things while they are on the paths that God put them on. Even though, it's by their own will that they choose to do those things, but God knew they would and He did not prevent that. I think He is showing, that in the big picture, what matters, is that you follow Him completely AFTER He calls you. And everything else from the past is forgotten. It had to be that way, that's life.

Most people probably have regrets about something that they didn't do right.

The beauty of redemption is that all is forgiven. And that's why God wants us to forgive our brother and sisters: because everybody needs a second chance. Because you yourself went through some things you are not proud of, I bet you will be more willing to forgive others for screwing up. And being able to forgive is very important (after all, God said: that he will forgive our sins AS we forgive others)

So at least, it will help you to forgive.

And one more thing, in the Songs of Solomon, in the conversation between Christ and Church, the Church says: I am black. (I think she was referring to the fact that she sinned before, that she "got burned in the sun" of a sinful life before she knew the Lord.

SON 1:6 Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.


And He (Christ) calls her in response to that "fairest among women" :

SON 1:8 If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents.

It's like your wife would say: I look fat. But you say: but you look beautiful to me.

So the sins, the blackness of the past is all forgotten and forgiven. What counts now is a "new creation". You are being transformed into the image of Christ. And Christ is beautiful. (re: qualities) And that makes you beautiful too.

 

[Vakt af Fodder]

This is not a threat, I am your new savior...I can make you happy...Follow me and I will set you free...accept your inner evil and indulge in all your filthy secret desires. "God" has denied you freedom, but you can take it back...follow the left hand path and create your own heaven on earth, for there is not a heaven when you die...man is meant to worship the female flesh...true happiness is in her feet...her body will be our temple. BREAK AWAY BEFORE ITS TOO LATE FOR YOU...everything you know is a lie. I am the only truth. I am god and I am the Devil..

 

[Vakt af Fodder]

Forgivness is for the weak minded...Hmm so I guess it makes sense that christians believe so strongly in forgivness...revenge always feels so much better...get even with those who wrong you...it feels fantastic