Lost

[nonchalont]

Hi, im really looking for help and advice!
My life has gone rapidly downhill, due to the choices i have been making.
I was brought up christian and due to factors lost my way somewhere.
Im 32 and addicted to cocaine and prostitutes.
About 2 months ago, i had a revelation and started to find my faith again as my actions where destroying my life. I prayed and begged for help and the strength to make the right decisions so i may find a path back to jesus and too god.
The thing is over the xmas period i took more cocaine and visited more prostitutes than ever before almost as if the devil is trying his hardest too get a grip of me. I cant explain how this happened after i pleaded with god too show me the path.
I feel likle such a sinner and ive let god down and really need his forgiveness and guidance.
My question is , can i still be saved even though i gave into temptation worse than ever!
Is it normal to want to be true too god and then insult him by being worse than ever? thanks for any advice.
Lost but want to be found!

 

[LaidBack78]

Hi, im really looking for help and advice!
My life has gone rapidly downhill, due to the choices i have been making.
I was brought up christian and due to factors lost my way somewhere.
Im 32 and addicted to cocaine and prostitutes.
About 2 months ago, i had a revelation and started to find my faith again as my actions where destroying my life. I prayed and begged for help and the strength to make the right decisions so i may find a path back to jesus and too god.
The thing is over the xmas period i took more cocaine and visited more prostitutes than ever before almost as if the devil is trying his hardest too get a grip of me. I cant explain how this happened after i pleaded with god too show me the path.
I feel likle such a sinner and ive let god down and really need his forgiveness and guidance.
My question is , can i still be saved even though i gave into temptation worse than ever!
Is it normal to want to be true too god and then insult him by being worse than ever? thanks for any advice.
Lost but want to be found!

Not sure if this will help, but I will tell you about my own experience. I was at a point in my life where I was smoking weed everyday and I was addicted to pornography. I had tried to stop multiple times, but everytime I ended up going back to it sooner or later. It wasn't until I accepted Jesus that I was able to give these things up. What really helped me was reading about Jesus, what type of person he was, the things he said, and how he said them. It made me want to be like him. So instead of putting on the music stations in the car, I have it on the christian station. When I watch tv, I try to find things that have to do with God or the Bible. I try to read the Bible at least a little everyday. I try to do things to where God is constantly on my brain. So now when I think about doing things I know I don't need to do, my first thought is how would Jesus feel about that? It's like having a little Jesus on your shoulder lol But seriously, that's what works for me. Of course I still sin because I'm not perfect, but for the most part those sins are unintentional. With the weed and the pornography, those sins would definitely be intentional if I were to do them. There is no way I could do it without thinking about how God would feel about it, because he is always on my mind.

 

[If Not For Grace]

The enemy does not give up without a fight. The devil does not need to bother you as long as you voluntarily remain in his grip, but when you start to leave..he clenches his grip tighter..offers you more and more to stay. More and more tempations face you as you struggle to get free.

Do not expect the battle to be easy-just be prepared, "My people perish for lack of knowledge".."We battle" not against humans..so start with Rest..Give yourself a break and rest:

Learn to take care of yourself-you can not win a battle if you are weary..Take time study and make good decisions-focus more on what you know TO do rather than what not to and you will be on a brighter path. Jesus is the Light and THE way. Pick up your cross and follow.. If We do our part -God always does His.

 

[paul1149]

Jesus loves you even in your addictions. What if a heroin addict were to come to Christ, but couldn't get free right away? Would Jesus reject him for that? No. He came because we couldn't save ourselves. And now that He has completed His perfect work on our behalf, any effort on our part that takes away from His sufficiency distracts us from Him and the grace that sets us free.

Keep abiding in Christ, and let His love fill you and forgive you every time you fail. That is how you will get stronger, because His power is perfected in weakness. All that is necessary is that you keep on looking to Him in trust. The devil wants you to focus on your failings, so you can condemn yourself and eventually give up on God. Essentially that's self-focus. Instead, focus on Christ, not on your inability. He WILL see you through to the victory side. Keep trusting, and abiding in His peace. Put on the full armor and take your stand in Him. Persevere, get back up when you fall, and be patient, and you will see victory.

 

[Tigger45]

Praying for you nonchalont. What stops me from returning to my sins is they always leave me empty and feeling in dispare. Then I cry out to God {who I distanced myself from} to help me in may time of need that was caused by my sin in the first place.

 

[nonchalont]

Thansk so much for taking the time to read and reply. I felt shivers reading your comments guys.
I realise i hav a fight on my hands and one i want too win, with the grace of god and the faith in jesus. I just felt so rotten i gave in so easily, i thot i had accepted jesus in, but realise i need to truly accept him into my life.
I will pray more, read more and god willing win this battle and purge this rotten feeling in my soul.
Thanks again and god bless X

 

[parsley]

The physical struggle with cocaine is a huge pull, so it's not just in your mind and spirit. Your body is also fighting a battle.

With prostitutes, give yourself a tour around the whole situation. Do you also like having the human attention, the personal interaction, the feedback or game, the risk? I ask because many people come to this site with porn addictions, but do not spend the money or take the risks of moving out into a more public realm with it. There are safer ways to add more human contact that might not seem risky enough to get your adrenaline going.

Another part of the tour -- how you value your life, and theirs. You are susceptible to life-threatening diseases, and so are they. Look at the whole picture of how this might effect you. What direction do you want your life to head? Maybe you haven't a clue, and it's easier to just do something. Everything you're doing is expensive. Can your future afford it?

As others said, it is a learning experience. God might have reasons for retraining your mind more slowly than an immediate healing from habits. He does want you free as soon as possible. But there are things to learn along the way, conversations that need to happen, new approaches that need to form. Don't give up.

 

[theophilus40]

Lazarus was restored to life when Jesus commanded him to come out of the tomb but look at how he came out.

The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
(John 11:44 ESV)
​

He was alive but still bound by the wrappings that had been put on him to prepare him for burial. They still needed to be removed.

A person who has just been saved is often still bound by the sins and habits of his old life and sometimes it takes time for them to be removed. The fact that you realize your actions are wrong and want to stop them is an indication that your salvation is real.

I'm not sure god would disapprove of cocaine, after all he made it. But I'm fairly sure prostitutes are off limits. I'm pretty new to this stuff but does anyone know if there is anything in the bible against snorting coke?

Everything God created, including cocaine, is good but like everything else God created it can be used for either good or evil purposes. A doctor can use it to relieve a patient's pain; that is a good use. Someone can use it as an escape from facing up to the realities of life; that is an evil use. The use of cocaine is very much like getting drunk with alcohol so the Bible's condemnation of drunkenness would apply.

 

[insurchoftruth]

God loves you so much, that even your worst sin, can not stop God loving you. Do not worry if you try to please God and then fall and sin. What he is looking is are you trying and making effort to find God, to become born again, and try to please him, aiming toward perfection, making an efford not to sin, because we are born again and have the divine nature in our hearts, which is making us to want not to sin.
We all need the power or the anointing of the Holy Spirit to helps us and to make us able to do the comandments of God and to fight the sinful nature in our bodies.

We all stumble and sin from time to time, not because we want to, but because of the sinful nature in us. That is why we can never keep te commandments of God 100% all te time. And that is why we need his grace for forgiveness. But at the same time, we should aim towards perfection and towards keeping the commandments of God all the time by the help of the Holy Spirit in us.

 

[Emmy]

Dear Nonchalont. You had some good replies, may I join? The Evil-One is always looking for easy victims, and he is a pretender and a liar. But he has one weak spot, Satan and his followers run away from Love. Make Love your weapon and fight back.
Jesus gave us great advice in Matthew 22, verses 35-40. " The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is: Love thy neighbour as thyself." Then Jesus states this fact: " On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
Start by treating all you know and all you meet, as you would love to be treated: with kindness and always friendly words. God is Love, and God wants our love freely given, and NO conditions tagged on. Jesus told us to:
" ask and ye will receive," ( Matthew 7: 7-8) then thank God and share all Love and Joy, ( which to ask for) with your neighbour. Keep asking God and thanking God, then sharing all Love and Joy with all around you, your neighbour. God will see your sincere efforts, and God will bless you.
God`s enemy will have NO Power over you, simply because Satan and all followers will flee from Love. Jesus our Saviour will help and guide you all the way: JESUS IS THE WAY.
Let God know that you want to Love Him and your neighbour, everything you say or do, everything you advice or stand for, should be from Love and Compassion. I say this with love Nonchalant. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[dcb1101]

Jesus loves you unconditionally and died for sinners just like you and me!!!

Repent of your sins, pray and read the Bible daily.

 

[gypsygirl]

Hi, im really looking for help and advice!
My life has gone rapidly downhill, due to the choices i have been making.
I was brought up christian and due to factors lost my way somewhere.
Im 32 and addicted to cocaine and prostitutes.
About 2 months ago, i had a revelation and started to find my faith again as my actions where destroying my life. I prayed and begged for help and the strength to make the right decisions so i may find a path back to jesus and too god...I feel likle such a sinner and ive let god down and really need his forgiveness and guidance.

My question is , can i still be saved even though i gave into temptation worse than ever! Is it normal to want to be true too god and then insult him by being worse than ever? thanks for any advice.
Lost but want to be found!

Nonchalont,
I, too, have struggled with sexual lust and its enslavement (yes, that's from a woman) wherein my mind won't even let me focus on reading scripture. Yet, God's Word is the means by which our mind and heart is renewed and redeemed (the soul) Romans 12:2 and Ephesians 4:23. Your spirit is one with God, but now the hard work begins to transform from the inward out. The mind is the battlefield! Ephesians 6:12

In the past when my mind was rebellious towards God and couldn't focus on reading the Bible, I listened to an audio version of scripture - don't underestimate how incredibly powerful a tool that is. It will segue you back into scripture which will create the intimacy with Christ that will ultimately heal you. "Faith comes by HEARING, and hearing by the WORD of God" (Rom 10:17) Bible Gateway has an free online tool, along with an app BibleGateway.com- Audio Bibles There's also a free audio book app to listen that also reads scripture. Remember what Christ said in John 6:63 - "My words our spirit and they are LIFE."

Also, focus on the verses that ENCOURAGE you and don't make a mental inventory of your mistakes - that will only lead you further down your hole. The Holy Spirit will empower you to overcome so that you WILL be a testimony for Him!!

 

[parsley]

Not sure if you're still around, but if you are serious about your earthly and eternal life, find yourself a rehab program that will help and support you through this. People do not know all that it takes to free themselves from addictions, and can benefit from letting others guide them through it.

 

[chilehed]

What you turn away from the path to hell, Satan devotes more energy to you.

I suggest joining the Narcotics Anonymous fellowship in your area.