My heart is so hardened

[Bruce Leiter]

If you're praying for the "new mind" in Christ, I think that you already have it. That new mind doesn't make us perfect, but it enables us to have some victories as we pray for them. Prayer's the key!

 

[RBPerry]

In the early 70s I walked away, after nine years of SDA schools and college I realized what I was being taught was a bunch of bull, or at least some of it was.
Then came the military and Vietnam, did some terrible things there. Came home, got into trouble constantly and rejected anything that had to do with church, God, or living a moral life.
I finally hit the end of my rope and reached out to God, I was sure He wanted nothing to do with me. I was wrong, it took a few years, but he restored me.
One thing I learned, don't go by your feelings, trust that God does love you, and know he will restore you in time, you just need to be consistent with Him. As has already been said, the fact that you are searching is proof your heart isn't hardened to a point of no return.

 

[FredVB]

If you're praying for the "new mind" in Christ, I think that you already have it. That new mind doesn't make us perfect, but it enables us to have some victories as we pray for them. Prayer's the key!

It makes sense that those desiring what is in God's will are coming to that in their growth, with prayer indeed. It is yet undermined though with our presumption of having what we should have, this we should be careful to avoid.

 

[FredVB]

In the early 70s I walked away, after nine years of SDA schools and college I realized what I was being taught was a bunch of bull, or at least some of it was.
Then came the military and Vietnam, did some terrible things there. Came home, got into trouble constantly and rejected anything that had to do with church, God, or living a moral life.
I finally hit the end of my rope and reached out to God, I was sure He wanted nothing to do with me. I was wrong, it took a few years, but he restored me.
One thing I learned, don't go by your feelings, trust that God does love you, and know he will restore you in time, you just need to be consistent with Him. As has already been said, the fact that you are searching is proof your heart isn't hardened to a point of no return.

I see that I have gone through periods of rejecting, and could be still if I am not prayerfully watching out for that, but know that it happening was from seeing falsehoods that are frustrating, and not then knowing for sure what is real. There still is that, there are cultic things to beware of that should not put biblical truth in doubt. Observing Sabbath is not that though some regard that as cultic, but tying in politics with believers' faith really is, with those doing so then following a leader according to faith just like in any cult. There is one to really follow, and do as he says to do, and that is Jesus Christ.

 

[FredVB]

Repentance is not needing a feeling of condemnation. If we came to Jesus Christ ever repenting to turn from life with sin to live in him, we are not condemned even when we stumble into sin, even with not having feelings. Yet we need to turn to Jesus Christ our Lord again, for restored relationship. This is repentance, without condemnation, for delivering us out from those sins, so that we do not keep going back to those. Relationship with Christ, having relationship with God through Christ, is with turning us from sins.