Never really had much faith to begin with

[DoseOFReality]

Ive never really had much "faith" to begin with even though Im saved and have been baptized because I really dont know what it is to believe. I know the do's and don'ts, what the gospel says and way I should carry myself. But none of these really matter and its impossible to live up to this religion because at the heart, I do not know God... I dont know who I am and who he is to me. How can a man truly come to communicate with God unless he is mentally insane? Can any of you honestly say that you "heard" from God? Because way i see it, there is lots of misconception, insanity, emotions, or just not knowing better, is usually the case for "i want to hear what God has to say."

Im so sick and tired of this captivity of religion which I hate so much. What is my freedom and how can I get my head off this condemnation? I AM SAVED ARENT I? I believe in the gospel and know and do this and that... what more can I do? Why can't I overcome pornography and masturbation "by the power of Christ" when I am truly saved and trying? Why do I feel so guilty and condemned after committing all these sins (not referring to just immorality) when I cant help it. Like the bible describes it, I know I dont want to sin, my spirit says so, but my flesh is whole lot stronger, because flesh is the reality, the real side to what I really feel, hear, and see. Can someone help me with this? Im losing my mind...

 

[johan777]

Welcome to the club. Many of us feel this way if we look at ourselves in the mirror. However we walk by faith and not by sight. We believe what God says about us in Christ.


I also tried to live the Christian life “the do’s and don’ts”, read more bible, pray more, grit my teeth more and it did not work. Then when I came to the end of myself and declared that I CANNOT life this life, God opened my eyes and I realized my own corruption, that there really is nothing good in me. I don’t get better as I grow in Christ. I find the Word of God so true when it states: 1Co 1:30 “He (Jesus) is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption”.


It is not that I have strength through Him to seek wisdom, righteousness or sanctification. He is all that in me; for He is my Life. I have no virtues, I only have Christ. The question is again, do we believe God's Word? Do we believe 1 Corinthians 1: 30?


Then I understand the Word in Gal 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me”. Do you know that you were crucified when Christ was crucified?

Romans 6 become a reality “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. (v6, 7) Do you know that you are dead?


Rom 6:18, 19 ….having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.


Concerning sexual sins the Bible has very practical help: 1Co 6:18 “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body”. Run away when it approaches you. Don’t go near it. Do as Joseph did in Genesis 39:12 …”she caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me." But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house”.


Study Romans 5 to 8 and ask God to reveal to you what happened on the cross!!

 

[angelwind]

There are a lot of things that could be said for you here...to begin with God is for you...not against you. He went to a lot of trouble to bring You forgiveness and salvation.

Somehow you have let yourself become a slave to your flesh and sin. But sin is not greater than God's power to save and cleanse...it might seem like it, but sin is not greater than God.

For some reason...sexual sin does have something to do with a depraved mind. So I am not surprised you are having trouble with your thinking. And it is a form of rebellion. Rebellion is one reason why you can't hear well from the Lord. Hebrews 3&4

You are not alone...we have all struggled with rebellion on some level...I would be careful...sin hardens our heart so much it can turn us away from the living God. It is deceitful too...we can begin to believe lies more than Gods word. Romans 1:18-31

There is a judgement coming for sin...I don't know a lot about it...but it makes me shake in my boots...God is patient not wanting any of us to be lost...but He hates sin and calls certain activities just that...sin. He is not politically correct...He is holy and He is the highest authority in the universe.

I'm glad you are reaching out for help. I pray that the Lord would grant to you a very deep cleansing repentance...helping you to "see" how you stand before Him with your life.

Our society is beginning to accept everything...but you can't look to it...you must look to Him...like David did when he saw that he had sinned against God and only against God. It is a priceless gift to know repentance like that. I hope and pray that if He gives it to you, you will not reject Him.

There are ministries "out there" to help you...I don't know how to find one...but finding a body of believers to be accountable to is good...you can pray for each other and encourage each other...don't give up.

 

[vinc]

I agree with and appreciate Johann's reply. I couldn't have said it better.

The emotions and thoughts you are feeling are natural of any christian. I am glad that your spirit does not want to sin. That is proof enough that Christ is in you. The Bible says "The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak". A christian does not want to commit sin but may falter. And when he/she falls into sin, he/she repents sincerely and gets it right with God again.

Apostle Paul himself had this struggle between his spirit and his flesh. He writes this in the Book of Romans. Apostle Paul fell the same emotions as you have felt to the extent that he cried out "Wretched man that i am, who can save me from the body of this death?"

As we start growing in Christ, the Holy Spirit leads us to a life of self-crucifixion.

Also, we need power from on high (Baptism of Holy Spirit) to live the christian life as we should. We also need to be rooted and grounded in the Word of God for this. Disciplining of our bodily desires on a regular basis can also help towards victorious christian living. Disciplining of what we see and what we hear also helps us. It does take many years (depends from christian to christian) to enter into a constant life of victory over sin. Someone said "The sins which we don't hate are the sins which we find difficult to overcome". This is really true.

Lord Jesus Christ, His Disciples and Apostle Paul disciplined and pummeled there body to be obedient to their spirit and hence could live a holy and unblameable life till the end. It may not be possible for all. The thief on the cross got saved at the *** end of his life coz he repented sincerely and asked for forgiveness and sought to be with the Lord Jesus Christ in paradise.

We need to daily repent of the known, unknown and daring sins which we commit during the day before God which keeps us reconciled with Him and in Him.

Besetting sins can be God's tools to humble us and bring us to a zero-point or a rock-bottom stage from where God can jet us forward to a higher spiritual plane.

Someone said "We learn more from our valley experiences than our mountain-top experiences".

It takes the dark to teach us to walk in the light.

The darkest hour is just before dawn.

During these times we learn to let go of our emotional feelings and let go of our attachement to religious activities. These times also teach us of our nothingness. Sometimes we may also feel whether God is really there or not and we long for a tangible touch of God but still nothing happens. Even christians may misunderstand us and think less of our faith in God.

All such varied experiences every christian goes through in order to grow into the fulness of Christ just like the early Disciples and Apostles in those days.

Therefore be encouraged and continue living a life pleasing to Him as much is possible with you and as much spiritual light God has givento you. To that extent only He is asking you to be faithful to Him.

God knows our flesh is weak and forgives us instantly the moment we repent and ask for pardon. God is not going to throw us out but gives us His grace coz He knows that we sin unwillingly.

I hope all this encourages you.

Lord bless and keep you in Him until the end! Amen!

 

[TheOriginalWhitehorse]

Maybe the best place to begin is to ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you. Ask Him to show you why those dos and donts are really more than a list of rules. Even when we know with our minds why it's advantageous to live without sin, it can ring hollow if we don't truly see ourselves as God sees us. If we don't see our need for redemption, if we cannot see our sin, we cannot truly value salvation. Who values an umbrella when it's sunny outside?

Much faith is not required; the Lord will make it grow if you trust Him with faith as small as a seed of mustard. You can always make the commitment to stay with it and wait for the Lord.

But maybe we need to go further back. Do you believe Jesus Christ is God? Would you like to?

 

[DoseOFReality]

When will I hit rock bottom? Will I truly understand God and who I am in him today if I cry out to him? I think I will do just that and maybe he will reveal himself to me.

 

[angelwind]

It is His promise to us Dose...if we search for Him with our whole heart we will find Him.

Don't give up...it is not His will to lose one sheep and He knows you by name.

 

[ChristyP4Christ]

Sweetie the others have said so many awesome things.
I for one want you to know that no one ever said this was easy. Your right we are sinners and our flesh has some power. God looks on our hearts and we all mess up, believe me I know! But Jesus made a way for us to have grace and mercy in the eyes of God.
You asked "who are you in Christ?" You are the one and if you had been the only one He would have carried that cross just for you....
There is no other like you to God. He has made you who you are for a reason.
Playing church will not get you into heaven. Singing the right songs, watching the right TV shows wont either.
The only thing that will is Jesus and He lives inside you.
He does not excpect us to be perfact. If we could do that Jesus would have never had to come here and suffer the way He did.....
Have you seen the Passion of the Christ yet....If so watch it again if not rent it. Then tell yourself that He went though that just for you.
Read Isaiah 53 and remind yourself that you are the reason He did this. All He wants is for you to love Him after all He loves you.......
And when you really love Him everything else will work it's self out....

 

[johan777]

Some good advice from James 4: 7 - 10 (The Message)​

So let God work his will in you. ​

Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. ​

Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time.​

Quit dabbling in sin. ​

Purify your inner life. ​

Quit playing the field. ​

Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out.​

The fun and games are over.​

Get serious, really serious.​

Get down on your knees before the Master;​

it's the only way you'll get on your feet. ​

MKJV​

Therefore submit yourselves to God.​

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ​

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. ​

Cleanse your hands, sinners; ​

and purify your hearts, double-minded ones. ​

Be afflicted, and mourn and weep. ​

Let your laughter be turned to mourning​

and your joy to heaviness. ​

Be humbled before the Lord,​

and He will lift you up.​

 

[TheOriginalWhitehorse]

Absolutely-ask the Lord and trust Him to reveal Himself and He will. It may take time; finding Him is a journey sometimes but so worth it. So much hope and so much peace. There are hard times, too. And struggle. But those hard times only end in deep comfort from the Lord: He redeems every struggle including this one. When you find healing, He will use the struggle so you can comfort others who are going through it, too.

Don't let sin convince you to turn away from Him. God is patient. If He knows you're struggling to resolve the situation, He gives you the time you need and helps you through it. He works through difficulties with us. One thing that might help is to remember that when we struggle with sin, very often there's a situation underneath that causes us to resort to sin as a temporary salve. Some sort of pain or unresolved issue. It might be helpful to watch and see if there's a pattern to the times when the struggle is the hardest. Then, by allowing the Lord to lead you through the healing process, you'll find renewed strength. Just be patient with yourself as you struggle to work through it. Trust Him and He will heal you from it at the perfect time.

 

[C.A.B.L]

Doseofreality,

I feel your pain and your anguish that you are going through, Lord knows we all can relate to it. First, we know that "Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." faith comes from hearing God's word, or reading it. Despite what we may think, we have power, sometimes we may not believe it but it doesn't really matter. Our power lies in the Word of God, Paul said that it's a sword. The fact that your are convicted about it, gives proof that God is in you. Think about this: how could there be a war going on in your conscience if you didn't have two natures? I too struggled with the same thing and still do. Everytime Jesus was in the desert and was tempted He replied "It is written:" one thing that really helped me was quoting this scripture whenever I felt the urge to look at pornography "1 John 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever" I hope this helped. I feel your pain, friend, but do not doubt your salvation because of it. If you have confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, you are saved despite what you think. "1Jo 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." Dont worry friend, a time is coming when we will no longer have to fight sin, because we will be given a new body.

In His Service,
Matt

 

[vinc]

Dose : No humble and honest christian can confidently say "i am saved" till the end of his/her life. But, we all do have a hope from the scriptures that we are indeed saved by trusting and accepting Lord Jesus Christ in our heart and repenting sincerely and seeking forgiveness of our past sins from Him. Many christians are anxious and look forward for some Assurance from God that they are saved. And until we get such an assurance from God we must live by the faith of adherence (adherence to His Word).

Apostle Peter was a man of little faith too and was rebuked by our Lord for having little faith but still he lived an incredible christian life.

The Bible also says "He that hath begana good work in you, He will be faithful to complete it in you." So, we can relax our fears and anxiety trusting in His Word.

And you need not worry when you are going to hit rock-bottom although sometimes you may worry due to human nature. For whether we are in a spiritually low stage or in a spiritual high stage, we still belong to Him and can trust Him to be faithful to us without leaving us. He is always there for us just like a concerned Father or Mother. A child needs much attention from the Parent. But, a matured child need not require so much attention or help from the Parent. Sometimes God deals with us as a Father would deal with a matured child.

As far as i can remember, No christian would have had mountain-top kind of experiences all the time throughout his/her life. There were times where one had to go thru valley experiences too.

Every promise in the Bible belongs to you. Claim those promises before God just like you go to the bank and encash a cheque. Remind Him of His Word which has caused you to hope in Him. He is all ears to those who are desiring to come closer to Him.

Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Bible says "Him that cometh to me i will no wise cast out". He is not going to cast us out if we are desiring for fellowship with Him.

The Bible says "He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps". That means God who cares for us neither slumbers nor sleeps.

The Bible also says "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed".

A childlike trust in Him is very important. A child cannot say that the Mother loves him. But he can experience his Mothers love and know that he is loved. Sometimes there is no ample proof nor evidence that God is with us or in us. Yet He still is with us and in us. And like a small baby we keep crying even though we are lying in our Mother's lap!

Let the days go by. Keep trusting Him and seek to know more and more about Him. And over a period of time you will get the Faith of Assurance and you in turn would be encouraging other christians.

The Bible says "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing of the Word of God". So, spend some time from your daily routine on a regular basis in your quiet time with God. Meditate on the Scriptures and be thoroughly rooted and grounded in the Word of God.

It takes time for the new born-again person in us to grow strong and mature. A child cannot immediately digest Meat. It feeds on Milk. Apostle Peter says in the Bible "As sincere babies in Christ, desire the Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby". So, the Word of God is the Milk we need to feed on until we grow strong enough to start eating the Meat-Word-of-God!

Always remember that God is more concerned about us than we are about Him. We may leave Him being busy in wordly matters, but He never leaves us. He is ever-present with us even while we are in daily earthly routine.

Most christians go through this stage. i went through such anxious days too. I can really understand your feelings but may not have the right words to explain or help you. But, God is more able than all christians (counselling you) put together . Therefore i urge you to be greatly encouraged and exercise patience and get on with christian living until you recieve the Faith of Assurance.

God may not make us rich, famous and always accepted in the sight of the world. But, God will bless us and lead us in a way He likes to bless us.

I hope all this is encouraging to you.

Lord bless you and be with you always!

 

[TheOriginalWhitehorse]

Dose of Reality, how are things going for you?