scared

[amenkid777]

I know that I am a born-again believer in Jesus Christ. But - sometimes I wonder if I am going to heaven - because I still have sin in my life. I struggle with a couple of things, and, to be honest, I really blew it about a week ago. It's hard for me to accept that God would forgive me for my sin. I look at it this way: even if it seems like most of the time I think I am doing God's will, it doesn't matter. One sin is too much for God and He is very holy - my sin I am sure He is very disappointed in, and I feel like I have not done well enough with what He has given me. I thought I was saved by grace alone by faith alone in Christ alone. But then there are Scriptures that say that anyone who sins is of the devil. Anyone who has any sin in their life will not make it to heaven.

I just want to get rid of my sin and be okay - go to heaven. But even that - I have heard - is a selfish thing too. I should want Jesus and want to love Jesus in my actions! Which - I know how wonderful and deserving He is. But - I am not perfect. I struggle with sin every day!

Is there really anyone here who doesn't sin anymore? How do you get there? And would it help to mention I wasn't brought up a Christian, and I was abused for years? Not to say that is an excuse. I have been putting my faith in the Scripture that says that God will bring the good work in me to completion, but I am wondering, am I deceived?

 

[paul1149]

No one can eliminate sin entirely. As long as we're in the flesh, we have the flesh to deal with on a daily basis. This is why most people interpret 1Jn, where is says no one born of God sins, as no one practices sinning. That is, no one sins easily and relishes disobeying and displeasing God. The Spirit in the born again believer won't allow that.

And so we sometimes do miss the mark. Does that mean we're not Saved? No! As long as our heart is toward God, we are in relationship. And that can be quite a different story from our manifest behavior at times.

Look at the incredible patience the Lord had with His disciples, and you begin to get a picture of His patience and forbearance.

But of course, He knows best, and He knows when it's time for a heavy hand of discipline. Sin is nothing to be played with. Also bear in mind its earthly consequences.

That same book,1Jn, tells us that when we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse. Notice that it does not say we have to confess and cleanse before God forgives. It says we confess, then God forgives and cleanses. The dynamic is that even though we've sinned we are still in relationship with Him. This is why Hebrews tells us to go boldly to the throne of grace for help in time of need - not when we've already got it all together. It's all because of the grace of the Cross. The Blood of Holy God was shed for you. How much merit does it have? It will protect you from all spiritual threats, and has enough power to forgive the greatest sins. Only keep coming to Him for that forgiveness and cleansing. Don't let doubt, unbelief, or the accuser keep you away.

 

[J0SHUA]

Well said paul I agree with all of that

 

[amenkid777]

I really appreciate your reply, it helps.

Others please if you would like, respond too, even if you have something "harsh" to say. I want to hear the truth, whatever it is.

 

[parsley]

Your heart is in a good place, and He sees that. You are repenting of your sins, and that's what God wants. He has made the provision for being made righteous through faith, so take hold of that. Your sins do not define you -- His offer to live as His child does.

If you were in a swimming class and couldn't dive far enough to pick up the weight off the pool floor, the instructor wouldn't kick you out of class. They would work with you to build up your lung capacity and strength, your diving speed. You are there to learn.

We are also here to learn. God does not expect us to be an instant success, a flawless hero. He wants to be involved in your life, and in the process of learning.

Is there really anyone here who doesn't sin anymore? How do you get there?

Ha ha, if we say we do not sin, we deceive ourselves. Arrogance is not pretty.

The crud that is still in our hearts and thoughts can be as bad as visible sins. Competing so vehemently that we trample others, slandering good people, faithlessness, being consumed in fear.... we need to set these aside, but when they're invisible they're easier to hide.

But yes, God does change our hearts. And over time our brains let go of patterns and habits.

I was watching a Sense commercial, and noticed how they said it takes away desire. God's Holy Spirit works in a similar way -- giving you that extra oomph to take away the desires, so that eventually old patterns can be replaced with improved ones. Let God work in you, and help you transform destructive habits.

 

[Emmy]

Dear amenkid777. You say that you are " Born Again" and you believe in Jesus Christ. That is a good start. Jesus Himself gives us good advice.
In Matthew 22: 35-40: Jesus tells a Lawyer: " The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: Love thy neighbour as thyself." Then Jesus points out: " On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." Love and to love is very important to our Heavenly Father. God wants our Love, freely given and No conditions made. How do we follow that?
An easy and well-known way is: " Treat all you know and all youi meet, treat them as you would love to be treated: with kindness and always friendly words. God will see your sincere efforts, and God will approve and bless you.
Jesus will give you His Love and Joy, and the Holy Spirit will empower you with His Love, also. ( Matthew 7: 7-8) Jesus tells us: " ask and ye shall receive." Then we thank God and share all Love and Joy with our neighbour:
i.e. all we know and all we meet, friends and not-friends. Keep asking God and thanking God, and share all Love and Joy with your neighbour. People around you will treat you the same as you treat the people: Love is very catching. And Love is a Christian`s strong weapon, with love we overcome all
enmity and wrong behaviour. People will soon know that we are God`s representatives, and may well turn into sign-posts to God, our Heavenly Father. Do not be scared, amenkid, with God on your side, nobody and nothing
can be against you. God will give you strenght and staying-power: remember:
" ask and ye shall receive." Why not try? Jesus will help and guide you:
JESUS IS THE WAY.
You might stumble or forget at times, but then ask God to forgive you, and carry on: Loving and Caring. My prayers will be with you. I say this with love.
Greetings fom Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[meinahanna]

Brother. We all struggle with sin. Yesterday I couldnt sleep the whole night, because I was struggling with thoughts I didn't want that I tried to get out of my head. We all struggle. There is TWO kinds of people.

Those who are dead TO sin. Meaning they have become salves of righteousness. Meaning they are living by the Holy Spirit and are putting the misdeeds of the body away. Meaning, they HATE sin and DESIRE holiness, yet struggle. (Romans 6:1-3, Romans 6: 20-23, Romans 7: 6, Romans 8:1, Romans 8:9-11). Read those carefully. There are those who are dead IN sin. They live in sin and play Godly ( they can be praying, reading, attending churches) all outward love, but no living relationship with Christ and real concern for his Holiness.

Your problem is this. Take what I tell you to heart.

"In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have FORGOTTEN that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? (Hebrews 12:4-17)

5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath FORGOTTEN that he was purged from his old sins.

Do you see it yet? you said "I don't know if I'm going to heaven or not" and so on and so on. The problem is that when you struggle, you FORGET that you ahve been cleansed and you are a son of God. READ HEBREWS 10. "BY ONE SACRAFICE HE HAS PERFECTED FOREVER THOSE THAT ARE SANCTIFIED" and so on and so on. My brother your concern shows you desire holiness and you are a new creature. You ONLY need to BELIEVE harder, for Satan's number 1 technique is to let you think YOU ARE NOT FORGIVEN ALREADY.

THERE ARE 2 KINDS OF CHRISTIANS. 1) those who know they are forgiven and therefore grow in holiness, and those who tak this forgivneess and keep on sinning. That's why Paul says shall we sin that grace may abound. For beofre he says that, he said in romans 4:5-8 "However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.".

Satan will use everything to let you believe you're not forgiven. For this very reason, many think that total forgiveness will cause you to sin and that's because THAT'S WHAT THEY WILL DO, because they are dead IN sin. But we have died TO sin. Take heart, you will overcome. There are MANY scriptures that I can give you especially in John. Anyone who believes is no longer condemned and so on and so on. The bible Makes it clear.

14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10: 14-22)....and so on. Brother you have been forgiven. The evidence is that you DIED TO SIN. Meaning as I wrote before and as paul mentions in Romans. You now DESIRE holiness and you're GROWING in faith. It's only TEMPORARY struggle and you will overcome.

Grace be with you

 

[Peripatetic]

Your worry is not unusual, and I think that's why God chose so many sinners to write much of the Bible. Moses murdered a man. David committed adultery and arranged for Bathsheba's husband to be killed. Solomon committed just about every sin of self indulgence, and Paul persecuted Christians and approved of the murder of Steven.

Nobody has been able to completely quit sinning. In Romans 7:19, the Apostle Paul put it this way, "For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing."

We should want to stop sinning, and strive to make changes in our lives that will help in that area. But we can do it knowing that God won't condemn us when we fall.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 gives us an idea of how God reacts when we come back to Him after blowing it:

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

We all struggle with sin. It's much worse for people who think they don't.

 

[amenkid777]

Good evening guys. Thank you so much for ministering to me, brothers and sisters, you have helped a lot. I pray God blesses you for encouraging me.

This makes me glad, because now I can really accept that God accepts me. And I can let God do His work.

Thank you!

 

[insurchoftruth]

The fact that you say, that you struggle with sin, is an indicator, that you are born again, and are trying to please God. Every christian sins, but not deliberately, not out of a desire or a decision, but out of weakness, and out of giving to temptation and to the sinful nature in us.

I believe, that God is pleased with us, if we struggle against sin, and try to get out of it, by the help of the Holy Spirit in us. You see, it is important the we try and make effort not to sin, and that is what pleases God. A person who is not a christian, sin deliberately and willfully, with intention, because he does not have the Holy Spirit in him, to convict him of sin. But we have the Holy Spirit in us, and he makes us to desire not to sin, and gives us the power to overcome the sinful nature in us and to struggle against sin - Romans 8:13. So do not worry if you sin and make a mistake from time to time, we all sin, but what is important, is even if you gave in to sin, did you struggle beforehand against that sin, and try not to sin. That is what counts.

 

[amenkid777]

Hey guys, just wanted to give you an update on what's going on with me and the Lord - brothers and sisters.

God has been echoing what has been said in this post again and again and again. I have realized several things:

- when I let go of condemnation, this really does set me free from sin in a greater way.

- He is teaching me how to get rid of sin. the more I concentrate on the Word, and listen to Him, the more I let go of it. I am already seeing good fruit.

Sunday - I read the Bible for 3 hours. It had a huge effect on me. It made me realize that the more I listen to God and meditate on what the Bible says and ignore and disbelieve what satan has told me about sin, lies that are strongholds in my mind keeping me in bondage, the more I am going to let go of sin.

Here is what I feel God has told me to do: make a list of sins. Look up Scripture that says that sin is wrong, meditate on that and agree with it, go to the promises in the Bible and keep asking God to fulfill them in my life (for example "the Lord will crush satan under your feet shortly" and "He will never permit the righteous to be moved" and "He will preserve your life from sin from this moment on") and also, focus on Scripture that teaches who you are in Christ, let go of all the shame and lies from satan, forgive anyone I need to forgive. Especially, let God heal me from the stuff that happened to me too.

I can already see, kind of I guess, what He is going to do and how He is going to do it!

 

[parsley]

Nice idea.

Sunday - I read the Bible for 3 hours. It had a huge effect on me.

That reminds me of the scriptures that compare God's word with bread and food. We forget how starving we are, but when we start eating well, we feel nourished.

 

[Jasminoodle]

pal,, I felt that too but the thing is, becoming a Christian dosent mean you don't sin anymore, it just means that youre forgiven every time you sin! youre okay, you've got a ticket to heaven if your born again, so stop worrying, God dosent want us to worry! he loves you, and youre okay! the only problem is ourselves as we find it hard to forgive ourselves, but the truth is that EVEY time you ask for forgiveness, your slate is ENTIRELY clean as if you have never sinned before.
everyone falls short, but that's what makes us humans and not gods.
start having joy, coz youre okay ^^ stop focusing on what you've done wrogn and start focusing on how deeply God cares for you and start getting to know Jesus even more hang in there pal ^^