Struggling With Sin

[cedric1200]

I have struggled with homosexual tendencies for years now. And I have had other Christians tell that just having the temptation for that kind of lifestyle is sin. Is this true? Do you think that God is going to throw me into hell because of my temptations?

I am fighting my temptations.

 

[dysert]

I have struggled with homosexual tendencies for years now. And I have had other Christians tell that just having the temptation for that kind of lifestyle is sin. Is this true? Do you think that God is going to throw me into hell because of my temptations?

I am fighting my temptations.

Whoever told you that doesn't know what they're talking about. Jesus was tempted too. Only if you yielded to the temptation would it be sinful. And even at that, if you've accepted Christ as your savior, you're destined for heaven despite your sin. Take comfort and don't worry.

 

[dayhiker]

I agree temptation isn't a sin. Look to love God and love people and you'll be fine.

 

[cuja1]

I agree, temptation is not a sin. It's acting on it when it becomes a sin. I applaud you for fighting it. Remember that it is through God that we have victory over sin. We may stumble sometimes and sometimes we might completely lose our way, but I think in the end we see that sin destroys and it is worth abstaining from what the Bible says is sin. Ask God for power to overcome, never underestimate the power that comes when you ask for other people to pray for you. God bless.

 

[Svt4Him]

The more I fear God the less I struggle with temptation. Oh it's still there, just not as much.

 

[Gideons300]

Whoever told you that doesn't know what they're talking about. Jesus was tempted too. Only if you yielded to the temptation would it be sinful. And even at that, if you've accepted Christ as your savior, you're destined for heaven despite your sin. Take comfort and don't worry.

This simply does not line up with what the word tells us. If a man is overtaken in sin, but hates it, fights against it, repents with whole heartedness if he falls, confesses it and turns back to God, he is as clean as a spotless lamb. However, if he takes the attitude that "Well, no one is perfect, Jesus paid for my sins, and so my sinning really does not matter", he is on dangerous ground.

We are told that sin hardens the heart. Slowly but surely, sin can change 'believing on' Jesus with ones heart to 'believing in' Jesus with the head. One gets you into heaven, one leaves you outside the closed gate.

You are correct that temptation is not sin. But until we believe that the temptation comes from the enemy, and we instead believe that it is the 'black dog' part of us, we will be destined to fail, for God has made us new creatures. Our part is to grab hold and believe that, despite what satan tries to convince us of otherwise.

Blessings,

Gideon

 

[Svt4Him]

But until we believe that the temptation comes from the enemy

But I don't believe that as it doesn't line up with the Word:

James 1:14 : but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

I have struggled with homosexual tendencies for years now. And I have had other Christians tell that just having the temptation for that kind of lifestyle is sin. Is this true? Do you think that God is going to throw me into hell because of my temptations?

I am fighting my temptations.

I will be praying for you brother.

 

[Gideons300]

But I don't believe that as it doesn't line up with the Word:

James 1:14 : but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.

I agree, that is who we were. But Paul tells us clearly that the old us died, that we are no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit if Jesus is in us, and that we owe the flesh NOTHING.

If we give place to satan to accuse us, he will. But we are to resist him, stwadfast in the faith that we are no longer old natured men, but possess brand new natures. Thus, when satan comes enticing, tempting and accusing, and he is met with our shield of faith up that we are NOT that self centered person any longer, to our amazement, we find we can indeed be tempted and not fall...every time.

Jesus was tempted just like we are. Was he lustful? He was no doubt tempted to be, but stood strong that satan had nothing in Him. When we awake to the fact we too can do the same thing because it is now Christ in us and not the fleshly old natured "us" who lives any longer, we will have discovered the HOW of holiness, HOW to possess our vessels in sanctification and honor, the HOW of real obedience. This is the next great move on God's agenda, and when it comes to each one of us, and we light our lamp and believe that we ARE light, and stop trying futilely to do enough light type things to imitate light, we will arise and be the church without spot or wrinkle.

Amazing times are ahead for us.

Blessings,

Gids

 

[Svt4Him]

You can't use Jesus as the example as then you get into the debate of whether He could sin, ergo whether that was temptation or testing.

And have to disagree, we get into situations today when we do walk in the flesh, and we are lead away. James was written to Christians.

 

[Gideons300]

You can't use Jesus as the example as then you get into the debate of whether He could sin, ergo whether that was temptation or testing.

And have to disagree, we get into situations today when we do walk in the flesh, and we are lead away. James was written to Christians.

He did indeed write to Christians, and to them he said these words:

"Cleanse your hands you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded... "

He then called those who tried to walk in self and still think they were serving God adulterers and adulteresses. Nowadays, we call it normal Christianity, for as a whole we do not believe God can deliver us from evil, or set us free indeed as he defined it, nor keep us from falling. We have a God who can forgive us, but who cannot deliver us from the power of darkness. And we wonder why those in the world think us hypocrites, orettied up outwardly perhaps, but inwardly still letting self rule the roost. We are fulfilling perfectly what Jesus said would be our condition in the last days.... having a form of godliness, but denying the power of it.

Will God return for such a bride? Considering what He said to the churches in Revelation, such a state is not "being without spot or wrinkle". We want to wrap ourselves in His positional holiness, but as to actually being truly holy? Not for us. Too extreme. Too restrictive. But He loves us to much to come back for us with us unprepared.

He is now awakening us as to how to be planted on the highway OF holiness, rather than the highway TO it. If we thought grace was magnificent previously, wait until we see what an awakened church is capable of! It will not be the strong, or the mighty, or the determined or the ascetics who, discover such a place or rest, where God actually causes us to walk in obedience, just as He promised in Ezekiel 36. No, it will be to the broken, to those imprisoned still in Romans 7 who hate their bondage to sin, and long for a way to please their God with the way they live their lives. We are counseled to seek our God AND His righteousness, and not remain content to be forgiven again and again for sins we have no deep desire to leave behind.

Just as He told us, God's overcoming victory will be to those who have NO strength. It is not difficult to walk as an overcomer. But how hard is the road to bring us to the point where we want such a walk more than our next breath. There will be tears, but they will be turned to amazement and joy unspeakable as we discover exactly what "the glorious liberty of the children of God" actually means. We are about to learn to walk in it, and our lives will never be the same again.

Blessings,

Gideon

 

[Svt4Him]

As nice as that is, it changes nothing about the verse on temptation. So for clear scripture, I'll have to stick with it. Not that I disagree with you, it's not either or.

 

[Gideons300]

As nice as that is, it changes nothing about the verse on temptation. So for clear scripture, I'll have to stick with it. Not that I disagree with you, it's not either or.

So for clarity, how then does someone bring every thought into the obedience of Christ? Is it even possible? If the darkness is still in us, ruling us at times, wanting to sin, and we accept that it is a part of us still, and not now satan whom we need to resist, steadfast in the faith that we bow owe the flesh nothing, how do we ever truly 'make our tree good'? Is there a way to purify our hearts by faith? Can we actually be caused to walk obediently? Because if a part of us as new creatures still wants to sin, then real holiness, and possessing our vessels in sanctification and honor, is nothing but an unattainable goal.

Blessings,

Gids

 

[cuja1]

So for clarity, how then does someone bring every thought into the obedience of Christ? Is it even possible? If the darkness is still in us, ruling us at times, wanting to sin, and we accept that it is a part of us still, and not now satan whom we need to resist, steadfast in the faith that we bow owe the flesh nothing, how do we ever truly 'make our tree good'? Is there a way to purify our hearts by faith? Can we actually be caused to walk obediently? Because if a part of us as new creatures still wants to sin, then real holiness, and possessing our vessels in sanctification and honor, is nothing but an unattainable goal.

Blessings,

Gids

I think, though I am not sure, that until God works in us, it is impossible to want what He wants and to the extent that He wants us to want it.

Philippians 2:13
13for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure

Therefore all we can do is pray and ask for His power daily until we do want what makes God happy.

 

[ToBeLoved]

As nice as that is, it changes nothing about the verse on temptation. So for clear scripture, I'll have to stick with it. Not that I disagree with you, it's not either or.

Yes, mixing temptation with sin is very misleading. Two very different things.

I hope that people stay on topic with 'temptation'.

 

[ToBeLoved]

So for clarity, how then does someone bring every thought into the obedience of Christ? Is it even possible? If the darkness is still in us, ruling us at times, wanting to sin, and we accept that it is a part of us still, and not now satan whom we need to resist, steadfast in the faith that we bow owe the flesh nothing, how do we ever truly 'make our tree good'? Is there a way to purify our hearts by faith? Can we actually be caused to walk obediently? Because if a part of us as new creatures still wants to sin, then real holiness, and possessing our vessels in sanctification and honor, is nothing but an unattainable goal.

Blessings,

Gids

Temptation is not the same as sin. Please stay on topic.

 

[Gideons300]

Temptation is not the same as sin. Please stay on topic.

To be honest, if we go back to the OP, he is asking for help in how to not let temptations become sin. Is this not correct? So what do you recommend? If we feel the temptation comes from inside us, we are already guilty. Lusting IS adultery.... not somewhat like it.

So is there a way to walk where temptation is never allowed to turn into outward disobedience? It would seem this is a critical truth we need to discover. Once we agree with satan when the thought comes to us to give in to the temptation, and embrace as truth that we really are not free indeed, never truly can be until we are dead, and that Jesus really never did deliver us from the power of darkness at all, at least in this life, it is but a hop, skip and a jump to going back to connecting temptation and sin by our actions.

We have been given armor. Let us wear it. We have been given a sword. Let us use it. We have been given a shield of faith that promises to quench ALL the fiery arrows of satan. Let us raise it, amen?

Blessings,

Gids

 

[ToBeLoved]

To be honest, if we go back to the OP, he is asking for help in how to not let temptations become sin. Is this not correct? So what do you recommend? If we feel the temptation comes from inside us, we are already guilty. Lusting IS adultery.... not somewhat like it.

So is there a way to walk where temptation is never allowed to turn into outward disobedience? It would seem this is a critical truth we need to discover. Once we agree with satan when the thought comes to us to give in to the temptation, and embrace as truth that we really are not free indeed, never truly can be until we are dead, and that Jesus really never did deliver us from the power of darkness at all, at least in this life, it is but a hop, skip and a jump to going back to connecting temptation and sin by our actions.

We have been given armor. Let us wear it. We have been given a sword. Let us use it. We have been given a shield of faith that promises to quench ALL the fiery arrows of satan. Let us raise it, amen?

Blessings,

Gids

Well I am glad you asked. The best way to deal with temptation is to try to remove that temptation. To go somewhere else, think about something else, do something else, ect.

Maybe a new thread so you can discuss sin?

 

[cuja1]

If we feel the temptation comes from inside us, we are already guilty.

What do you mean by this?
Are you saying temptation is sin?

 

[Gideons300]

I think, though I am not sure, that until God works in us, it is impossible to want what He wants and to the extent that He wants us to want it.

Philippians 2:13
13for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure

Therefore all we can do is pray and ask for His power daily until we do want what makes God happy.

So here is the question we need to ask ourselves. Do we see this working in older saints, ones that have been Christians for twenty, thirty, or even forty or more years? Do we see them finally being able to walk in holiness and righteousness, and able to obey no matter how tempted they are? Do they now want to, and walk in full obedience?

God says that He will not allow us to be tempted above our ability to resist. So, if that never translates into actual victory for His children, do we not see that something is amiss?

Look, we can either say, "Well God must not want me holy yet because He has given me no desire for it" and get quite comfortable living in Romans 7, or we can implore our God "Oh, Lord, you said you would cause me to walk in obedience, and that it is your will for me to know how to walk in holiness and righteousness. But God, I have not walked in such a place and long to be delivered from my old nature that refuses to bow the knee to you in all things. Change me, Lord! Deliver me from the wretched old nature I cannot seem to escape."

It is our choice. Which one pleases God? Which one will illicit a response from Him? We are to seek Him AND His righteousness with all of our hearts. To try to say that God must not care because He has not made me want victory is putting our guilt onto God instead, saying in essence "It is your fault."

It is not God's fault. He said he has already given us everything we need pertaining to life and godliness. It is called the armor of God. It is time we put it on.

Blessings,

Gideon