[__ Prayer __] My recent past

[Christfollower3]

In my recent past (last 2 months or so) i struggled with the sin of masturbation (i consider it sin) and it was very deliberate. Tonight at church we were talking about perseverance of the saints. I have gotten really convicted tonight and am not completly sure about it. I belive God is merciful in dire situations that Christiians have gotten themselves into (hence deliberte sin) but somehow i still feel like im not supposed to be forgiven. In Hebrews 10: 26-31 it says, "For if we deliberately sin after recieving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectationof judgment, and the fury of a fire about to consume the adversaries. If anyone disregards Moses' law, he dies without mercy, based on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think one will deserve who has trampled on the Son of God, regarded as profne the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know the One who has said, Vengeance belongs to Me, I will repay, and again, The Lord will judge His people. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!" This verse scares me bad. What if (if your Calvinist) I was not part of the elect and was decieved into thinking I was one of the saved people. It seems like when i kept commiting this certian sin deliberatly over the past few months I would "repent" and "ask God for strength against it" when just using those prayers to do it again. I feel like I was temporarilly remorsefull not repentant and now i see the seriousness of the crime. Is that a case of Hebrews 10? Im scared out of my mind yet i find some comfort in the fact that I AM WOORYING ABOUT i just dont know if its mindless remorse and "a terrifying expectation fo judgment, and the fury of a fire about to consume the advesaries" or its true repentance. So i know the hole "if your scared you commited the unpardonable sin then you probably havent commited it" story but it still seems like "a terrifying expectation of judgement, and the fury of a fire about to consume the advesaries." Btw ive had similar less serious situations that ive gotten myself really worried. I just am trying to figure out difference between condemnation and conviction as well. If anyone could give me advise then i would appreciate it. (srry for the length)

 

[Christfollower3]

I feel like i havent "persevered" and i dont even know if ill stand the next temptation. Also making my sins more serious is that while i was in teh midst of that sin i knew exactly well about hebrews 10 and hebrews 6 and passages referring to Christ suffering for me but at the moment i didnt seem to care but now I do.

 

[Rosalee]

I God gives you strength to persevere!!Stand strong in your faith and beliefs!!

Rosalee Decker
This is the Day the Lord has made; let us rejoice & be glad in it

 

[Christfollower3]

Wow. thank you ... that really hit home. I think thats what God was trying to say-to belive in God to provide his righteousness in times of temptation. its still pretty scary but if thats what it takes is pure "spiritual horror" at my sin then yes ill go with it.

 

[Sha'zar]

i was just browsing the forums for a couple minutes before i went to bed, and for some reason this thread caught my eye. i do not profess any wisdom of the Scriptures, and it has been years since i was in college, so take what i say with a grain of salt.

one of the interesting and sometimes complex things about the Bible is the language. if you truly believe that the Bible (in its original autographs) is inspired, then i think believing that God uses words in specific ways is key to understanding and interpreting the Bible. this may inspire me to do further research, delving into the Greek and all, but in the NASB (which i'm told is the most literal of the modern translations), Hebrews 10:26 reads as follows: "For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,". Did you notice the tense change in the verb? In one version it says "if we sin", while in another it says, "if we go on sinning". the first tense is a one time action, the second is a continual state of sin.

WOW! i just did a quick study into that 1 verb, and it was enlightening. the Greek word that is translated as "for if we go on sinning" is á¼ÂμαÃÂÄανÌνÄÉν (hamartanontÃ…Ân). the thing to notice is the ending of the verb. '-ontÃ…Ân' tells us that this is a present active participle in the genitive case. to save a lot of explanation it means it is an action that is continuing into the future, and it is used possessively. it is OUR sin, sin we still hold onto, that we have not given to God, that there is no sacrifice for. i want to do a study on repentance at some point, but i suggest that repentance is not a 1 moment thing, but rather a continual turning away from our sinful nature.

i am definitely NOT suggesting that one can lose their salvation, and that does not mean that we will never falter, for we are imperfect, and we will sin until we die. but, if we continually turn away from our sinful nature, and give our sins to God to be covered by Jesus' blood, God will help us with the sins that we struggle with. do not be fearful, Christfollower3, there is nothing you or anyone else can do to remove yourself from God's hand. John 10:28-29 reads as follows:
"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand." (NIV)

Give your problems over to God, and he will help you deal with them. It may not be fast, and it may not be easy, but stay strong, and He will deliver you.

 

[Christfollower3]

Thank you. that was very enlightening. I love studying how words are used in context of the Bible. I would like to take Greek like you said. I am taking PTRW and Hermanuetics over the next two semsters taht shall be fun hehe but anyway. Thats a great point, sin that we hold on to. Now where is the line that is drawn between a Chrisitian and a non-Christian and thier ability to sin. How do you figure out what to do if a Christian does continue yet has other fruits of the spirit? We definitly are called (Rom. 9) and we defintly have free will they have got to come together somewhere lol. That reminds me of the verse taht said God ordained Jesus to be crucified yet God blames Jesus's death on the sinners. How can God blame it on sinners when he ordained it? err getting off subject a little bit, I am lol. Anyway just pray ill set myself agaisnt that sin and be able to stand against that temtation from now on.

 

[Christfollower3]

So the only true unpardonable sin is the rejection of Jesus and his graceous provisions of righteousness continously (i think thats how you spell it) as a non-believer.