New to God

[william22]

Hi everybody, I didn't know where else to talk about this, so I came here.

I grew up in an atheistic household, and was taught that God was not real. But recently, I came upon a man who was handing out free Bibles, and I spoke to him and he introduced me to the Bible. From there I have read John and Genesis. I feel like my worldview is changing completely, and I am beginning to accept the word of God into my mind.

There is something I am struggling with: I have come to understand that suffering has come to the world after Adam and Eve ate from the tree, which was the first sin. And one of the many sins in the world today is homosexuality, which I have read from Genesis 19. I know that I have had many homosexual 'urges' in my life, but have never actually engaged in anything.

I'm asking what I should do, since I would like to start accepting God into my heart, but I don't know what to do about my thoughts? What happens if I do end up acting on those 'urges'? If I could, I would snap my fingers and rid myself of these temptations. I also know that nothing good comes easy, and I am willing to do what I am required to do.

Thank you for reading.

 

[GodsGrace]

Hi William 22,
Welcome to the forum!
It's nice to have you here.

Your post has been moved from NEW MEMBERS
to QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS because more will view it and it belongs there.

Blessings.



TO ALL
PLEASE BE REMINDED THAT THIS IS NOT A DEBATE FORUM.

 

[atpollard]

I'm asking what I should do, since I would like to start accepting God into my heart, but I don't know what to do about my thoughts? What happens if I do end up acting on those 'urges'? If I could, I would snap my fingers and rid myself of these temptations. I also know that nothing good comes easy, and I am willing to do what I am required to do.

Let me offer another couple verses and some personal thoughts:

Romans 1: [NLT]

18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.​

​

21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.​

​

24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. ​

Many will point to this part of Romans and focus on the sexual sin aspects of the last part of the chapter. I would prefer if you saw this part ... before it gets into sexual sins.

• Point 1: God went out of his way to reveal himself to all of the people being talked about.
• Point 2: God expected them to "knowing God" and "worship him as God" and "give him thanks".
• Point 3: These 'bad' people deliberately chose to REJECT the true God and create a "god" that they liked better.

At the core, the issue is who is in charge ... you or God. They refused to 'kneel' before any God. They chose to be "the boss" of their lives.

Romans 10: [NLT]

9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”​

• Point 1: confess "Jesus is Lord" and "you are saved".
  • Lord = God: confessing that Jesus is both YOUR Lord (boss) and that makes Him in charge of you and THE Lord (GOD) which makes Jesus in charge of EVERYTHING.
• Point 2: believe "God raised him from the dead" and "you are made right with God".
  • The heart of the "Gospel" (means 'good news') is ... "a dead man came back to life and said that we can too!" It is impossible to overstate how much Jesus death and resurrection is at the center of EVERYTHING. You will keep learning more and that event will be at the center of it all.
• Point 3: The "DO NOT MISS" point from Romans 10, like Romans 1, is "who is in charge".
  • Becoming a Christian isn't like saying a magic spell.
  • It isn't about "working real hard to perfect yourself".
  • It IS about surrender ... Jesus is Lord of your life (in charge) and you (we) are not.

Let me leave you with some advice from a Holocaust survivor named Corrie Ten Boom:
"God does as He pleases and He does it right well."

(I hope that helps) ed

 

[Hidden In Him]

Hi everybody, I didn't know where else to talk about this, so I came here.

I grew up in an atheistic household, and was taught that God was not real. But recently, I came upon a man who was handing out free Bibles, and I spoke to him and he introduced me to the Bible. From there I have read John and Genesis. I feel like my worldview is changing completely, and I am beginning to accept the word of God into my mind.

There is something I am struggling with: I have come to understand that suffering has come to the world after Adam and Eve ate from the tree, which was the first sin. And one of the many sins in the world today is homosexuality, which I have read from Genesis 19. I know that I have had many homosexual 'urges' in my life, but have never actually engaged in anything.

I'm asking what I should do, since I would like to start accepting God into my heart, but I don't know what to do about my thoughts? What happens if I do end up acting on those 'urges'? If I could, I would snap my fingers and rid myself of these temptations. I also know that nothing good comes easy, and I am willing to do what I am required to do.

Thank you for reading.

The first part sounds a lot like me when I first got born again. Carried around a two ton Heirloom Bible everywhere I went, and it was the only thing I wanted to read. Barely made it through college it was so bad, LoL.

Since you have a love for God's word, my advice is simply to devote yourself to that. Your urges may or may not completely disappear, but if you fill your mind increasingly with the things of God, everything else increasingly begins to take a back seat. As for the rest, just put it in God's hands. He will take care of you.

Blessings in Christ,
- H

 

[Free]

Hi everybody, I didn't know where else to talk about this, so I came here.

I grew up in an atheistic household, and was taught that God was not real. But recently, I came upon a man who was handing out free Bibles, and I spoke to him and he introduced me to the Bible. From there I have read John and Genesis. I feel like my worldview is changing completely, and I am beginning to accept the word of God into my mind.

Welcome to the forums! That’s great!

There is something I am struggling with: I have come to understand that suffering has come to the world after Adam and Eve ate from the tree, which was the first sin. And one of the many sins in the world today is homosexuality, which I have read from Genesis 19. I know that I have had many homosexual 'urges' in my life, but have never actually engaged in anything.

I'm asking what I should do, since I would like to start accepting God into my heart, but I don't know what to do about my thoughts? What happens if I do end up acting on those 'urges'? If I could, I would snap my fingers and rid myself of these temptations. I also know that nothing good comes easy, and I am willing to do what I am required to do.

Thank you for reading.

I recommend starting by reading what these people have to say, as they all have the same struggle:

https://samallberry.com/

https://christopheryuan.com/

https://rosariabutterfield.com/

 

[Christ_empowered]

Hi

38. Saved for 10 years now. Untreated HIV for probably 20 years. I’m not an AIDS denialist or anything just another individual ripped to shreds on the broad road and not ever given needed medical treatment. I started taking tons of vitamins and antioxidants to see if Orthomolecular and/or Duesberg would help. And…

I dunno God shows some of us extreme mercy. I do like my supplements but I think my good health is more Jesus than anything or anyone else. Moving on…

Congratulations on not acting on your impulses. At best gay stuff is pointless. More often it’s destructive at many levels.

 

[miamited]

Hi everybody, I didn't know where else to talk about this, so I came here.

I grew up in an atheistic household, and was taught that God was not real. But recently, I came upon a man who was handing out free Bibles, and I spoke to him and he introduced me to the Bible. From there I have read John and Genesis. I feel like my worldview is changing completely, and I am beginning to accept the word of God into my mind.

There is something I am struggling with: I have come to understand that suffering has come to the world after Adam and Eve ate from the tree, which was the first sin. And one of the many sins in the world today is homosexuality, which I have read from Genesis 19. I know that I have had many homosexual 'urges' in my life, but have never actually engaged in anything.

I'm asking what I should do, since I would like to start accepting God into my heart, but I don't know what to do about my thoughts? What happens if I do end up acting on those 'urges'? If I could, I would snap my fingers and rid myself of these temptations. I also know that nothing good comes easy, and I am willing to do what I am required to do.

Thank you for reading.

Hi william22

Well, I'm fairly well versed on the Scriptures and happy to answer your questions.

Having temptations is not a sin. Falling to those temptations is the sin. While I would certainly encourage you to further explore the actual 'why' you seem to have such leanings, you don't seem to have committed any sin, as far as what you're saying in your post. Trust me, it's never so easy as to snap one's fingers and temptations are gone. Everyone suffers against temptation...even Jesus.

God bless,
Ted

 

[william22]

Thank you to everybody who has responded. I have read all of the responses and they now hold a good place in my mind. If I am getting it right, temptation is just a natural part of life, and we must all find a way through it. And God will help guide us through those challenges.

Either way, I will continue to keep reading the Bible.

God Bless You,
William

 

[miamited]

Hey praise God, brother. We're all here to help one another.

God bless,
Ted

 

[WIP]

Thank you to everybody who has responded. I have read all of the responses and they now hold a good place in my mind. If I am getting it right, temptation is just a natural part of life, and we must all find a way through it. And God will help guide us through those challenges.

Either way, I will continue to keep reading the Bible.

God Bless You,
William

Couple things that came to my mind. Sin can come even if not physically acting on temptation. For example, Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Matthew 5:27-28 NKJV

This is true for women lusting after men, men lusting after men, and women lusting after women, and so forth. I tell you this because we can so easily deceive ourselves into believing that we are doing right even when we are failing.

But know this for here is the gospel. We all struggle with sin. God knows our struggles with sin and He is always with us ready to help us through it if we seek Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. As the apostle John wrote, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." 1 John 1:8-10 NKJV

And this...
12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NKJV

When we sin "we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 1 John 2:1 NKJV

Lay your sins at Jesus' feet and allow Him, our Savior, to help you through it for He said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:16-17 NKJV