Habitual Sin Struggle

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inotof Apr 20, 2005

I just ran through the "Sins of Comission and omission" post and this thought came to mind. WE all sin at one point in time after our conversion--at least I will admit i do--- what do you say to a person that has what can only be called an habitual sin? Someone who genuinely struggles with the SAME sin time after time? For instance the person (not trying to step on toes) that gossips and tries to quit, but always--or at least most of the time, ends up doing it anyway? Why is that? What do you call it? i call it a stronghold--just want to get the SI's take on it.

sermonindex Apr 20, 2005

I know what you are saying.The truth of the matter is that some things can be licked by our own strength, while others we need the strength of the LORD to overcome.By our own strength, I mean "we can do all things thru christ Jesus our LORD".What keeps me from "saying the wrong things" is not being in the company of those who like to do just that.Sometimes you have to be bold and just get up and leave the room, even at the cost of being put down as weird or being alone.Gossipping usually starts by a suggestion. Sexual sins of the flesh is developed thru suggestion. We increase the time of looking. Men and Women see the opposite and same sex everyday. Some think in their minds when they see something beautiful, "she's pretty", "he's cute" and they keep right on going not giving a thought about it. But then there are people that will see someone and then they stop and turn around and look, and then follow and then becomes an obsession. That suggestion will effect thier sleep when they go to bed that night. Gossipping is no different, someone opens the door of speaking a harmless word about someone, and then it builds from there until it becomes nasty. And if your sensitve to that, you get angry at yourself later. The same with the person who now has a sexual problem with the fantasy image of the person they saw the other day. It all started with a suggestion.Satan suggested to Christ, "turn these stones to bread", but Christ came back with "it is written".Sometimes it's the surroundings. I remember gambling, I gambled until almost my whole pay was flushed down the slot. I began to weep and cried out to God to deliver me and the next day, I had no desire to enter into that establishment. I won't even go near a machine again, I am free, but I do not want to tempt God with that freedom.I remember doing something years ago, which I think stopped people from talking to me about anything about anyone. I would go to the person that was spoken against and say that so and so said this about you. Well that person would go to that person who told it and then I would hear a knock on my door and we would sit down and discuss what was said. This brought embaressment and also stopped the mouths of lions. If it a sin of the flesh, then the only help that can be had is thru Christ, it's beyond us to overcome in that area on our own.Yes we can sin some days, other times, we may not sin any day. Has anyone ever experinced that? I have.Karl

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npautsky Apr 21, 2005

Hello,what do you say to a person that has what can only be called an habitual sin? Someone who genuinely struggles with the SAME sin time after time? For instance the person (not trying to step on toes) that gossips and tries to quit, but always--or at least most of the time, ends up doing it anyway? Why is that?I would tell them that they can have victory. They first need to figure out a way to get God to help them with the sin problem. Jesus prescribes perseverance in prayer, bible reading, and going to church. If these things aren't in place then the person would need to start there, spending real time in prayer before the Lord, morning and evening, allowing him to deal with the issues of the heart. This can't be done in short, zippy, prayer times. If a person doesn't have a strong devotional life established, the place to start would be to start praying for God to help to get one going. If a person is willing to focus on and pray about the sin problem daily, much like the children of Israel made Jericho a focal point for a season, then the sin problem will be overcome by faith, just like the walls of Jericho fell by faith. A commitment to spend quality time in the word is also necessary for real victory. If a person is spending at least a few hours a day earnestly praying and reading the bible, then in time, sin and the devil are going to have to loose their hold. Getting a strong devotional life established can be a chore in itself, but this is the way God intends for us to live, daily crying out to him and receiving his strength and wisdom to fight the battles at hand. It can be hard, will demand perseverance, and does cost a person something, but the plus side of it is that it works every time. To answer your second question, I would say that the reason people habitually sin is that they aren't spending enough time with the Holy One of Israel. Ask, seek, knock, and He will help.

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Delboy Apr 21, 2005

Hi all, I dont see much in scripture on this subject Paul does'nt seem to address it in detail or Jesus either.From my own experience,when i was a child in the faith,sin was a stuggle,I think its down to revelation and understanding who we are in Christ.I can honestly say that i never heard consistant preaching along the lines of "being free from sin"when i was younger.I'm not advocating sinless perfection,Temptation is a hazard of the job!Now, the difference is, we can look at temtation firmly and Choose righteousness.I once heard at the end of a meeting when,there was a time for folk to respond to the preach, in open prayer, a woman began to petition God earnestly,to be more like Christ... above the voices the elderly man of god who had spoken said, Do it then dear, do it, be like him,its possible now.I think we can often look at our lack of this or that and get pick pocketed by ourselves and the devil.I guess my advice,to anyone is to point them to the new birth and its outworkings and experience,so many settle for less than what God has obtained for us.Our experience was never intended as sub standard or insufficient by God"Be holy as I am holy,"as a straight command will always lead us into an old covenant experience,first we have to know the "BE" in God.Its easy to tell folk the benefits and completly miss the benefactor :-)

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philologos Apr 21, 2005

Someone who genuinely struggles with the SAME sin time after time?We never have victory over sin until we hate it,and we never hate it until we see it as Jesus sees it.There is a promise that is good for every sin, every age group, every culture, every heredity...For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Rom 10:12-13 KJV)We are often tempted to think no-one ever experienced what I am experiencing. In fact, there is no difference...

sermonindex Apr 21, 2005

Now sin is what comes out of our own heart. Jesus said "it isn't actually the thoughts that come into your head from outside that are sin, it isn't even the feelings that come in from outside that are sin, it isn't even the food that comes in through your mouth, but it's what comes from inside. In Matthew 15:17, "Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth, passes into the stomach and so passes on, but what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart and this defiles the man, for out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands, does not defile a man. For you see in verse 18, what comes out of the mouth, proceeds from the heart and this defiles a man. It's not what you eat or even what you drink or even the thoughts that other people pass on to you that defiles you. It's what comes out of your heart and mind. That's what dirties us and what defiles us. So the real problem of sin is in the heart. Now you can try all you want to cover it up, make excuses, or attempt to lower God's standard. None of these things solve the problem of sin in the heart.The Bible is clear, it not only demands victory over sin but also truly expects a person to walk in it.Rom 6:12-14, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace."1 John 3:5, "And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. Whosoever abides in Him sins not: whosoever sins has not seen Him, neither known Him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that does righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever does not righteousness is not of God, neither he that does not love his brother."Your outward life is an indication of what is in your heart because your outward life comes from your heart. God has already made full provision for your unclean heart. That's what Calvary is about. That dear old heart of yours, that gives you such trouble with unclean thoughts. Look at your heart, does it have anger, pride, jealousy and resentment? Well that heart was put into Jesus and was destroyed. As He rose from the dead, you rose with Him and there's a clean heart that Jesus can impart to you through the fullness of the Holy Spirit. That's the step that you need if your heart is not yet clean. It happened on Calvary and now are you willing to reckon yourself dead indeed on to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus? Now take God at His word and believe. That unclean heart of yours was crucified with Christ. The old heart was crucified with Christ and He has already given you His clean and pure heart. In other words, faith like that, springs up in your heart the moment you've given everything to Jesus. Then the Holy Spirit comes in and cleanses your heart by your faith and keeps it cleansed as you continue to have faith that you were crucified with Christ and as you continue to submit to the Holy Spirit. With a clean heart instead of trying to excuse any sin or trying to justify the things that you know are sin, s instead of justifying them, you find they don't even exist or rise up in your heart. That's what a clean heart means.