[BIBLE QUESTION] Hey, my name is _____, and I’m struggling with a spiritual problem to the point of despair. Ive become a Christian at the age of 15, in 2006, and I’ve experienced the Lord’s Holy Spirit in a deep way. I’ve been going to church all my life, and now I’m 22 years old. The problem is, that my past sinful life, that being lust and pornography has constantly tempted me and I constantly gave into it’s lie not taking it seriously as I should of. I constantly tolerated the sin, saying that the Lord will forgive me, thinking that eternal security as a believer existed, that I can do anything to please my flesh and also turn to the Lord and find forgiveness. Little did I know that what I believed to be true was actually a trap and a lie from Satan. Later on in life, that being now, it finally hit me that there really was a spiritual battle, and that I couldn’t live anyway I wanted to. But I feel like it’s to late for me. My heart has become so contaminated and dead. I … still want to be with Him, and Him to be in me. I don’t know if you guys know how spiritually dead I feel, for that is why I’m feeling despair in my heart. I feel spiritual death in my heart but I don’t want my heart to be like this. I still want Jesus, but I feel that He has turned away from me, and doesn’t want to hear from me, for I really knew how bad and wicked and perverse sin is. Yet I kept on doing it. This year I kept finding condemning Bible verses about my situation. Bible verses like- James 1:15- “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” The death I’m experiencing now is the one mentioned in this Bible verse. This verse doesn’t give any hope to the person in my situation whether he wants out of this or not. It just states what will take place if you do these things. If a …man doesn’t want to be what this verse describes, and if he became what this verse describes, than is there any hope of getting out of spiritual death? I pray every morning, throughout the day, and at night for the Lord to help me. I realize and am fully convicted of what Ive done, is it to late. I can’t stop thinking about the spiritual death problem. My family thinks I’ve become crazy. They are constantly annoyed at hearing me tell them the same problems. They don’t understand what my spiritual heart is experiencing. They say that everything is ok when it really isn’t. Another self condemning verse I found was Galations 6:7-8: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” How can a man experience the Holy Spirit when He has fallen like this? Another verse is Hebrews 10:26- “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left.” I am scared for my eternity, and I’m really serious about this. I don’t want to go in the lake of fire where I will burn forever and ever. And I don’t want my name to be blotted out of the book of life. I’m scared to say that I got what my sins deserve. I just want to be spiritually well again…. God Bless, and thank you!
[BIBLE ANSWER] You can get forgiven! You are a backslider and have committed adultery through lust, but that can be forgiven and will be forgiven when you repent. You are terrified about verses that either don’t apply to your situation or you have overlooked the possibility of repentance, which is understood but not stated. IF the prodigal son lost his salvation through sexual sin and wild living in general and became alive again when he turned from his sins to serve the Father, then such will also work for you (Lk. 15:24)!
You are being tormented by the devil, which is typical for those who want to come back to eternal life. You did NOT commit unforgivable sin. Therefore you can get forgiven, unlike those in Heb. 6:4-6 and Heb. 10:26,27. You must stick to the Bible to know the remedy and get the victory. Remember, King David lost his salvation through adultery and murder and afterwards got forgiven and saved again. Then he prayed to have the joy of his salvation restored. It didn’t come back automatically or instantly!
There is NO QUESTION that eternal security has brought many advocates deep into wickedness. It is wonderful to know you don’t believe that false gospel anymore. It is to your major spiritual advantage to know you can yet go to hell and must endure to the end for salvation’s sake (Mt. 10:22; Heb. 3:14; Rev. 2:10,11). This life is a test which will influence your eternal destiny. Do NOT take a chance with your SOUL – your most valuable possession. To be addicted to sin is a sure sign that you don’t have salvation at this time (Rom. 6:22). Jesus can set you free (John 8:34-36; Rom. 6:15-18). Remember Psa. 119:9-11.
[His RESPONSE] I would like to thank you guys, and your ministry for the encouragement you have given me in this hard time in my life. You helped me to realize that I should still pursue Jesus Christ, and that I shouldn’t give up at all. I realize that Satan is the one that gives me the impression that I’m already defeated and that I shouldn’t even try anymore, but despite the situation, I’m still going to follow the Lord, and not give up! I’m praying and hoping that He will touch my spiritual heart and heal it again. I’m trying really hard to stand my ground against this sin that many guys easily fall into. We are living at a time when sin and wickedness has reached it’s full potential. We are living the last days, and I hope for the Lord to strengthen all of his people before He returns to get us. I feel so relived, thank you again for your help and God Bless you guys, and your ministry! This has been a problem for me for some time. I’m not going to give up! Thank you immensely!
[Second BIBLE ANSWER] Now that you know there is hope and SURE VICTORY available through God, you need to do two things after you repent: (1) Flood your mind with wholesome thoughts–to wash out your mind. In other words, you need truth from the Bible. It will be healing medicine for you. Read at least three to five chapters of the Bible daily and change accordingly. Take captive your thoughts. Think about spiritual things. Meditate on the Scriptures. If the devil’s temptations get strong, praise God out loud. Praise is powerful and will shut off the devil’s voice quickly. (2) Cut off the sources of sinful temptation! The devil has been getting you somehow through people or the places you are going. If your friends are the source of temptation, get new friends. Such people are actually an enemy in disguise, even if they are your own natural family, co-workers or neighbors. Don’t let them take you to hell with them. Also, TV is a MAJOR lust generator. STOP watching TV and you’ll quickly see how much easier it is to resist lust. Also, listen ONLY to gospel music and NO OTHER KIND! We know a woman who backslid and it started because she was listening to country music. GUARD YOUR HEART. Finally, if the devil attacks you with ungodly thoughts at night, get a CD player with “repeat” ability to play the Bible being read ALL NIGHT LONG! That will help you too. FIGHT the devil’s temptations and learn the Bible. You must crucify your flesh and keep it dead. Remember Heb. 12:4 and Rev. 21:27. You are battling for eternity! This is not a practice drill. Your SOUL is your most valuable possession. There are no Christian adulterers (1 Cor. 6:9,10).
