“What should I tell this friend?”

[RedMomma]

Hi all. I have met a friend that has brought me a problem that I would like to ask about. Well you see about fifteen years ago more like 17 years ago since 1995 this friend heard about Jesus. He started reading the Bible back then. Though did not take the Bible really serious to study 2 years later in 1997.

This friend has attended Churches here and there. He is familiar with the Bible like others.

He says that although being able to handle some of his sins that he has not been able to handle them all.

That actually he says he has been a hypocrite. Among Christian believers that’s because for one thing he has been

addicted to porn. He’s has had several girlfriends and while unmarried sleeping with them and has engaged himself even with women that are married.

He now thinks that perhaps that even though to stop these sins that God may to accept him back. How does God accept the hypocrite he says? I mean it’s like this. For 17 years God has been standing right there saying look this is what it says in the Bible.

What you’re doing is sin against me. And you also know that these things can lead you into hell.

I know that God deals with forgetting people that have lied or stole. But how does God deal with the hypocrite Christian who suddenly wants to stop after all these years? Can God really accept and trust this person even after this person has been unfaithful all these years? It’s like saying this person has been saying no to Jesus after all these years and yet saying yes temptations all that time.

How can I tell my friend about how God can accept the person who has lived in sin among the Christian congregation?

Saying he was a Christian all these years but really was not because of not listening to God. He wants to know how I can explain to him why God would want him. Why would God want to save him after all these sins?

That’s because he is having strong feelings that God would not want to save such a person who has lived as a hypocrite and to stop sinning would not matter to God.

[Waiting2BwithHim]

As it sounds to me it sounds like an addiction to this sin.

So now my question would be does it matter if it were an addiction?

If someone is addicted to something that is not good in the eyes of God and wants to quit this addiction but keeps

failing at it...would it still matter even if God knew the persons heart?

Addictions that we know are not good in the eyes for example, gambling, drugs, porn,stealing etc etc..

Of course if a person truly didn't want to do this anymore and in their heart would like to stop but doesn't

would it make a difference?

Thanks for bring this question up BTC because now I am reminded of my question in this post.

I do hope and pray that your friend overcomes this obstacle and still happy that God will help those that stumble also.

But now I will wonder if he will still forgive those that let temptation win when the person is trying.

[joi]

1 Cor. 6:9-11

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were (Past tense) some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God".

Gal. 5:19-21

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,iIdolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God".

Ephesians 5:5

"For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God".

In 1 Cor. 6, above, Paul brings to light the fact that we WERE this way, but now we have the righteousness of Christ. When God looks towards us He see us through the finished work of Christ, not as we are, humanly speaking. After we are resurrected we shall be like Him, but until then we must confess our sins and ask Him to release us from them so that we can be pleasing to Him.

Remember this verse;

2 Cor. 12: 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

[rollinTHUNDER]

The operative word here will be repentance. Your friend needs to repent of the sins he has been committing and ask Jesus into his life 24/7.

Remember that repentance is turning your back on past sin. It is a 180 movement away from this sin.

Your friend, if saved, lives under the Grace of Jesus, and his sins will be forgiven him. Did he invite Jesus into his life in the first place, or has he just been seeking Jesus for all these years?

But as nChrist says, it is entirely up to him. Jesus knows his heart, and if he is truly repentant and asks forgiveness of these sins, and does not commit them again (or at the very least struggles to rid himself of them with a repentant heart until he does), Jesus has always been there and always will be.

Good post, Fez.

I was wondering if the friend was ever saved to begin with. Just because someone reads the Bible doesn't mean they are saved. It's one thing to stumble, but it appears that the friend never made the conversion at all.

Then again, preachers are leading sinners to the altar to receive Christ, but many of these are not telling those that are coming forward that they need to repent. A lot of them, these days are saying, "Just come as you are and Jesus will clean you up." But God is calling all to repent. Without repentance there is no change.