Please help

[Paper mache]

Do you have that one sin that you just keep doing over and over, even though you know it's wrong but you can't seem to stop doing it?

I commit this same sin often. It keeps me from praying and reading my Bible, because I don't feel worthy enough. After I commit the sin, I don't want to pray because I don't want to face God, and I don't want to read my Bible because I feel like God won't want someone as sinful as me reading His Word. 

What should I do? I know I'll probably end up committing the sin again, so if I promise to God that I won't ever do it again, I'd just be lying... 

please give me advice if you have any... I feel distant from God because of the sin and how it keeps me from Him. But I don't know what to do about it. 

[OneLight]

Brittany, God sees everything you and I do.  Nothing is hidden from Him.  What may be hindering your praying and reading is guilt.  Approach Him and confess your sins and He is faithful to forgive you.  What you need to do is forgive yourself also.  As for repetitive sins, we all have one or two of these, we just don't talk about them.  All we can do is ask for His strength to not continue in sin.  Some days we will allow His strength to work in and through us, other days, we will not.  It is always a choice we make.

[Zach]

Brittany, one of the unfortunate results of the modern Christian doctrine that since Yeshua died for your sins past, present and future and all is forgiven is the perception it relieves us of any consequences. The way this doctrine is supposed to work is; you're so thankful for the forgiveness procured by Yeshua that you love him so much you don't sin. 

The truth is; it doesn't always work this way - because we are human.

The very first Jewish Christians viewed and practiced things long forgotten by modern Christianity, one of these is "Teshuvah" which is loosely translated as 'repentance' but it is really more how to deal with sin. 

First off, don't see your sin as a bad thing, think of it as a blessing from God; as a opportunity to express your Love to God by overcoming it. God could take this sin away from you, but that would rob you of the opportunity to express your Love to Him and rob you of getting stronger by overcoming an obstacle. You are blessed with an opportunity others without this particular sin don't have.

Second, make this sin cost you. Currently its costing you Bible reading, prayer, and peace with God, obviously that isn't enough or you wouldn't be habitually repeating it, so raise the price! When modern Christians sin they tell Jesus they are sorry or others go to a priest for confession and then recieve forgivness. But it has not always been this way. The first Jewish Christians practiced reconciliation. For example; if you did something to another, sure you confessed to God and asked for forgiveness, but you knew you would Not be forgiven unless you went to the person and made reconciliation. Trust me when I say this is a powerful deterrent to repeat offenses! 

If this is a personal sin, not affecting others, the principle is the same; raise the price, make it cost you something. You could make it a negative cost, such as fasting from something you really like, this is not without its merits, but personally I like a positive cost. In other words this sin committed once is going to cost you 2 big acts of preplanned kindness to others. Basically you turn the tables on this sin by forcing it to make you a better person. -priceless-

This being a forum, I don't doubt others will attack the above saying a person can't pay for their own sins. It's not about paying or forgiveness, its about actively dealing with sin; dealing with it smartly and decisively, its about being an "Overcomer" 

Genesis 4:7
“If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

 

Don't think I am discounting prayer, fasting, the Holy Spirit or the work of Christ. I'm saying you need to prayerfully and smartly put your faith into practice by actively engaging this sin. Very precious few have the strength to meet it head on in battle, that's why you have to be smart about it and be willing to do what it takes.

30+ years ago I couldn't quit smoking weed. Finally I requested some time off work. I walked into the mountains by myself and God for a week.......that's a whole other story........been weed free ever since. Thank you God! 

The point is: you HAVE TO DO YOUR PART, you just have to figure out what that part is, figure out what works for you, and never give up!

And Remember: the best relationships are formed when two work together to overcome a common obstacle. In this case; God and you.

 

Edited January 21, 2017 by Zach

[soonsister]

Those who are in Christ are no longer sinners. Those who have Christ do not make a habit of sinning. We are saints according to the teachings. And there is nothing that you can do that God doesn't already know about. He knew you before the womb. He knew you before he created Earth.
What you don't want to face in prayer before God is your own responsibility for your guilt doing what it is you say you keep doing. And thus feel guilty over.

Whatever it is, God forgave all your sins if you repented of them and accepted Jesus as your savior from sin. And God told you in his word that he would remember your sins no more. Forgive yourself. Get a handle on what it is you're doing and what occurs that makes you go into that behavior again. You're trying to fight this on your own and you'll fail every time. You have the Holy Spirit of God inside you and that is God's spirit that you need connect to to overcome this world and all the temptations.

You're not a sinner anymore. So stop thinking you're already dead in your sins and at a loss before God. You're not. You're redeemed.

God knows what you're doing. He knows how you feel about it and what you're going through because you're not trusting him to be there to fight for you and as you. Together you can overcome what makes you feel less than as a child of the most high.
Go to him in prayer. It isn't like he doesn't see you battling with this in your mind and heart. Have a talk as if you're telling someone everything they already know about yourself. Because after all it's God. He really already does know. :)

Blessings,

[HisFirst]

Brittany,

It's hard these repetitive sins (especially if it makes you feel good) but pray, repent and and remember God gives you a way out with all temptations. You aren't alone. Call out to him when you are at your weakest point. Try not to set yourself up for that particular sin - you know the triggers - try hard to avoid them.

[Leonardo Von]

20 hours ago, Brittany said:

Do you have that one sin that you just keep doing over and over, even though you know it's wrong but you can't seem to stop doing it?

I commit this same sin often. It keeps me from praying and reading my Bible, because I don't feel worthy enough. After I commit the sin, I don't want to pray because I don't want to face God, and I don't want to read my Bible because I feel like God won't want someone as sinful as me reading His Word. 

What should I do? I know I'll probably end up committing the sin again, so if I promise to God that I won't ever do it again, I'd just be lying... 

please give me advice if you have any... I feel distant from God because of the sin and how it keeps me from Him. But I don't know what to do about it. 

Dear sister Brittany,

 

Grace and mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The greatest mistake any human being can make is to fail to seek Jesus. Although sin is a curse that hardens our hearts for everything that has to do with Jesus and His kingdom (Zechariah 7.11,12; Hebrews 12.16,17), we should never stop praying and meditating on the Holy Scripture. So if you sin, stand up and continue to walk. If you fall into sin again, get up again and continue to walk with Christ. No matter how many times you fall, never stay prostrate. Get up and continue to walk until Jesus calls you to His presence.

I am not encouraging you to sin, but to do what is conducive to the conduct of every righteous:

 

·         “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief” (Proverbs 24.16).

 

See this consolation and warning:

 

·         “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. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” (1John 1:8-10; 2.1).

 

 

To be more exact: if we sin, we have to face reality (rather than wanting to run away from guilty, as did Adam). Only in this way will Jesus be able to advocate our cause and thus be permanently free from sin.

 

·         “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:32,36).

 

May Jesus help us to receive all that concerns Life and piety (Ephesians 1:3; 2 Peter 1:3).

[Neighbor]

Paul an apostle of  Christ wrote to Timothy his select missionary these two statements as part of his encouragement and instruction to the young man.

 

 "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

 To Timothy my true son in the faith:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord."...

 

..."Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.  But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.  Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."

 

These passages of scripture  whose human author was inspired of God to write by the command of God for Timothy's benefit, and for ours too is  part of the letter known as 1Timothy please consider it in context of the fuller letter.

Please be assured in noting that Paul the Apostle identifies himself as the worst of sinners.

 

The reveal to us of Jesus, the Bible, is filled with the accounts of real individuals that committed great sin against God, and  yet God in his mercy, grace and patience, turned them about even making them part of the Bible, and heroes of faith.

It is Satan the accuser, that wanders earth convincing each of us if he may, that we are hopeless individuals that cannot meet the standard of God which is perfection. From the oldest written  account the Book of Job, all through  the story of King David to the failing of Peter, and the declaration of Paul, we have been and are sinners. We are all unworthy of the standard of God which is perfection. It is only by the willing sacrifice made by Jesus at the Cross that the  price of my own sin has been atoned for, the cost of my own sin fully paid in the shed blood of Jesus. So while we are all sinners there is hope that is absolute, certain in the shed blood of Jesus,  that we are fully redeemed from our tragic unacceptability, and to full worthiness in the sight of God.

That same blood of Jesus is fully sufficient to cover the sin of all individuals that will accept Jesus as Lord, by acknowledging Him as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. In His blood the elect of God are washed white as snow, sins fully covered that which may be found acceptable in His "eyes".

Confess sin before God, yes! But do not ever let the accuser Satan, in his roaming and rantings, then steal the peace and security of Jesus from any saint in Christ. 

Edited January 22, 2017 by Neighbor

[JohnD]

On 1/21/2017 at 10:09 AM, Brittany said:

Do you have that one sin that you just keep doing over and over, even though you know it's wrong but you can't seem to stop doing it?

I commit this same sin often. It keeps me from praying and reading my Bible, because I don't feel worthy enough. After I commit the sin, I don't want to pray because I don't want to face God, and I don't want to read my Bible because I feel like God won't want someone as sinful as me reading His Word. 

What should I do? I know I'll probably end up committing the sin again, so if I promise to God that I won't ever do it again, I'd just be lying... 

please give me advice if you have any... I feel distant from God because of the sin and how it keeps me from Him. But I don't know what to do about it. 

Welcome, dear sister, to the complication that is humanity.

The very struggle you face is why God began his plan of salvation with the Law of Moses (the Law of condemnation which defines what is good and evil and establishes the futility of humanity saving itself or of being able to live up to God's standards). 

You cannot!

I cannot!!!

No one (save Jesus) ever could. And he was and is not only God incarnate but in his humanity he is the last Adam (prototype) not of the line of the first (fallen) Adam. Jesus came not to put an end to that Law but to fulfill it.

New Covenant / New Testament grace is not about Old Testament / Old Covenant Law keeping except that we keep it perfectly through faith in Christ Jesus (whose righteousness is imputed to our account). Period!

This is not to give us a blank check to sin. It is not God winking at sin. It is not lawlessness. It is the focus on the mission of evangelism through fallible human believers despite our fallen sin natures... God is not interested in improving the world or even us for that matter... he wants people saved who are passing through this life destined for a Christless hell. 

Now to answer you directly...

 

 

[JohnD]

Background:

Read this passage carefully repeatedly until each and every word sinks in.

1 John 1:5–2:17 (AV)
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.
13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

 

[missmuffet]

On 1/21/2017 at 8:09 AM, Brittany said:

Do you have that one sin that you just keep doing over and over, even though you know it's wrong but you can't seem to stop doing it?

I commit this same sin often. It keeps me from praying and reading my Bible, because I don't feel worthy enough. After I commit the sin, I don't want to pray because I don't want to face God, and I don't want to read my Bible because I feel like God won't want someone as sinful as me reading His Word. 

What should I do? I know I'll probably end up committing the sin again, so if I promise to God that I won't ever do it again, I'd just be lying... 

please give me advice if you have any... I feel distant from God because of the sin and how it keeps me from Him. But I don't know what to do about it. 

We are all sinners. Nothing you do should keep you from reading your Bible or worshiping God. That is something Satan wants you to do. We ask God for forgiveness and then we move on. Ask God to help you with this sin. Tell him exactly what is on your heart. You do not want Satan to get in your way of worshiping and praising God.