Repentance

[eric]

1Tim.2:5.For there is one God and one Mediator of God and man, the Man Christ Jesus.

A catholic priest has no more authority to grant forgiveness than I have. And that's a fact.

e

[#1smile]

I must say I also struggle with a sin and have asked God to forgive me and to deliever me from it, but I am still struggling, it has become an addiction. I just want you all to pray for me that God will deliver me. Thanks. Also that you would all hold me accountable. thansk again

smiles

[Pax]

Eric, Jesus knew exactly what he was doing. He gave the apostles and-through apostolic succession-the Bishops and the bishops' helpers, the priest, the power to forgive sins: "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven, them, and whose sins you retain are retained (John 20:22-23. He didn't give them this power, his own power, for no reason at all. He wanted them to use it. Remember Preists are able to forgive or not forgive (retain) sins. How do they know which ones to forgive and which not to forgive? Only by being told the sins by the person confessing their sins. Then, after questioning if necessary, the Priest can evaluate the persons sorrow. The book of Leviticus talks of Priest doing sin offerings to help remove a persons sins (Old Testament). So here is a reference with the name "Priest" you are asking for in the Bible. Keep in mind Eric, the Priest are acting in the place of Christ (Persona Christi), just as God had instructed the apostles. The reason you can't hear confessions, or I can't, is because we are not an ordained Priest- apostolic succession.

[Christ's Free Servant]

I must say I also struggle with a sin and have asked God to forgive me and to deliever me from it, but I am still struggling, it has become an addiction.  I just want you all to pray for me that God will deliver me. Thanks. Also that you would all hold me accountable. thansk again

smiles

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Smiles,

I used to struggle with sinful addictions and through them God taught me how to overcome them. I think the biggest hurdle is understanding that the battle is already won. Jesus is the victor. He conquered Satan and sin!! One of Satan's biggest lies is to convince us that we must keep struggling because somehow there is doubt if we will make it or not. I know this sounds confusing, but let me try to give an analogy.

It's like how a person might respond to abuse. Some might cower in the corner with their arms in front of their faces hoping they won't get hit, while others will be more confrontational in their approach to their abuser. Or, let's look at it like armor. We have offensive weapons and we have defensive weapons, correct? Well, Satan likes to make us think that all we have are defensive weapons, and so we keep struggling not to get hit, but we keep getting hit. But, what God is trying to show is is that we have offensive weapons, too, like the sword of the Spirit with which to fight the flaming darts from the enemy.

I think of David and the Giant. What was David's approach to the Giant versus his brothers' and the Israelites approach? We tend to act like David's brothers and the Israelites when God has given us the power to act like David. David had full confidence that the result of the battle was already decided in his favor. If we would learn to attack those sinful habits of our lives with the same fervor as David approached Goliath, we would all be living in complete victory!

But, it is a habit, right? So, what we need to do is put the bad habit off and put a good habit on to replace it. Sometimes we just stop doing the bad thing but we don't replace it with anything else and so the bad habit just comes right back. Ephesians 4 is an excellent passage of scripture in teaching us how to replace our old habits with new ones. This is a process. It doesn't happen overnight. Habits are difficult to change, but change is possible if we begin putting off the old and putting on the new. I find that habits are automatic, so I have to pray to God to speak to me when I am beginning to do the wrong things, so that I can stop it in process and then turn and do the right things.

Input is also very important here. Some people struggle with lust, but then they watch TV shows or movies with lustful situations. Some people struggle with cussing, but then they watch movies with cussing (some cussing can not be avoided if you work with people who cuss). Some people struggle with addictions to shopping and then they walk through the malls with no plan or they do not budget or they do not live by a budget. There is nothing wrong with "fun money" as long as you budget for it and can afford it. Do you see the point here? We have to avoid those triggers that just make us continue in our addictions.

I have had some pretty severe addictive behavior patterns and God has delivered me, but I had to make the choices daily to put off the old and to put on the new and to change my inputs so that my outputs would conform to the image of Christ.

[Pax]

I must say I also struggle with a sin and have asked God to forgive me and to deliever me from it, but I am still struggling, it has become an addiction.

Edited June 8, 2005 by Pax

[EricH]

I must say I also struggle with a sin and have asked God to forgive me and to deliever me from it, but I am still struggling, it has become an addiction.

[Pax]

I must say I also struggle with a sin and have asked God to forgive me and to deliever me from it, but I am still struggling, it has become an addiction.

[Christ's Free Servant]

I must say I also struggle with a sin and have asked God to forgive me and to deliever me from it, but I am still struggling, it has become an addiction.

[Pax]

I too have struggled with habitual sin in past, but have over came this. But like an alcoholic, I realize that I can fall at anytime. Growing up as a Prostestant I really didn't have anything to battle this habitual sin with. I heard my preacher and mother say a million times, "don't worry you are saved, and if you believe that God died on the cross for your sins, than you have nothing to worry about. Just try your best to stay away from temptation and ask God for forgiveness. It wasn't until I came into the Catholic Church and started receiving the Sacraments on a regular basis that I could overcome much sin. I will go into Sacraments and what they mean at a later date. When I have talked of the fullness of the truth in the past, Sacraments are a big part of that equation. Catholics have the 7 Sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders, Eucharist, Annionting of the Sick, and Reconciliation). Most Prostestant denominations have two (Baptism, and Marriage). Reconicliation is the Sacrament of Confession, and Eucharist is taking the Body, Blood, Soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. Catholics can take the Eucharist (communion at mass) dailey and are encouraged to. Catholics can also receive the Sacrament of Reconcilation as needed. Both contain tremendous amounts of grace that really help one fight hard against the devil and his temptation. I often times have people tell me, "it's to hard being Catholic," but I always say no way, we have the Sacraments to help us get through life.

[Guest shiloh357]

I am a sinner who is trying to get myself to heaven and help as many others as I can along the way. 

You can't get yourself to heaven, Pax. That is a practice in fulitity. Salvation is a free gift, not earned. It is given to us freely because the penalty Christ paid on the cross. The ONLY way you are getting to heaven is by faith in Jesus. By that I mean, that you are not trusting in your charity, or good behavior to "get yourself" to heaven. You can never merit that.