Rachel72 Posted January 6, 2008 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 30 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 120 Content Per Day: 0.02 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 05/22/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted January 6, 2008 I just got done listening to Charles Stanley on HisChannel.com. He spoke about repentance. And turning away from the sin. He explained our sorrow is not repentance. Repentance is letting go of it and giving it to God. If this sin is still in our lives, and we have not repented, then we are not saved. This scares me. I have a food addiction, and gambling addiction. I fight them every day, and I still fail to stay away from the casino, with my husband. I have been ignorant when it comes to repentance, and his message has really scared me. If we sin, which we do cuz we are human, then are we saved? Or is the action of overeating every day and every day going to take me to hell? Or is the action of going to the casino every weekend going to take me to hell. I thought God forgave me, I thought I was forgiven. Charles Stanley said that is not enough. Repentance needs to take place and turning it over to God. I am so confused. I think when I ask forgiveness, I repent for my sins. When do you know what sin is going to bring you to hell, even if you are saved? I just don't get it. This scares me and I really need someone to help answer my question. Am I going to hell? Am I even a Christian? Thanks for your help, Rachel72 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneLight Posted January 6, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 22 Topic Count: 1,294 Topics Per Day: 0.21 Content Count: 31,762 Content Per Day: 5.22 Reputation: 9,763 Days Won: 115 Joined: 09/14/2007 Status: Offline Share Posted January 6, 2008 I just got done listening to Charles Stanley on HisChannel.com. He spoke about repentance. And turning away from the sin. He explained our sorrow is not repentance. Repentance is letting go of it and giving it to God. If this sin is still in our lives, and we have not repented, then we are not saved. This scares me. I have a food addiction, and gambling addiction. I fight them every day, and I still fail to stay away from the casino, with my husband. I have been ignorant when it comes to repentance, and his message has really scared me. If we sin, which we do cuz we are human, then are we saved? Or is the action of overeating every day and every day going to take me to hell? Or is the action of going to the casino every weekend going to take me to hell. I thought God forgave me, I thought I was forgiven. Charles Stanley said that is not enough. Repentance needs to take place and turning it over to God. I am so confused. I think when I ask forgiveness, I repent for my sins. When do you know what sin is going to bring you to hell, even if you are saved? I just don't get it. This scares me and I really need someone to help answer my question. Am I going to hell? Am I even a Christian? Thanks for your help, Rachel72 I listened to the same thing and I think you have taken what he said a little wrong. Satan likes to confuse us. I heard him say that if we just confess our sin and not repent, then we have only acknowledged our sin and are doing nothing about it, like saying you are cold but not take it upon yourself put on another sweater, you are still cold. Repentance is turning away from our sins, yet, as you sad, we are human and will sin again. That is the two sided coin that he spoke of, confession and repentance. You can not have a coin that is just heads, it also has a tail side. I'll use my past as an example. I was a drug user. I was convicted of my lifestyle, so I asked for forgiveness. Jesus was faithful to forgive me, but did my love for Him cause me to turn my life around and follow His example? Not at first. I kept shooting up and then cry for forgiveness. It wasn't until I decided to leave that lifestyle that the Holy Spirit was able to help me by changing my heart and giving me the strength to stay away. Before I turned away, He could not do anything to help me or my state of sin I was living in. Confession is acknowledging sin. Repentance is turning away from sin. They go together. OneLight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grace222 Posted January 6, 2008 Group: Junior Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 29 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 99 Content Per Day: 0.02 Reputation: 12 Days Won: 0 Joined: 09/17/2007 Status: Offline Share Posted January 6, 2008 I have struggled in this area too - Onelight - thank you for providing this Godly answer, Rachel, my husband used to have a gambling problem so I understand your struggle know that I am praying for you. I also struggle with food addictions at times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glass Posted January 6, 2008 Group: Members Followers: 1 Topic Count: 0 Topics Per Day: 0 Content Count: 2 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/30/2004 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/06/1970 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Hi Rachel, First, regarding knowing if you are a christian.. the enemy likes to attack our identity in Christ... However Our Lord's Word tells us His promises in a few different areas.. His Word is the Truth, He reigns over all! I pray you cling to His Word and promises and fully know who you are Him, and He uses you for His Glory, in Jesus Name. Amen. Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. 1 John 4:2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. Regarding your struggle with sin.. Romans is an excellent book to read and re-read to help.. again, it is in His Word, the Sword of the Spirit, our Lord guides and directs us.. here are also some other verses and guidance in His Word 1 John 1 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. James 5 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. 17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. God bless you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnExample Posted January 6, 2008 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 5 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 184 Content Per Day: 0.03 Reputation: 1 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/06/2007 Status: Offline Share Posted January 6, 2008 I just got done listening to Charles Stanley on HisChannel.com. He spoke about repentance. And turning away from the sin. He explained our sorrow is not repentance. Repentance is letting go of it and giving it to God. If this sin is still in our lives, and we have not repented, then we are not saved. This scares me. I have a food addiction, and gambling addiction. I fight them every day, and I still fail to stay away from the casino, with my husband. I have been ignorant when it comes to repentance, and his message has really scared me. If we sin, which we do cuz we are human, then are we saved? Or is the action of overeating every day and every day going to take me to hell? Or is the action of going to the casino every weekend going to take me to hell. I thought God forgave me, I thought I was forgiven. Charles Stanley said that is not enough. Repentance needs to take place and turning it over to God. I am so confused. I think when I ask forgiveness, I repent for my sins. When do you know what sin is going to bring you to hell, even if you are saved? I just don't get it. This scares me and I really need someone to help answer my question. Am I going to hell? Am I even a Christian? Thanks for your help, Rachel72 Salvation is realizing that you are a sinner in need of the Savior, so you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord, that He rose from the dead and you will be saved. Romans 10:9,10 Jesus Himself tells us that the sick need saving, not the well. Repentance is to turn away from sin; however, it doesn't happen overnight. As you read and study your bible, a sanctification process begins to happen. The Holy Spirit convicts you of wrong doings and you start to change. You must want to change. You no longer do the things you use to. God does not want us to stay in sin, so we must pray and ask God through His Son to break the bondage. Gluttony and gambling can be addictions; however, salvation is based on belief in Jesus' atoning blood. Just because Jesus' blood covers a multitude of sin, must we keep sinning. I think not. When we sin, we break fellowship with God. He is always ready to forgive us and cleanse us from unrighteousness. As it pertains to gambling and gluttony...God wants us to be good stewards of our finances and bodies. You'd be surprised at the amount of money you'd be able to use to help build God's kingdom. Pray for and receive deliverance. God loves you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel72 Posted January 7, 2008 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 30 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 120 Content Per Day: 0.02 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 05/22/2005 Status: Offline Author Share Posted January 7, 2008 Thank you to each one of you for helping me today. Right now, I am in such a state of depression, I cannot seem to pray. I could not even answer the questions my husband asked me when I was watching tv. I just ignored him. It hurt too much to even answer a simple question. On Dec 29th, our neighbors who have 5 children, I don't know them, but I met the father Friday nite, his wife died of a heart attack at 37. The father was in such a state of grief, he tried to take his own life. I came home Friday nite, and saw a lite on, and I stopped, to give my symathy and let him know that I wanted to help him and his kids, if he needed. They were all in the cities, while he was in the hospital from Dec 30 till Jan 4, he had gotten out just 2 hours before I saw him, he was on his way with his brother to see his kids who were staying at his parents. I feel like a hypocrite. I thought maybe God was using me, as I have asked Him to use me. How can He? I am such a screw up. I screwed up, I really hurt my parents when we went gambling. My heart is in such torment over this. I am so depressed. I am not on the pity pot. I am ashamed and full of condemnation. You all made sense to me, and I only pray that if/when I come out of this hole, I can come back and read what you have wrote, and understand it. Thank you everyone... Rachel72 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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