I am a 19 year old male, living in ............... I have a problem that seems to me I will never get over. I have Had this problem since I was 13 and have been really fighting it for a couple years now, ever since Ive been saved. Holding off for a week and then doing it again, as hard as I try and not want to do it I just cant stop doing it. Ive prayed about it to God, and keep praying about it but it seems like my problem just takes control of me sometimes, I have been able to hold off for 2 weeks now, (the longest ever since the age of 13) but today I gave in to my flesh... my conscience does not even bother me anymore about this lust of the flesh anymore and that worrys me. My problem is masturbation and pornography, I want to stop doing these things because I know they are a lust of the flesh and I know doing them is a sin, and as a struggling Christian ;h ave a desire to serve God and let him take control of my life. I used to smoke pot and cigarettes, I also used to drink alot but have been able to stop those things without much struggle. But not masturbation and pornography. Your website has helped opened my eyes to many Biblical truths and I thank you and God for Bibletruths.com. Please I need ur help and ask u to tell me anything u can to help me get rid of this lust... May God Bless You and give u more wisdom and strength to uphold ur ministry. I pray for ur web site and you daily please pray for me also.
A Brother in Christ Jesus
To embarrassed to say my name...
Dear Embarrassed:
You are not alone out there with this particular pull of the flesh for sexual gratification. It is common among all men (and women to a somewhat lesser extent). It is GOOD that we should feel embarrassed over our sins. My past sins are an embarrassment to me when I from time to time think about them. If they were NOT an embarrassment to me, I might still be committing these same stupid and lustful acts. Embarrassment and guilt are good for us. These feelings first make us realize that these things are lustful, and wrong, and stupid. But we will not have victory over them unless and until God reveals to us their real purpose and need to get rid of them.
Where did the mechanism by which Eve: "saw that the tree was GOOD FOR FOOD, and that it was PLEASANT TO THE EYES, and a tree to be desired to MAKE ONE WISE..." come from in the first place? Did SHE create these desires in her heart and mind and soul? Get real--SHE HAD NOT A CLUE! God created humanity in the spiritually weakened state in which we find ourselves, but there is a great and grand reason and purpose for it.
There is a "SPIRITUAL GREATNESS" that is achieved by the conquering of illegal pulls [spiritually 'illegal'] of the flesh and the stupid sensual lust for self-gratification. These things are not good, in and by themselves, as modern psychologists might try to convince us, but they do serve a good purpose when they embarrass us and make us feel guilty. Embarrassment and guilt are the precursors to REPENTANCE.
We must come to the place in our lives where we not only desire to obey the laws of the land, the powers ordained by God to somewhat limit the evils of society, but to also obey the Laws of GOD. We want and desire to do what God says, not because we have figured out all the logical logistics of His commandments, but because we desire to OBEY HIM REGARDLESS of how well we understand all the reasons why God tells us to do and not do certain things.
Christians will argue; "Well I don't see the harm in teaching my little ones about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny." Of course they don't. To their carnal minds the commandment of God to "Learn NOT THE WAY OF THE HEATHEN" has little or no effect on their attempt to worship God as they please.
When you see the "SIN in sin" and start to hate sin as God hates sin, then and only then will you make progress in eliminating these things in your life. Of course, you know, when I say such things it means that God is bringing this about in your thinking and God is enabling you to have to the power to actually conquer these pulls of the flesh. All we who have had a measure of success in victory over sin to the point that sin "no longer has DOMINION over us" (Rom. 6:8-19), desired to be free from sin LONG BEFORE IT EVER ACTUALLY CAME ABOUT! I believe that most of my readers will say "A-men" to that!
Be patient and do not stop crying out to God for deliverance, for in time God will grant you the fruit of righteousness.
God be with you,
Ray
