I think I finally get it..

[space.ace.jase]

Hello all,

These last few weeks I have been looking at why I can't seem to overcome my sins and I think I'm FINALLY starting to get some understanding on it.

BECAUSE I CANNOT DO IT WITHOUT GOD! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!!

I've been reading Ray's paper on PRAYING BY GOD'S RULES (http://bible-truths.com/praying.htm) and reading the How Do I Stop Sinning? (http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,11607.0.html) email's in the FAQ that Rene did up and some snippets that I really started to get were:

"You have to cry out to God to rescue from sin. You cannot and you will not do it on your own power."

"You must rid yourself of all the Christian superstition that is still in your consciousness. You can't save yourself, except as God gives you the desire and the power."

"You are right, I cannot help you overcome your carnal sins. That is something that we all have to do between ourselves and God. God is dealing with you and will continue to deal with you. I cannot change God's timing for what He has in store for your life.  Those of us who are maybe a little more mature, have all gone through what you are going through.  That's why the Bible calls us BEASTS. We often think and act and desire as do BEASTS.  You will not quit sinning until God deems it time or you to quit, but in the mean time, you will come to hate your sins, and still will not be able to overcome them. You will cry out to the only One Who can help you. We all must make our "walk through the valley of the shadow of death."  It is not a pleasant journey, but to come through it and have a clean and clear conscious for he first time in your life, is itself quite rewarding.

God be with you,
Ray"

In my mind I always thought I had to overcome my sin to be worthy, or I needed to stop giving into my sins. While this is somewhat true I was always feeling like a failure because I would try to resist temptation for a few hours/day/weeks but after a while I would be right back where I started. God has been showing me lately that BY MY OWN STRENGTH I CANNOT OVERCOME MY SINS. I NEED God to give me the wisdom/strength/power if I want to even stand a chance. At first I wouldn't even pray for the help to stop sinning because my own beastly nature though I was all mighty and powerful to do this by myself.

While I find myself struggling to even utter the words asking God for help because I want to do it myself, once I do ask for help (praying by asking to help me not give into temptation ONLY if it is his will) I am having a lot more success in overcoming these things. It also doesn't feel like such a burden because I'm not trying to lift this boulder on my weak human shoulders (DUH!).

Anyway I just wanted to share this with my fellow believer's and I hope it helps anyone who might be in the same spot that I was in. I know that I still have a LONG way to go on this journey and I know I still SIN in many ways but it's finally coming to the point where you KNOW you can't defeat sin alone and KNOWING you have to cry out to God to help you in everything you do which I am so thankful to FINALLY LEARN!!

"They were astonished beyond measure, and said to one another, "Who then *can* be saved?" Jesus looking on them said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for everything is possible with God." Mark 10:26-27

God Bless,
Jase

[Gina]

Hey space.ace.jase, that is comforting, I know.  It takes a miracle:

Rom 7: 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 

And you know the rest.

[Dave in Tenn]

An encouraging post, Jase.  Thanks.

[Rene]

:

It also doesn't feel like such a burden because I'm not trying to lift this boulder on my weak human shoulders (DUH!).

Hi Jase,

I feel your joy and it is a beautiful thing. 

You are beginning to experience these words from Jesus:

John 8:31-32 - If ye may remain in my word, truly my disciples ye are, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Thanks for sharing.

René

[the truth]

Jase,
It is most assuredly a blessing to began to come to the place in our hearts were we can identify with the son of perdition.Then to began to realize His Sovereignty and understand He does all things after the council of His own will NOT ours.

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.

Each step we take leads us more closer to "Oh death were is your sting"!

Great to hear Jase...Thanks for sharing...God Bless.Jerry

[Extol]

Thanks for the encouraging post, Jase!

The inability to stop sinning is one of the biggest proofs that we don't have free will. If we could just stop sinning when we want to, well, where is the sovereignty of God in that? As a fellow believer said "You think you have free will? Prove it: stop sinning." Ha!

[cjwood]

thank you jase.     joy inspiring with honesty and humbleness.  continue in the faith of Jesus Christ, when our faith is weak.  His Power will get us through it all.

claudia

[sunsetdramaking]

Thank you Jase.  I struggle constantly with Sin so I understand very well.  Computers are both a blessing and a curse in this regard for me sometimes.  I hope for the day that God completely overcomes my carnality, slays the beast in me and takes His place in the throne of my temple, replacing this terrible man of sin...I so want to overcome these temptations/sins and start living Godly in Christ Jesus.  Truly LIVING it.

Worse than that I'm beset (as of the last year or so) by an intense doubt in God entirely and so a real lack of faith has come my way, again not concerning specific doctrine, but concerning God's existence entirely and I feel like I'm being pulled in two completely opposite directions and that this might split me asunder in the end...

I appreciate any prayers....most of all about this pressing doubt that hangs over me like a cloud of atheistic doom.
I truly need some real solid faith, and I know it's not going to come by my own carnal will....

- Brett

[John from Kentucky]

Thank you Jase.  I struggle constantly with Sin so I understand very well.  Computers are both a blessing and a curse in this regard for me sometimes.  I hope for the day that God completely overcomes my carnality, slays the beast in me and takes His place in the throne of my temple, replacing this terrible man of sin...I so want to overcome these temptations/sins and start living Godly in Christ Jesus.  Truly LIVING it.

Worse than that I'm beset (as of the last year or so) by an intense doubt in God entirely and so a real lack of faith has come my way, again not concerning specific doctrine, but concerning God's existence entirely and I feel like I'm being pulled in two completely opposite directions and that this might split me asunder in the end...

I appreciate any prayers....most of all about this pressing doubt that hangs over me like a cloud of atheistic doom.
I truly need some real solid faith, and I know it's not going to come by my own carnal will....

- Brett

Hello Friend,

Where did all the Stuff come from?

Science proves there has been no past eternity of matter.

Wherever we look, the galaxies are moving away from each other.  In fact, the ones farther out are moving away with increasing speed.

If there were a past eternity of matter, then all the galaxies would be out of sight and away from one another.  Thus not enough time has elapsed for that to occur.  Therefore, the time of the physical universe is finite (about 14 billion years) and there was a beginning.

Two possibilities:

1)  The Stuff made itself, which is totally unsupported by our Science.  There is no scientific experiment or demonstration that something ever came from nothing, or

2)  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Cause and effect, which all our Science supports.

However, no amount of reasoning can show God's presence in our hearts, which is why I hope God will reveal Himself to you and give you Peace.

John

[space.ace.jase]

Thank you Jase.  I struggle constantly with Sin so I understand very well.  Computers are both a blessing and a curse in this regard for me sometimes.  I hope for the day that God completely overcomes my carnality, slays the beast in me and takes His place in the throne of my temple, replacing this terrible man of sin...I so want to overcome these temptations/sins and start living Godly in Christ Jesus.  Truly LIVING it.

Worse than that I'm beset (as of the last year or so) by an intense doubt in God entirely and so a real lack of faith has come my way, again not concerning specific doctrine, but concerning God's existence entirely and I feel like I'm being pulled in two completely opposite directions and that this might split me asunder in the end...

I appreciate any prayers....most of all about this pressing doubt that hangs over me like a cloud of atheistic doom.
I truly need some real solid faith, and I know it's not going to come by my own carnal will....

- Brett

Hi Brett,

John said it better than I could have but for me personally I have NEVER experienced as much peace from anything the world has offered than I have in the belief in God. I did go through periods when I doubted and questioned everything I believe but it always lead me back to these comforting TRUTHS (salvation of all, no free will, a purpose and reason as to why we suffer, etc.) from the bible and believing in God.

When I was searching the world for some kind of answer as to why we are here and what this whole living thing is all about (which no church could ever seem to give me that actually made ANY sense) this is where I ended up and keep coming back to.

Like John said we can't convince you or anyone else of these things you will need to experience it for yourself but don't give up - ALL is of God.

I will pray for you friend, thank you for sharing.

God Bless,
Jase

[sunsetdramaking]

Thank you for your support guys, I really would appreciate your prayers as I feel this would be the most helpful for me.  I'm very knowledgeable with science, so it's not a question of comparing the most "logical" explanation, as science can simply fall back on "we don't know...YET" and that's logical too. (in fact a humble answer in itself, not claiming certainty), but for me it's just a real personal spiritual battle.  I feel like I've been given access to some of the most amazing truths revealed in scripture, through the teachings of Ray about these things, and that I've truly "come out of her" (the thought of sitting in a church, listening to them spew heresy makes me sick to my stomach) but there isn't any conceit either as I know it's not of MY wisdom or intelligence at all. I came out of a pentescostal/apostolic holy roller church and I can't even compare the two ways of understanding the Bible...it's completely amazingly MORE now...

But I just don't know why I would be so blessed, and then on top of this (after a few years of this revelation) I start to doubt the entire system...it's as if my mind is saying "just because it rings of truth and is soooooo much better than the old way, it doesn't mean it isn't all made up.  This is just more sophisticated is all...." and it's terrible to even think (and type) that, but I'm just being honest.

Again, I appreciate your prayers...Perhaps I am just a doubting Thomas, without the ability to touch the wounded hands or sides of Christ, am I just waiting for a sign that may not come...?

- Brett

[Kat]

Hi Brett,

But I just don't know why I would be so blessed, and then on top of this (after a few years of this revelation) I start to doubt the entire system...it's as if my mind is saying "just because it rings of truth and is soooooo much better than the old way, it doesn't mean it isn't all made up.

Rom 8:7  because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can it be.

God's Spirit lead you to see these wonderful truths... but we are still in this weak carnal flesh and the beast will not just go away. As long as we are flesh-carnal we will have a struggle on our hands against the beast within, because we know that it is "enmity against God." So when you (through the Spirit) saw that the church was full of lies and left it, well then the beast began to focus on this new found belief. And what is the best way to attack this truth for someone who is "very knowledgeable with science"? Well by questioning the very source of knowledge Itself, the existence of God, as we know that can not be scientifically proved.

I think we all must wonder how we could be one of the most blessed people ever to have received this knowledge of the truth. Well it is clearly not by our own efforts or desire and we in no way deserve or can earn or qualify for this. No God has chosen His elect "before the foundation of the world," it is their destiny.

Eph 1:3-6  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ; according as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, in which He has made us accepted in the One having been loved.

And then Paul explains quite well how anybody comes to be among the chosen elect in 1 Corinthians 1. By his explanation I realize that nothing and I do mean nothing about my life makes ME worthy to be chosen and that is exactly why I could be. 

1Co 1:25  For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
v. 26  For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
v. 27  But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
v. 28  God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,
v. 29  so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
v. 30  And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[Gina]

Word.

[Rene]

But I just don't know why I would be so blessed, and then on top of this (after a few years of this revelation) I start to doubt the entire system...it's as if my mind is saying "just because it rings of truth and is soooooo much better than the old way, it doesn't mean it isn't all made up.  This is just more sophisticated is all...." and it's terrible to even think (and type) that, but I'm just being honest.

Again, I appreciate your prayers....

Don't worry, Brett.  You obviously have not lost your faith because you are asking for prayer.  When your faith is being attacked, it is just a part of the "spiritual" warfare we are in.

Ephesians 6:12 - For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Ephesians 6:16 - Above all, taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

René