[Luke]

I have a constant nagging in my own mind. I oft fear that I am not saved. Now, I have mentioned this before on this forum and another, but my thoughts are becoming clearer now. I'm not sure if I have or do trust in Jesus Christ as my Saviour. I thought I did, I don't remember now.

I've sinned greatly against God and hate my sin, yet often find myself committing it again and again willfully.

I'm pretty much at the end of my tether. I used to fight it. I am wanting God to forgive me and turn my heart away from it and totally to Him.

My problem is with forgiveness... can God forgive me?

[Just_A_Thought]

Originally Posted by Luke

I have a constant nagging in my own mind. I oft fear that I am not saved. Now, I have mentioned this before on this forum and another, but my thoughts are becoming clearer now. I'm not sure if I have or do trust in Jesus Christ as my Saviour. I thought I did, I don't remember now.

I've sinned greatly against God and hate my sin, yet often find myself committing it again and again willfully.

I'm pretty much at the end of my tether. I used to fight it. I am wanting God to forgive me and turn my heart away from it and totally to Him.

My problem is with forgiveness... can God forgive me?

Here are a few questions to clear this up for you...

Do you believe Jesus Christ is God?

Do you believe He died on the cross and shed His blood for you?

Do you believe He rose three days later?

Do you accept His free gift of salvation?

If you said yes to all three then all you must do is ask Him into your heart. It is not a difficult thing and seems to easy to be true BUT IT IS! Thank God He made salvation all on Him and nothing on our part. All we must do it believe. If you can't remember doing this before then by all means DO IT NOW. If you have and know you understood it back then, then don't let Satan keep telling you that you are unsaved because you sin willingly. WE ALL SIN WILLINGLY! We are ALL sinners. Never forget that. I am not trying to down play sin but we do all do it.

Again, we are all sinners. Jesus died for all. You hate your sin and love it at the same time. Sin is fun for a season. This is why we all do it. Grant it, IT IS WRONG. I do not want to sound like I approve of sinning, I don't. Pray and seek God. Fight it. Never think you are lost do to it though unless you don't ever remember being saved in the past. Satan uses this ploy to depress Christians and make them feel like failures. If he is successful he will make you drop out of the race for Christ and make you useless. Don't give in to Satan.

This will never happen while you are still in the flesh. You will always sin until the day you die or are ratured up. Remember...it is all Satan's ploy. Fight sin but remember Jesus love you and move on. Satan just wants to trip you down and watch you lay there. GET BACK UP AND KICK HIM IN THE BUTT!

[Kiwi Christian]

Originally Posted by Luke

I've sinned greatly against God and hate my sin, yet often find myself committing it again and again willfully.

I think this is the cause of all your doubt, my brother. I know first hand, and I'm sure others can testify, that when you are willfulling sinning against God it seems as though you are a million miles away from Him. Your thought life also becomes far less spiritual and your affections are set more down here than up there where they should be. Then you begin to doubt. Apart from a few months after I initially got saved, I can't say I've ever doubted my salvation, but I am not you, and everyone is different.

The fact of the matter is, if you truly got saved at one time in the past then you are still saved at this moment in time and forever more. At the time when you got saved God forgave you of ALL your sins. The sin you willfully commit against God, and continue in, will bring you trouble, sorrow, doubt, confusion, chastisement, and separation from FELLOWSHIP with the Lord, but it won't damn you to hell, you may think it will but that's just your wicked heart (Jeremiah 17:9) and carnal mind (Romans 8:7) casting doubt on God's word, and you love God's word, right!

I say this as a brother in Christ, and pray you come to yourself and stop this willful sinning against the God who loved you and washed you from your sins in his own blood. You can do all things through Christ, and you can choose to say no!

God be with you.

[Luke]

I don't ever remember a time I accepted Christ as my Saviour. A time when I did business with God, so to speak. I remember reading a chick tract many years ago, and feeling guilty and condemned, but I also remember not changing after that at all... My memory is kind of all mushed together, but if the order is right in my head, then after I read that tract, I remember being all weepy. I am not sure what I did about it though. I think I thought I was already saved because I went to church and was raised to believe the truth.

May God have mercy on my soul.

[Just_A_Thought]

Originally Posted by Luke

I don't ever remember a time I accepted Christ as my Saviour. A time when I did business with God, so to speak. I remember reading a chick tract many years ago, and feeling guilty and condemned, but I also remember not changing after that at all... My memory is kind of all mushed together, but if the order is right in my head, then after I read that tract, I remember being all weepy. I am not sure what I did about it though. I think I thought I was already saved because I went to church and was raised to believe the truth.

May God have mercy on my soul.

Then "do business with Him now" and never look back do to doubt again! Keep the time and date in your mind so Satan can not use try to trip you up with the "doubting game" in the future.

[Kiwi Christian]

Originally Posted by Luke

I don't ever remember a time I accepted Christ as my Saviour. A time when I did business with God, so to speak. I remember reading a chick tract many years ago, and feeling guilty and condemned, but I also remember not changing after that at all... My memory is kind of all mushed together, but if the order is right in my head, then after I read that tract, I remember being all weepy. I am not sure what I did about it though. I think I thought I was already saved because I went to church and was raised to believe the truth.

May God have mercy on my soul.

When you accepted Christ as your Saviour is not as important as the fact you DID accept Him. If you are so concerned with the timing factor and that you can't remember when you got saved, then by all means do it NOW so you can get on with serving and knowing Christ. If you need a date then let it be the 24th March 2009!

[Luke]

My problem is with my heart. It never changes. I seem to only desire to "feel good" instead of actually wanting to glorify God. I sin, feel guilty, want to feel better so I can sin again.. it's a vicious cycle

[Kiwi Christian]

Originally Posted by Luke

My problem is with my heart. It never changes. I seem to only desire to "feel good" instead of actually wanting to glorify God. I sin, feel guilty, want to feel better so I can sin again.. it's a vicious cycle

I've been there and done that, it was a horrible time in my Christian life, but it was only through hindsight that I could see how rebellious I had been. I came through that period and recommitted my life to God, I made a conscious decision to start doing right and choosing to please God instead of myself. I had to make some huge self sacrifices, and one of them was motorcycling. I sold my $18,000 motorcycle and all my many gears, jackets, boots, helmets, etc, and havn't been on a bike since, and Lord willing will never again, that was one thing that was causing me to sin. Recognise those things which are a temptation to you and get rid of them out of your house, brother. Get rid of your TV, they are good for next to nothing, I havn't had one for over 12 years, what a great blessing it's been.

If it gets really bad just move up to Auckland, I'm sure we could sharpen one anothers countenances bi-weekly in fellowship and praising God. We're going out to the streets this Friday night, we could use an extra man! Of course, you're married, so she is welcome too. You need to involve her in all this soul searching btw.

[Daniel Haifley]

Thanks for your honesty Luke. I am a preachers kid -struggled with the same things you are struggling with. Every revival meeting and preachers conference I hoped that something would click. But over and over again I found myself back in the same pit as before. After asking every preacher I knew for help- I finally went to the Lord, himself and prayed that He would show me in the scriptures the answer to my plight. I found what I was looking for, and life has never been the same. Are you interested in what I found?

[Fredoheaven]

Originally Posted by Luke

I don't ever remember a time I accepted Christ as my Saviour. A time when I did business with God, so to speak. I remember reading a chick tract many years ago, and feeling guilty and condemned, but I also remember not changing after that at all... My memory is kind of all mushed together, but if the order is right in my head, then after I read that tract, I remember being all weepy. I am not sure what I did about it though. I think I thought I was already saved because I went to church and was raised to believe the truth.

May God have mercy on my soul.

Not sure? Here's how:

1. Accept that you are a sinner. Truly the bible says that the heart is deceitfull above all things and who can know it? In Romans 3:23 stated that we are all sinners in the sight of God.
2. Believe that Jesus can save you. Remember, Christ is the only way to God. John 14:6
3. Confess him. This is not to confess your sins but to accept Christ to be your personal Saviour. Romans 10:9 says "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus..."

The bible further states that we can do this by a simple payer of faith"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" Romans 10:13

Here is only a guide in accepting Christ to be your personal Saviour.

"Father, thank you for sending Jesus to us as he died in the cross of calvary. I know I am a sinner and bound to hell, but i believe Christ and accept in my heart to be my personal Saviour. Thank you for saving my soul. In Jesus name. Amen.

Jude 25
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