“Conviction of sin is one of the rarest things that ever strikes a man. It is the threshold of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict of sin, and when the Holy Spirit rouses a man’s conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not his relationship with men that bothers him, but his relationship with God – against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight.

Conviction of sin, the marvel of forgiveness, and holiness are so interwoven that it is only the forgiven man who is the holy man, he proves he is forgiven by being the opposite to what he was, by God’s grace. Repentance always brings a man to this point: I have sinned. The surest sign that God is at work is when a man says that and means it. Anything less than this is remorse for having made blunders, the reflex action of disgust at himself. The entrance into the Kingdom is through the panging pains of repentance crashing into a man’s respectable goodness; then the Holy Ghost, Who produces these agonies, begins the formation of the Son of God in the life. The new life will manifest itself in conscious repentance and unconscious holiness, never the other way about. The bedrock of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a man cannot repent when he chooses; repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for the gift of tears. If ever you cease to know the virtue of repentance, you are in darkness. Examine yourself and see if you have forgotten how to be sorry.” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest, December 7th Devotional)

My thoughts from this text

This summarised how I feel every time I fall into sexual sin. I am in a constant spiritual battle to truly turn away from sin. I find myself going back to the same act after I have repented my sins to God almighty but it seems my foundation is weak and I need to work on it through true repentance. It’s not going to be easy but I have to do it if I want to be 100% delivered. May the Holy spirit give me the strength to go through true repentance, to cry, to moan, to pray for mercy before my saviour and detest every form of sexual sin.

Jesus died for our sins to be the slain lamb, the righteousness of our salvation. Check this video out.

A short and powerful post from http://www.apocalipsis.org/jesus.htm

The Pit… A homosexual fell into a pit and couldn’t get himself out. A pharasaic fundamentalist came along and said, “You deserve your pit.” A psychologist came along and said, “Accept your pit. That way you’ll be happy.” An apostate liberal came along and said, “Your pit is God’s beautiful gift to you.” A gay activist came along and said, “Fight for your right to stay in your pit.” A researcher came along and said, “Discrimination against pits is illegal.” A charismatic came along and said, “Just confess that you’re not in that pit.” Respectable people came along and said, “We don’t associate with pit-dwellers.” His mother came along and said, “It’s your father’s fault you’re in that pit.” His father came along and said, “It’s your mother’s fault you’re in that pit.” His wife came along and said, “It’s all my fault you’re in that pit.”

But Jesus, seeing the man, loved him, and reaching into the pit, put his arms around the man and pulled him out.

Quoted from Deliver Ministries – Freedom from Homosexuality!

“I don’t agree with your theology; you are teaching here that I can lose my salvation, and I believe in eternal security. I believe that nothing can separate me from God not even my sins of sexual impurity.”

“Your course points me to my actions, or behavior, and asks me to examine whether or not I have salvation, but I am only supposed to look to Jesus, and the work He did on the cross, as my only assurance of salvation.”

Such are some of the comments that we receive from students at Setting Captives Free, so in an effort to clarify our position on some of these important matters we have put together this page. We hope you will find it a helpful resource.

As to our doctrinal beliefs at Setting Captives Free, we do not believe that anyone can lose their salvation. We believe in the biblical doctrine of perseverance of the saints; that is, Jesus will not lose one that the Father has given Him (John 10:28-29), and we who are Christ’s will persevere to the very end (1 Timothy 4:16). It is a great comfort to know that we are, indeed, held in God’s hand and cannot be taken out (John 10:29) or separated from His love (Romans 8:39) because we were chosen before the foundation of the world by Him (Ephesians 1:4).

However, we also understand that there are some who will believe themselves to be Christians who may not actually be born again (Matthew 7:21-23). These people may have a profession of salvation in Jesus Christ, but the fruit of their life, that is, their believing of lies that result in bondage to habitual sin, should cause them to question whether or not they are truly saved. It is indeed possible to be saved and to simply have fallen into a sin trap (Galatians 6:1), yet there is also ample biblical evidence to suggest that one who is truly captive to habitual sin may not be saved. At Setting Captives Free we take the issue of salvation very seriously, and we point out that deception in this area is a high possibility, and if you are enslaved to sin then you should test yourself to see if you are in the faith.

Please examine these Scriptures:

In the above passage, God presents the truth that He is against those who are at carnal ease. That is, those who assure themselves of their eternal safety while they are stubborn of heart and have idols in their lives. God promises to single this person out for calamity, for he is deceived and enslaved to idol worship, while professing to be a child of God.

Some say that this is merely Old Testament law, which does not apply to us today who are under New Testament grace. In so doing, they blunt the sharp edge of the sword, which is designed to cause us to examine our lives and see if we are truly “safe” (verse 19), and they deny that “ALL Scriptures are…useful for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). But, for those who prefer to hear the viewpoint from the New Testament, this passage says essentially the same thing:

This passage states clearly that the “unrighteous” (and then it goes on to define who are unrighteous) will not inherit the kingdom of God. It could not be clearer that those who are habitually involved in sexual immorality, idolatry (which includes all forms of impurity, according to Colossians 3:5), homosexuality, thieves, greedy, drunkards, etc. are not saved. Those who are saved are no longer involved in this type of activity, which truth is communicated to us in the above passage by saying, “Such WERE some of you…” Some of the Corinthians WERE sexually immoral, idolatrous, homosexuals, etc. but they are not now. Something happened. They were changed, cleansed, sanctified, washed, etc. by God.

We have many people come to Setting Captives Free who are practicing a lifestyle that is specifically mentioned in the above passage, yet they are fully convinced that they are saved. They point to a time when they said a prayer, were baptized, or raised their hand during some altar call as their point of salvation. But we know the truth from Scripture that if anyone is in Christ then he is a new creation-the old has gone, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17)-and yet these people continue in their old sinful lifestyles, despite their profession of faith in Christ and their assurance (falsely) that all is well with their soul. They are described in the Deuteronomy 29 passage above as those who say to themselves that they will be safe, though they walk in the stubbornness of their hearts, and are instead singled out by God for calamity.

Friend, there is a great possibility of self-deception in the area of habitual sin. The 1 Corinthians 6 passage begins, “Do not be deceived…” because of the very real possibility of deception in those who are ensnared in sin. At Setting Captives Free, we are very concerned for those who are deceived and it is our desire that each one that comes to this site would follow the instruction of 2 Corinthians 13:5

Some want to say that there is no reason to test ourselves, for after all, we “made a decision,” we “prayed a prayer”, we have been baptized, etc. therefore we are assured our place in heaven, no matter if our lives evidence to the contrary. Why do I need to test myself if I have prayed to accept Christ? And yet the Apostle Paul, in the above verse, declares that it is possible to fail the test, thereby revealing that one is not in the faith. It is not that this person could lose salvation, it is that he or she never had it. Therefore, he calls us to both examine ourselves and to test ourselves to see if there is evidence of our salvation from sin.

Now notice Galatians 5:24,

The above verse does not say, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have prayed a prayer of repentance” or “those who belong to Christ Jesus have walked an aisle, making a public profession of faith in Christ.” No, it says, “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Those who have thus crucified the flesh, and so belong to Christ, have some evidence in their lives of crucifixion. Jesus showed Thomas His scars, and invited examination of His body, as evidence that He had been crucified and had risen from the dead to new life. Those of us who belong to Christ should be able to show evidence in our lives of how we have crucified our flesh with its lusts and passions. If we are yet alive in sin, living in the lusts and passion of impurity, what evidence do we have that we belong to Christ? A few words that we mouthed years ago? God forbid. Oh friend, we must remember that the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power to crucify the flesh and walk in newness of life (1 Corinthians 4:20).

At Setting Captives Free we believe fully in eternal security, or rather the biblical doctrine of “perseverance of the saints.” But our point is to cause people to question whether or not they are saved, since the issue at stake is so critical, and since there exists a high probability of deception. And it is good, and right, and biblical for us to call people who come to study with us to an examination of their lives and see if they may be one who is deceived and enslaved, and headed for hell while claiming safety, or whether they are truly converted but have, for a time, fallen into a sin trap but are now quickly repenting and finding freedom in Christ.

If you are walking in purity, we welcome your comments. However, if you are in this course because of being involved in impurity then you are not in a good position to be correcting doctrine because your bondage to impurity is obscuring your view of truth. Note the following passage:

We note from verse 11 that “whoredom” or in other versions “adultery”, is that which takes away the understanding. We may be serious Bible students, we may be seminary trained, we may have degrees in theology, but if we are involved in habitual sins of pornography, masturbation, or any other forms of heart adultery, our understanding has been removed. We may have knowledge, but true understanding of God and His ways only come to those who are not involved in impurity.

So, if you have come to Setting Captives Free to find freedom from habitual sin, you are not in a position to correct theology. The most important thing you can do is to find freedom. Those who come into purity by the grace of God, have clear sight and accurate views of God. Jesus stated this in Matthew 5:8:

We note that it is the pure in heart that are able to see God. Those defiled by habitual sin are skewed, not only in their understanding of the Bible, but also of their view of Who God is. Purity removes the filter between us and God and, like laser eye surgery, corrects our previously poor vision of God.

So, the best thing any sin captive can do is to humble themselves, ask questions of those who are free in Christ, seek to learn how those who are indeed free got out of the prison of sin, and then apply what they learn to their own lives.

If you still have questions about this teaching, please look at your life to see whether you are walking in personal purity. If not, we request that you wait until you have been sexually pure for 60 days before writing to us with suggested changes.

Ref: http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/resources/article/sin-and-salvation/

The “acting out” (engaging in an activity that you consciously didn’t want to engage in) usually starts out with a trigger, which is interpreted by your brain at a subconscious level, and results in a strong emotion, such as excitement. Only then do you get a thought in your conscious brain! Remember it is written  “Do not conform to the standards of the world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” 

Think about it! In our society, most of the people hold a belief that we are primarily motivated by our thinking. This, however, is not entirely true! In fact, as much as 90% of our daily behaviors are motivated by our subconscious brains. Reliance on a higher power, for me Jesus Christ has helped me renew my subconscious mind a lot.

To make things worse, once our body begins a chemical response, it overrides our cognitive ability. Meaning, we still are aware of what is going on, but unable to make an accurate, rational evaluation of our behavior and upcoming consequences.

Immediately after the internal chemical release, our body begins to change (we will talk more about it in upcoming sections). This really is our last line of defense.

The second thought is our last chance to realize what is happening and to take emergency actions to save ourselves (we will talk a lot more about this as well).

If we were not able to break the cycle, chances are we will end up giving in, and engaging in the behavior.

After the “acting out” part is complete, our brain goes off the auto-pilot, and we are back to our normal selves. This is when we are usually able to look at the situation logically, and realize what has happened.

A common reaction to this realization is to feel intense negative emotions, such as guilt and self-hatred. This approach, however, only strengthens our addiction. It keeps us from taking constructive action.

Remember, we do bad things, but we are not bad people!

Did you notice that I skipped one of the items on the list – vulnerable time? Mark Kastleman, founder of Candeo Can, came up with an acronym BLASTed, which stands for: Bored, Burned Out, Lonely, Anxious, Afraid, Angry, Stressed, and Tired.

Another acronym that is commonly used in the 12 steps community is HALT: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired.

During the vulnerable times, our conscious brain loses the ability to see things clearly. That is when our subconscious brain is more likely to take over. And we already know where this is going to take us.

You can avoid vulnerable times by beginning to take good care of yourself. Simple things like getting reading the word of God, praying, plenty of sleep, eating properly, drinking enough water, and journaling to de-clutter your brain can go a long way. In the future, we are going to talk a lot more about things that you can do to bring about peace and calmness into your life.

via Pornography Addiction Cycle.

Here is are some videos that really uplifted me spiritually.

Dealing with lust of the flesh.

John Piper speaking about the life and passion of Saint Augustine fighting his failures in lust and killing his sin not by his own strength but with the word of God, and the sheer beauty and joy of knowing Christ.

guest post by Kamau Njoroge

I grew up in church and was also a regular at the Christian Union fellowship when in school. the times that i dreaded most, in both these Christian gatherings, was testimony time. I almost always didnt have anything to say.

The leader of the session would always quote  ‘He who has the son has a testimony‘; this always made me feel very uncomfortable and it would even make me doubt if I really had the son in me.Perhaps you identify with me for you too grew up in a church where if u met a fellow believer it was expected of u to have a ready testimony to offer . This was so routinely done  u always heard the same testimonies over and over again.In my case, i even crammed some of the lines just incase one day I was called to task i would have a “testimony”.

But i read this passage today and it’s changed my theology,

’1st John 5: 9 We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son’

I now believe that this passage did not command us to always be having a ready testimony to our fellow believers to confirm the presence of the Son in us…as a matter of fact it talks of very different things; It is talkin about God’s testimony to us through his Son, and if we believe in the son we inwardly confirm God’s testimony.

Testimonies to our fellow believers should be thanksgiving to God and acknowledging His works, to encourage each other and build each other, not to affirm that we are still in the straight and the narrow…. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing..

When you give a second thought on these acts, they all seem to originate from lust of the flesh (Self-indulgent desire to please the flesh) and lust of the eyes (the eyes are the gateway to your soul). It is written “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1 John 2:16. These are the 3 inner characters of humans that lead us to sin. One thing about counselling is that it seeks to help those who know they have a problem, just like the gospel.

There has been a great controversy for years on whether masturbation, porn, oral sex, homosexuality is biblically wrong. Jesus was the great Counsellor. As the word says, ‘When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor–sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Mark 2:17. I believe all these are sins. No grey area in my mind at all.

So my view on this is, when masturbating, one is defiling him/herself either way you look at it, whether voluntary or compulsive. This act is out of lust of the flesh, self gratification. Porn, a physical glorification of at least one individual indulging in sexual immorality, modern day idolatry. One can justify sin to the end of the world, doesn’t make a sin right in God’s eyes.  I used to be in this space, looking for loopholes from the word to justify why I drunk as well as other acts. But the HOLY SPIRIT happened in me. Granted me self-control, faithfulness, goodness… Questions I asked myself, if I was infront of God, would I excuse myself to go jack-off or watch porn, then continue in conversation with Him with no remorse? Does masturbation glory God in anyway?  When performing oral sex to your spouse, whats the source of one learning how to do this? Does porn glorify the One who created sex? I still have so many questions which I seek God each day for answers.

For most, there is a feeling of emptiness despite the 10 minutes of pleasure. Just to take the discussion back to the right track, the gospel, all we do on earth, in this life, will be counted & weighed on the day of Judgement. I advice all to pray that the Holy spirit gives them discernment to make the right choices. I choose to test the spirit of all I allow into my mind, body and spirit through consultation with God Almight.

The true gospel is Jesus dies for our sins and was resurrected so that we can be justified. So as Paul challenges us, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” Rom 6:1-2.

Mi ni Kenya! Child of God.  i-Stopped…lusting

Am out, i-Stopped.

***Some encouragement –

I was recently sharing with a friend about my struggles with pornography and she asked me a pretty basic question but it rocked me. She asked, “What is the biggest lesson you have learned since starting on this healing journey?” It took me a while to really pinpoint anything I have learned because it has been so easy for me to be blinded by the here and now and the fact that I still struggle. It is easier to look at my shortcomings and the fact that I continue to fall rather than what God is doing through my shortcomings and how He is redeeming it.

A little while later, I was talking to another friend about my struggle with self-worth that I have had ever since I can remember and how I have always tried to earn God’s love. Through this conversation, I learned the answer to the first question. The biggest lesson God has taught me through this all is that He loves me no matter what, even on the really crummy days. I can honestly say that I believe this. Yes, there are times that I can doubt it but I ultimately know that He loves me. This realization encouraged me so much and I had a new appreciation for this road I have been on over the last year and a half. God does not waste a hurt or a struggle and He is always there to provide a way out. Now, it is up to us to choose His way out but often times it is hard.

I have struggled for so long truly believing God loves, forgives and forgets but it has been through this painful, ugly process of my addiction that I have learned and started to believe the truth. This is fascinating to me as this is part of the reason my addiction started; I was searching for love and acceptance but in a very wrong way! One of my favorite scriptures is Jeremiah 31:3,
“…I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness”.

No matter what you have done or where you are at, God is lovingly and passionately pursuing you. He knows what is best for you and will do anything it takes to get you back. There is only so much hiding that can be done. Believe me, I have tried hiding from God and it does not work. He loves us too much and cares so deeply for us that He is not going to stop at anything to get to us.

Knowing and believing this has helped me on the journey toward healing. Knowing that God loves me no matter what has challenged me to stand firm and ‘just say no’. God has something so much better for me to fill my life and mind with. I have to trust that He has my best interest in heart because He loves me so much that He knows the intimate parts of me that I may not even be aware of.

I don’t know where you are on your journey but my prayer is that you would truly meditate on how much God loves you. His love is not based on what you have or haven’t done. He is a simple breath away and waiting for you. Reach out, even if you don’t feel worthy, and see what happens. I dare you. God has something so much bigger and better for you and your journey will take on a whole new meaning.

Ref: xxxchurch.com