ALELUJAH.COM - Assurance of Salvation - "I'm addicted to sin!"

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"But I'm addicted to my sin!"
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IN SEPARATES from God. And we know that no unrighteousness will enter heaven. For this reason we fear, if we cannot stop a particular sin in our life.

We can take heart, though; Scripture tells us,

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

John 1:9

But we also have to realize that we CAN'T stop sinning! It is, quite simply, not within us to accomplish! God states quite simply, in Gal. 3:

2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith.

Gal. 3:2-5

We tend to ask Christ into our hearts (the initial step) and then feel that it's now our responsibility to do the rest! God, however, says, "3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" In other words, "If God started in us the process of becoming like Him, why do we feel that it's up to us to finish it?"

6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Phil. 1:6

It's God's job to save us, not ours! We had to go to Him in the first place for salvation; why do we feel that once we have it, we can maintain it? What God starts God finishes.

11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Isaiah 55:11

So: if we are having difficulty in maintaining our salvation, in the light of, "the sin which doth so easily beset us," talk to God about it! It's His problem! And He Is the only One with the ability to do anything about our sin! Tell Him:

"Father, I can't stop this sin! If I'm going to stop, You're going to have to be the One to do it! Please help me to hate this sin! In one way I love it; in another way, I hate it. Please show me how disgusting it is, and make me hate it, because I'm addicted to it; I can't stop. Change my heart toward it. I need You to do it for me! Thank you, Heavenly Father!"

10 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Prov. 8:10

10 Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

Psa. 97:10

6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Isa. 55:6-11