Will do Lahry

May I suggest that you read the first chapter of Watchman Nee "The Normal Christian Life", if you don't have the book (which I recommend to you), here is a link:

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/nee/normal.toc.html

Manfred

I have read the normal Christain life by Watchmen Nee. It was very helpful. Thanks for the suggestion. My problem is that I willful sin way too much. It doesn't take many days before I have done it once again. Each time I come back to God in my mind and by faith I find that it takes more time then I would like and there is a lot of anguish. I go through the confusion of disbeliefing what I justified to be right to now be wrong. Then after believing ito to be wrong I believe in faith what Christ did for me. For awhile I just feel nothing. My prayers just seem to hit a wall and go no where and my heart isn't in it. Then some where along the ways my heart gets in it and I begin to believe the word and prayer comes easy and the grace of the blood is coupled again with the grace of the cross and I find a liberty where sin used to reside. This is the process. It takes on different forms but comes back in my life this way or that every once in awhile. I hate it every time and find it to be a scary place to be.

I read Romans 4 5 6 7 and 8 and I thank you for the suggestion Lahry. It affected my heart and changed my ways. About Romans 4:20

Rom 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
Rom 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Rom 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.


When I sin and then forsake it right after I then go into staggering at God's promises until I finally am fully persuaded and then I feel safe and secure knowing that He is faithful and am able to pick up my cross deny myself and follow Him.

Listen. We are all sinners saved by grace. And we will remain sinners until Christ comes. Having said that, we should make no excuse for any sin that takes place in our lives. However: none of us can fight sin on our own. When we were born from above, God gave us a new life, the life of Christ, the resurrection life - and He expects us to live by this life. Don't try to overcome sin by your own strength: no one has ever managed to do it - sin is more powerful than we are, i.e. than our own strength.

As believers we live, and must live, by faith. I can't overcome sin, but the Lord who lives within me can - we must rest on His promises: "It is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me", this is the way to victory. Paul's cry in Romans 7 is that on his own he cannot overcome sin, but in Romans 8 he gives us the way to victory: by faith - because for us all is by faith - he rests on the accomplished work of Another.

When we sin, we confess and repent, get up and move on. But at the same time, Christ must continually take a larger place in us. This is done through the Spirit who lives in us. Before we think, say or do anything we should take the time to consider our thoughts, words and actions before God - we must submit them to the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit and listen to His approval or desaprobation. Such is the life of the Christian.

Too many of us believers try to live the Christian life by our own strength - it is a lost battle. We must all learn to let Christ live in and through us: He only can match the standard that He has set for those who belong to Him.

I'm really hoping that you will see this, because it is the only way to victory.

I agree Manfred it is all about faith in God. It's just when I am down and defeated by sin it takes awhile to pick myself back up again or longer then I would want. It's like letting go of a mistress you might say. You like her at first but then you realize that your cheating and then realize how horrible that is until you finally decide to forsake her and be completely devoted to your wife again.

We are all the same. When we sin, we do feel horrible, but it isn't the time to feel sorry for ourselves: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.", 1 John 1:9

When you sin don't linger about it, get on your knees, confess and repent - and trust Him. I think that you are far too introverted, look to Him:

"If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.", Colossians 3:1

"Therefore... let us lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus.", Hebrews 12:1-2.

Feeling sorry for ourselves, or for our condition has never helped anyone - look to Him.

I like your faith Manfred it is Christ in you and that is really something. You don't see that often. I will heed your advice it's wise counsel. Praise God for His Word and his body.

I wanted to share how God has come through for me today. I have been struggling a lot and not letting God be faithful to carry out His plan in my life.

It always comes down to sinning against God in this body of flesh that wars against my Spirit. I give in to it too often.

My sin is coveting. I covet other peoples attention any way I can get it it seems. This is my idol. The fear of intimacy in a relationship is a symptom of this sin of idolatry and covetting spirit. Sin broods fear and condemnation and guilt. They take over. My feelings then turn me Spiritually dead regarding my conscience. My heart isn't in it anymore and I mope around kind of lost. I basically feel lost.

Thank God though I have been doing less of this coveting and idolatry that takes the place of God in my life. I'm trusting more by faith because I lean not on my repented of sin of covetting and idolatry put rest in Jesus. Abiding in Him more has really helped. The reality of God in my life is so real sometimes and I kill it by sinning. I thank God He sprinkles my conscience once again with His blood and I live by faith once again no longer seeing or believing from a sinful heart. What a glorious feeling it is! Praise God I love Him! I know I write on here how many times I fail and then come back to God and fail again. It's a constant cycle but things are getting better. He is trying to change some very basic things that have never been changed in my life so that I can move on and be used by Him.

If anyone else has been set free for a good period of time of covetting others and living victoriously I would love to hear a testimony or two.

I would assume covetting attention from others and from women for us single guys is something that affects a majority of us here. It would be cool to hear so good feedback to encourage everyone.