Welcome to Gaia! ::

...Not altogether, but say there's a sin that you keep struggling with and you're trying SO HARD to give it up, but it's still in your face all the time.

I think I have a problem with jealousy quite a lot. That and I've been feeling prideful. I get jealous of when things are going well for other people in their faith with Jesus when I am struggling. I'm not struggling in faith in Jesus, but just, blah. Just Thursday I spent a couple hours just wailing out to God in tears because of my jealousy and lack of faith and just a bunch of junk. Today I'm still feeling that a bit. And I hate it. Despise it. I hate being jealous and I hate having ill will towards others. Well, maybe jealousy isn't exactly ill will towards another, but ill will because of another. Is there such a way to give up sins altogether?

One sin I feel I've tackled by the help and truth of God is pornography. I say again, by God alone did that happen. I have struggled with porno for many years, as has every male in my family, and I haven't even had the desire to go back there for atleast 4 months. That's pretty good. However, sometimes I feel like I'll fall back into that trap again. Is there hope to conquer our sins in this life time, or will we just be doomed to keep on sinning like mad dogs until Jesus returns?


God bless you all and you rock! Praise Jesus.

We are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God. We are all born into sin, and we are sinful by nature.

We are also all powerless over our own sin, and it's only Christ Jesus living through us that can conquer this sin. If you try and conquer it under your own power each time, it will fail. I've been there, believe me. The task in this live is dieing to ourselves in order so that we may grow in a new creation in Christ.

For me, as well as for a lot of us, it's one day at a time, sometimes one battle at a time. I agree with muffins, it does take dying to self and living to Christ. But the battle never totally goes away. It comes down to life being a journey and actively being with Jesus every day. When we hang out with the Shepherd, we're less likely to wander.

Also, some people consider silly things to be sin. It's important to go to scripture and see what GOD considers sin. Paul talks about the tendency to give up things to LOOK more Godly to other people. It's a thing of pride really, for example, when I was in youth group, it became popular to look at wearing makeup or wearing pants as sin. It's not. We're not under the Law anymore, we're not under the 2,000 some rabbinical laws that the Jews set up, we're under Jesus' simple command of "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and soul, and mind, and your brother as yourself." That means we do no harm. There are many recommendations in the New Testament, that doesn't mean their commandments. Spend time with Him, and trust me, HE'LL let you know when you're wrong! That's a simple view, but it does take being with Him. The Holy Spirit lives inside you, so He shows you, IF you're listening! what offends Him.

I think dying to yourself means to be be wise above your animal instincts.

Just as when you are hungry you can teach yourself to wait until it's time to eat, you can teach yourself to be patient, say kind things, etc. It means laying the selfishness of your human nature to rest, and trusting that following the Word will actually benefit you better than your immediate worldly instincts.