Is it possible?

[Lambano]

Ahh, the gift of addiction. “Clark, that’s the gift that keeps on giving”.

Well, at least you KNOW you need God’s grace. Can you trust God to give that grace? If not, why not? On what basis should we trust God?

 

[Ferris Bueller]

Do you think its possible for a person to struggle with getting saved??
...
Is it possible that it could take years for a person wanting to get saved, to actually get saved??

Yes.
It took me about four years to finally cave in and repent and accept God's forgiveness.

 

[Ferris Bueller]

You know some people have a ‘ wow ‘ factor after they ask the Lord Jesus into their lives

That's how it was for me.

 

[Nancy]

Hi @Lifelong_sinner
"Do you think its possible for a person to struggle with getting saved?? Im not sure if thats the best way to ask it, but can a person who wants to get saved, have multiple attempts, and fail to get it?"
One can struggle with maybe 'believing' they are really saved but, I can sure see a lifelong struggle if someone is "attempting" to save themselves but trying harder, doing more, giving more...where does one draw the line? Jesus already did paid the price, we can do do try try all we want and it will all be for nothing as, only Jesus gift of Himself will ever be accepted by God. Maybe you are thinking more along the lines of not feeling secure in ones salvation?
Good question.

Not sure that helps x[/QUOTE]

Our "less than sensational" testimonies are interchangeable @Rita! Always kind of felt cheated out of the "experience"...LOL. It's all different now and, I feel cheated not at all...we are not all cookie cutter Christians/people. Some come easy, some kicking and screaming
xo

 

[Nancy]

You'll never "get there" by being good enough. Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ. Abraham believed God and that belief in God was accounted to him as righteousness.

Romans 4:3-8
[3]For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
[4]Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
[5]But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
[6]Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
[7]Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
[8]Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

Your faith is in the wrong place. Faith in self and your own ability will not get you into the kingdom of God.
There is only one "work" that we need to do to be saved and that is, "believe." Have faith in God.

John 6:28-29
[28]Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
[29]Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

True sister!
We don't get cleaned up before coming to Him, HE takes us as we are and will clean up what we give Him of ourselves...submission is key! He will not fill your life with good and perfect things if still holding on to things of the world. We come to Him DIRTY and He cleans us as, we just cannot do it alone...we can't do a thing without Christ.
xo

 

[TLHKAJ]

One can struggle with maybe 'believing' they are really saved but, I can sure see a lifelong struggle if someone is "attempting" to save themselves but trying harder, doing more, giving more...where does one draw the line? Jesus already did paid the price, we can do do try try all we want and it will all be for nothing as, only Jesus gift of Himself will ever be accepted by God.

I wish people would read these words slowly and really ponder it .....I think it's good for all of us because we all fail or miss the mark sometimes and then satan hits us with guilt. But we only need to remind ourselves where our salvation comes from and it's definitely not us or our flesh! We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

 

[TLHKAJ]

True sister!
We don't get cleaned up before coming to Him, HE takes us as we are and will clean up what we give Him of ourselves...submission is key! He will not fill your life with good and perfect things if still holding on to things of the world. We come to Him DIRTY and He cleans us as, we just cannot do it alone...we can't do a thing without Christ.
xo

Good good stuff!!

 

[Nancy]

I wish people would read these words slowly and really ponder it .....I think it's good for all of us because we all fail or miss the mark sometimes and then satan hits us with guilt. But we only need to remind ourselves where our salvation comes from and it's definitely not us or our flesh! We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Amen and Hallalujah!!

When Satan points his gnarly finger at me, I point mine to the CROSS!!

 

[Nancy]

Good good stuff!!

Why, tanx

 

[TLHKAJ]

Amen and Hallalujah!!

When Satan points his gnarly finger at me, I point mine to the CROSS!!

Oh my goodness, we're having church now, sister!!

 

[Nancy]

Oh my goodness, we're having church now, sister!!

Ahaha, yes we are!! Selah!

 

[Rita]

im no christian, not yet anyways. Im trying to get there, but i have to beat my addiction first. Then i will be eligible to get saved.

Wrong way round lifelong sinner, Jesus already knows about your addictions and everything else in your heart and life. The fact that you feel you have to sort out the addiction first I plays that you want to be a Christian, well all YOU have to do is ask the Lord Jesus I to your life, believe who he is and that he has risen ( in other words do you believe the gospel ) accept that you are a sinner and in need of him. Then and only then will your journey begin, and Jesus will help you deal with your addiction in his timing. I came to faith with bulimia and was addicted to turning to food in order to help with emotional pain inside, I came to faith at 24years old and it wasn’t until I was well into my 40’s that the real healing started. I still struggle with food, but not in the same way…yet I became a Christian all those years ago.
If you wait until you have solved your problems, then you could be waiting a life time. Xx

 

[Ferris Bueller]

Wrong way round lifelong sinner, Jesus already knows about your addictions and everything else in your heart and life. The fact that you feel you have to sort out the addiction first I plays that you want to be a Christian, well all YOU have to do is ask the Lord Jesus I to your life, believe who he is and that he has risen ( in other words do you believe the gospel ) accept that you are a sinner and in need of him. Then and only then will your journey begin, and Jesus will help you deal with your addiction in his timing. I came to faith with bulimia and was addicted to turning to food in order to help with emotional pain inside, I came to faith at 24years old and it wasn’t until I was well into my 40’s that the real healing started. I still struggle with food, but not in the same way…yet I became a Christian all those years ago.
If you wait until you have solved your problems, then you could be waiting a life time. Xx

Lifelong_sinner has been very open and honest about his addiction. It seems he hasn't gotten to a fundamental repulsion of whatever it is that he is addicted to. He has said he refuses to give it up. It brings him joy. I'm pretty sure I understood him correctly about that.

Assuming I have understood him correctly, he has to be brought to a repentant state of mind before he can fall on God's mercy and receive it. He's just not there yet. That doesn't mean he never will be there. It just means he's not there now.

 

[Rita]

Lifelong_sinner has been very open and honest about his addiction. It seems he hasn't gotten to a fundamental repulsion of whatever it is that he is addicted to. He has said he refuses to give it up. It brings him joy. I'm pretty sure I understood him correctly about that.

Assuming I have understood him correctly, he has to be brought to a repentant state of mind before he can fall on God's mercy and receive it. He's just not there yet. That doesn't mean he never will be there. It just means he's not there now.

I am not sure I was repentant about my addiction when I came to faith. I was just overwhelmed by the fact that The Lord was interested in my life. I can’t say I enjoyed the addiction as such as I hated the cycle of self hate, shame and guilt and all the other mind games it brought.
Despite what you relay I don’t think it negates the point I was making.

 

[Ferris Bueller]

Here, I found it...

The only joy in my life is when i sin, and since i cant stop it, i knew that the only way to beat that sin is by finding something else even more enjoyable to make me forget that sin.

I thank Lifelong_sinner for his honesty.

I think everyone here will agree that a person has to come to the place where they hate their sin in order to receive God's mercy. They have to have a change of mind about it. Not victory over it. A change of mind about it.

 

[Ferris Bueller]

I am not sure I was repentant about my addiction when I came to faith. I was just overwhelmed by the fact that The Lord was interested in my life. I can’t say I enjoyed the addiction as such as I hated the cycle of self hate, shame and guilt and all the other mind games it brought.
Despite what you relay I don’t think it negates the point I was making.

Right, what I said does not negate your point. Let's face it. Sin is fun (for a season). But there comes a time when the cost of sin is too high and so we grow to hate it that way. It's still fun, or valuable to us, but the cost to us is too high. Until LLS gets there he won't be saved. That's a work of God. And only he knows if God has been effecting that work in his life. I'm of the opinion that a person can resist that work. Only he knows what's actually going on between him and God and if God is not bringing him to that point or if he's resisting it in some way. And he doesn't need to tell us. He just needs to sort it out between him and God. We're just here to help him discern where God is in this for him, if he is in it yet.

 

[Rita]

Right, what I said does not negate your point. Let's face it. Sin is fun (for a season). But there comes a time when the cost of sin is too high and so we grow to hate it that way. It's still fun, or valuable to us, but the cost to us is too high. Until LLS gets there he won't be saved. That's a work of God. And only he knows if God has been effecting that work in his life. I'm of the opinion that a person can resist that work. Only he knows what's actually going on between him and God and if God is not bringing him to that point or if he's resisting it in some way. And he doesn't need to tell us. He just needs to sort it out between him and God. We're just here to help him discern where God is in this.

Oh, I wasn’t saying you were wrong. I just know from my own experience that some things were dealt with in deeper ways after I came to faith. Xx

 

[Ferris Bueller]

I was just overwhelmed by the fact that The Lord was interested in my life.

Me too.
I learned that God actually cared that I was a slave to sin. And that he was not just some bully ordering me to stop or go to hell. That truth is what opened up the gospel to me. Those were the open arms of God that he was extending to me.

 

[Lifelong_sinner]

I go away for a few hours and yall talking bout me. :) i kid. Actually, im surprised this thread had any life left in it.

to fill in some missing pieces, yes, i do love my addiction. Has it been rough?? You bet. Been to the ER more than a couple of times because of it. Do i hate that i have an addiction? Yes. I hate that no matter what i do, i cant beat it. The thought that it owns me makes me mad. Do i realize and understand that its a sin?? You bet. I have lost quite a few nights of sleep because of it as it relates to salvation. And so, here i am hating that this even exists, i hate that im dealing with this. Do you have any idea how much i worry about this? Yet, i can guarantee you i’ll be doing it again tomorrow. Welcome to the hell before hell as i call it.

 

[Ferris Bueller]

I go away for a few hours and yall talking bout me. :) i kid. Actually, im surprised this thread had any life left in it.

to fill in some missing pieces, yes, i do love my addiction. Has it been rough?? You bet. Been to the ER more than a couple of times because of it. Do i hate that i have an addiction? Yes. I hate that no matter what i do, i cant beat it. The thought that it owns me makes me mad. Do i realize and understand that its a sin?? You bet. I have lost quite a few nights of sleep because of it as it relates to salvation. And so, here i am hating that this even exists, i hate that im dealing with this. Do you have any idea how much i worry about this? Yet, i can guarantee you i’ll be doing it again tomorrow. Welcome to the hell before hell as i call it.

What's your perception of God in all this? Is he a bully ordering you to stop or else you'll go to hell? Or is he someone who actually cares that you're a slave to sin and can't do anything about it?