Calling sexual sin, an addicton, is just a way to deceive oneself into thinking 'I cant help doing this...i`m an addict.' This is carnal, worldly thinking, and in complete contradiction to the Word of God!

God commands us everyone "choose this day who you will serve!"
The people of God are choosing, and they are choosing to serve self, to gratify the flesh, even while ignoring the guilty conviction Gods eternal Word speaks to them. They are deceiving themselves by saying we can continue in sin, just a little while longer, God understands we were tempted.

NO! God has already warned us, lust that is allowed to reign in our bodies will lead to death! What God understands is, He has spoken and very few are taking His Word seriously! He has said CHOOSE, life or death, whats it going to be? People of God we have to stop sympathizing with SIN, and go back to preaching repentance of it, to the saving of mens souls!
These are strong words, but God has told me to speak them.

(1Co 6:18) FLEE fornication! (sexully immorality) Run from it as tho your very life depended on it, because it does!
Now God would not tell a man to flee sexual sin, if it were not possible to do so. Of course it is, it is a matter of choice, do you want to live or die?
If you want to live, you must repent, and turn away from your sin. No one can make this choice for you, and there is no other way! If anyone offers another way, they have erred, not understanding the commandment of God.

Jam 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him...
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not be deceived, my dear brothers.

1Th 4:3 For it is God's will that you be sanctified: You must abstain from sexual immorality; each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not with passion and lust like the gentiles who do not know God; and you must never take advantage of or exploit a brother in this regard. For the Lord is an avenger in all these things, just as we already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness. Therefore, whoever rejects this instruction is not rejecting human authority but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.


Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

An excellent thread sister Coco. Correct in every detail. "Flee youthful lusts" says the Apostle. Yes run for your life.

Don't stand there waiting to be sucked in by temptation.........Get Running.....as far away from it as you can get. So sayeth the Word of God.

I've been in 12-step recovery (alcoholism) for twenty years and in all that time, I've never seen a newcomer in the program who had a heallthy relationship with God at the beginning of the recovery process. To a man (or woman), they have no care about God. A few have never heard of him, but most have rejected religion for one reason or another and, therefore, rejected God and his Word.

Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him......" (Jn 6:44). Some of these people come to relationship with Jesus through the twelve steps I mentioned earlier. Only when they begin to respond to the Father's call do they begin to respond to his Word. Many of my AA friends say "God brought me to AA and AA brought me to God".

Its true that addiction is sin, but pointing a finger at addicts and saying they are living in sin only serves to push them further away from God. When I was drinking (before I came to Christ), had anyone told me I was sinning I would have told them to go to the same place they were trying to tell me I was going to.

One final point: No one becomes an addict intentionally. The addict's first drink or drug is always intended to be "just this one time". Then, as the folks in recovery say, "I take the drink/drug then it takes me"; having no spiritual foundation to counteract the lure of drink or drug, they slide into addiction.

SLE

Originally Posted by SpiritLedEd

I've been in 12-step recovery (alcoholism) for twenty years and in all that time, I've never seen a newcomer in the program who had a heallthy relationship with God at the beginning of the recovery process. To a man (or woman), they have no care about God. A few have never heard of him, but most have rejected religion for one reason or another and, therefore, rejected God and his Word.

Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him......" (Jn 6:44). Some of these people come to relationship with Jesus through the twelve steps I mentioned earlier. Only when they begin to respond to the Father's call do they begin to respond to his Word. Many of my AA friends say "God brought me to AA and AA brought me to God".

Its true that addiction is sin, but pointing a finger at addicts and saying they are living in sin only serves to push them further away from God. When I was drinking (before I came to Christ), had anyone told me I was sinning I would have told them to go to the same place they were trying to tell me I was going to.

One final point: No one becomes an addict intentionally. The addict's first drink or drug is always intended to be "just this one time". Then, as the folks in recovery say, "I take the drink/drug then it takes me"; having no spiritual foundation to counteract the lure of drink or drug, they slide into addiction.

SLE

Excellent post SLE Excellent indeed, and we all appreciate what you have to say to us. You bless us with your experience and insight in the matters of addiction. Be aware,......that we love you.

My question would be.......are the addictions to sex.......and the bottle related.

I think not......but I stand to be corrected.

"As it was in the days of Noah....they were give over to......marriage and the giving in marriage......sex....Floods prevailed....all lost
"As it was in the days of Lot...........debauchery prevailed" God gave them over......Fire and Brimstone rained down....all lost.

"So shall it be when the son of man shall come"....

The hallmark of degeneration, the signal for divine intervention, would be the debauchery of men with men, and woman with woman MmMm

Blessings

Originally Posted by SpiritLedEd

I've been in 12-step recovery (alcoholism) for twenty years and in all that time, I've never seen a newcomer in the program who had a heallthy relationship with God at the beginning of the recovery process. To a man (or woman), they have no care about God. A few have never heard of him, but most have rejected religion for one reason or another and, therefore, rejected God and his Word.

Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him......" (Jn 6:44). Some of these people come to relationship with Jesus through the twelve steps I mentioned earlier. Only when they begin to respond to the Father's call do they begin to respond to his Word. Many of my AA friends say "God brought me to AA and AA brought me to God".

Its true that addiction is sin, but pointing a finger at addicts and saying they are living in sin only serves to push them further away from God. When I was drinking (before I came to Christ), had anyone told me I was sinning I would have told them to go to the same place they were trying to tell me I was going to.

One final point: No one becomes an addict intentionally. The addict's first drink or drug is always intended to be "just this one time". Then, as the folks in recovery say, "I take the drink/drug then it takes me"; having no spiritual foundation to counteract the lure of drink or drug, they slide into addiction.

SLE

SLE, I am curious, what does AA say about Jesus? When it comes to the Gospel of Christ , are they for it, against it or just tolerate it?

Could you please share what the 12 steps are?

The world is in Sexual chaos, and it will only take our commitment and the Holy spirit to overcome.
John 17:17 let the word of God Sanctify us, we must obey Jesus to the Fullest.

Addiction is a class of mental illness. I think psycologists would back me on this. Addiction has come when the person becomes physically emotionally dependent on the substance or act involved.

SLE

Originally Posted by jiggyfly

SLE, I am curious, what does AA say about Jesus? When it comes to the Gospel of Christ , are they for it, against it or just tolerate it?

Could you please share what the 12 steps are?

AA's sole function is to help alcoholics/drug addicts to stay sober/clean. We do not promote Christianity or any other religious belief. Our goal is to help a person get sober/clean and get started on a path to spiritual growth starting with believing in the existence of a Higher Power.

Once the person comes to grips with the Higher Power concept, they are encouraged to pursue spiritual growth on their own. As an AA member, I have seen quite a number of recovering folks get back into church and plug into Jesus again, but that happened because they freely chose to respond to God drawing them as per John 6:44. They were encouraged to develop a searching heart and when they did, God moved in their lives.

SLE

Originally Posted by SpiritLedEd

I've been in 12-step recovery (alcoholism) for twenty years and in all that time, I've never seen a newcomer in the program who had a heallthy relationship with God at the beginning of the recovery process. To a man (or woman), they have no care about God. A few have never heard of him, but most have rejected religion for one reason or another and, therefore, rejected God and his Word.

Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him......" (Jn 6:44). Some of these people come to relationship with Jesus through the twelve steps I mentioned earlier. Only when they begin to respond to the Father's call do they begin to respond to his Word. Many of my AA friends say "God brought me to AA and AA brought me to God".

Its true that addiction is sin, but pointing a finger at addicts and saying they are living in sin only serves to push them further away from God. When I was drinking (before I came to Christ), had anyone told me I was sinning I would have told them to go to the same place they were trying to tell me I was going to.

One final point: No one becomes an addict intentionally. The addict's first drink or drug is always intended to be "just this one time". Then, as the folks in recovery say, "I take the drink/drug then it takes me"; having no spiritual foundation to counteract the lure of drink or drug, they slide into addiction.

SLE

Brother Ed, please forgive me if I find your message does not align with the Word of God. You seem to be suggesting that anyone who preaches a man can be set free from sexual immorality by the power of God, once and for all is lacking in compassion and/or wisdom about the strength of its hold on him, and doesnt understand that it takes time to quit being immoral.

First of all, nowheres in the Word of GOD, does GOD call sexual immorality something to be "recovered" from. Chist didnt die on a cross so we could "recover" from sin, but by His death, He demands that we DIE TO SIN. And GOD isnt saying go ahead and take your good ole` time about it either! The only place GOD mentions time in reference to sin, is when He says "I gave you time to repent and you did not!" So much for being given more time.

1Pe 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to those sins and live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

I am greatly troubled by your second statement which I highlighted:
"Its true that addiction is sin, but pointing a finger at addicts and saying they are living in sin only serves to push them further away from God."

Now, this creates a problem, because the Word of GOD calls sexual immorality a SIN, not an addiction, and hence I dont think it can be comparted to drinking. (tho that preferred terminology of addiction sure creates a convenient excuse not to quit being sexually immoral)

But most importantly, it is GOD who has commanded his people to quit living in sin, not I! (God is Holy, because of His great love us, He commands us to be Holy, so we can draw close to Him, certainly not be pushed farther away)

Col 3:1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep focusing on the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Keep your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ your life is revealed, then you, too, will be revealed with him in glory. So put to death your worldly impulses: sexual sin, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry).
It is because of these things that the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient.

Sure, its quite likely that there are some who may read this who are as yet children of the devil, who would tell me to go to hell for the message I preach, the Word of GOD also covers that:

1Jo 3:2 Dear friends, we are now God's children, but what we will be like has not been revealed yet. We know that when Christ is revealed we will be like him, because we will see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope based on him keeps himself pure, just as he is pure.
Everyone who keeps living in sin also practices disobedience. In fact, sin is disobedience. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and there is not any sin in him. No one who remains in him goes on sinning. The one who goes on sinning hasn't seen him or known him.
Little children, don't let anyone deceive you. The person who practices righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous.
The person who practices sin belongs to the evil one, because the devil has been sinning since the beginning. The reason that the Son of God was revealed was to destroy the works of the devil.
No one who has been born from God practices sin, because God's seed abides in him. Indeed, he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born from God.
This is how God's children and the devil's children are distinguished. No person who fails to practice righteousness and to love his brother is from God. This is the message that you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who was from the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's were righteous.

AA’s literature is permeated with the dogma, taught faithfully to its members, that "once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic." There is no "cure" offered, only continual abstinence from all alcoholic beverages.

Now of course the unregenerate man cannot hope for better than this. But the man how has been born again, does have a better hope as it is written in Hebrews 7: A better hope is introduced by which we approach God...
Therefore, because he always lives to intercede for them, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him.

The dogma and glad refrain of the church (may it ever be) as witnessed by the literature and personal testimony of blood bought saints of God for over 2000 years:

"Down at the cross where my Savior died,
Down where for cleansing from sin I cried,
There to my heart was the blood applied;
Glory to His Name!

...Oh, precious fountain that saves from sin,
I am so glad I have entered in;
There Jesus saves me and keeps me clean;
Glory to His Name!

Glory to His Name, glory to His Name,
Glory to His Name!"

Joh 8:36 "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!"

The power and strength of this promise has not faded over time, but it is still as true today, if any man will come to Christ, He is willing, and oh so able to set him free!

1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Mat 5:6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

2Pe 2:9 The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations.

1Co 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is unusual for human beings. But God is faithful, and he will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength. Instead, along with the temptation he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to endure it.

Now a man can have a worldly sorrow for his sin, which is not godly sorrow at all...as is clearly shown in the words of one mans testimony "After I indulged myself, my prayer for forgiveness/deliverence became as much of a habit as my sexual sin ..." This is just offering lip service to God and as long as a man is not truly sorrowful for his sin, he can expect to remain in bondage to it.
Some men are just sorry they got caught, or real sorry their sinful habit cost them their marriage, or sorry for the way it makes them feel sick, but like a poorly digested meal, they soon get over the 'feeling' sorry, and go right back to sinning. This is not the same as bowing down before God, and seeing the ugliness of sin in the light of His holiness, and crying out to Him in repentance. Let a man change his mind about what he is doing, (which is the biblical definition of repentance) with a truly sorrowful heart, and that man will find deliverance!

Isa 59:1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

Psa 51:17 The offerings of God are a broken spirit; a broken and sorrowing heart, O God, you will not put from you.

2Co 7:10 Having sorrow in a godly way results in repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regrets. But the sorrow of the world produces death.

Christ conquered sin on the cross. If we have been raised up with Christ, we have no obligation to the sinful nature. That is our deliverance. It is in that we must learn to walk in. Deliverance is instant, it is thorough AND its ongoing. This deliverance does not mean we may never be tempted again, but God commands us not only to "flee" temptation, but provides us with the power to "withstand" temptation.

1Jo 4:4 Children, you belong to God, and you have defeated these enemies. God's Spirit is in you and is more powerful than the one that is in the world.

1Jo 2:14 I have written to you young men, because you are strong and because God's word remains in you and you have overcome the evil one...

1Jo 5:4 Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory. No one can defeat the world without having faith in Jesus as the Son of God.

2Ti 2:19 God's solid foundation still stands. It has this inscription on it: "The Lord knows those who belong to him," and "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from evil."

"Ultimately, we have to look to God for the standard of sexual purity, and the one He set goes far beyond the externals:

"You have heard that it was said, `you shall not commit adultery'; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Note that Jesus transitioned from the physical to the spiritual when He set God’s standard for sexual purity. While men focus on the externals, God looks at the heart, for this is where “evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness and slanders” come from (Mathew 15:19.)

Jesus left no loopholes when He set The Standard for sexual purity; in the instant we lust in our heart we’ve sinned, or “lost our sobriety.” There’s no “3 second rule,” as some have advocated.

God’s standard for sexual purity is impossible, and I believe He intended it that way. Only God can transform a filthy, lust and self absorbed heart into a pure one.

With God’s standard of sexual purity, I’m forced to my knees. The white flag is up, and I have to declare bankruptcy; the battle is over before it starts, and I’m on the losing side. I’m doomed to failure every time I try to live up to God’s standard, as I can’t clean up my heart. This means I have to drop the idea that I have the power inside of me “to be good enough,” and lean hard on God every day if I want to live free from lust. Ezekiel 36:26 says: "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” I can’t brag about having X number of months or days of “sobriety,” because the freedom from sin I enjoy today is a gift from the Lord.

Finding true sexual purity, which is freedom from lust in the heart, does not come from abstinence. Freedom is found when an empty, starved miserable heart is filled with the love of God. If a man abstains from sin but still has an empty heart, in the end he will go back to lust or some other counterfeit love (as I did). What we’re really after is to have our heart filled with something much more powerful, wonderful, and purer than lust.

In The Pursuit of God, AW Tozer writes:

“For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, and unless and until the hearers find God in personal experience they are not the better for having heard the truth. The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.”

Once you’ve tasted and known the “inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of your heart,” you will gain the power to live up to His impossible standard of sexual purity. A heart that’s thriving and pumping with the love of God has no hunger for the pathetic counterfeits like lust. When you make knowing and loving God your goal, you gain sexual purity. But when you make mere abstinence, (or sobriety, as men call it) the goal you’ll continue to fail, because there’s no power in it. The imperative of scripture is not to “be good enough for God to love you,” but to know Him, as Paul wrote in Phillippians 3:8-11:

“More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”

Righteousness, i.e. a pure heart, comes after we know Christ and have made Him the Lord of our lives. He won’t waste time trying to compete with our other gods, such as lust, work, food, relationships, the pleasures of life – or our pride over something like “sobriety.” We have to make a furious, consistent, no compromise, all-out effort to make Him first, like Paul, who “suffered the loss of all things.”

“It is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself… the Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God” writes Tozer. I meet a lot of Christian sex addicts who have volumes of Bible stored in their head, done plenty of wonderful ministry, and have never had their souls nourished by Jesus. They’ve not “tasted and known the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.” They may know the theology of grace, but it’s not touched their heart. They’re just as empty and miserable as I was.

Sexual Sobriety Isn't Enough