eric bauman
Sin Problems

I can't think of anything more frustrating in my life than falling back into the same old sins.
Sins that I thought I had beat only to find myself at their mercy once again. I shouldn't blame sin, I should blame myself. I am the one responsible for committing these vile acts. I have only myself to blame. Sure the devil can tempt me with thoughts and feelings, but it is up to me weather I fight or submit. Some times the fight seems impossible, other times I more or less gladly do it. When the fight starts to leave and resistance is weak there is a problem developing. It's just that I feel powerless these days to my sins. I feel like I have lost the victory in just about every area of my life. This is scary, because God chastens believers for their sins. Let me tell you I have been chastened for so long, I don't want any more. I am trying to walk right and want the blessings of God, I don't want to live under the bondage of sin. Where did this all go wrong?
I was listening to a sermon by Danny Castle the other day and he talked about this exact same subject. He said that backsliding and problems with sin start in the mind. The thoughts you allow into your mind can plant the seeds for problems down the road. For instance, you may have gotten right with the Lord and gotten the sin out of your life. You may be going good for about a year, then some thoughts pop up in your mind about your past. You begin thinking about it and reminiscing. Instead it could be a movie that comes on that you shouldn't watch, but you do anyways. Whatever it is, falling out of the will of God, starts with disobedience. It is not Gods will that we should sin. However minor it may seem, it can lead to major problems down the road.
I Peter 1
13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
We must be vigilant at all times. We have to be the gate keepers of our own thoughts. We can not let our mind wonder where it shouldn't then decide to stay a while. It ain't gonna work! If you catch yourself doing something that doesn't feel quite right, stop doing it. This is something I struggle with so much. I want to do something or look at something because it is enjoyable to me. This is direct disobedience to God. I was saved by grace, and at that point my will took a back seat to the will of God. There are only 2 ways a Christian can live, either in the will of God or out of the will of God. We must do our best to fight for the Lord and live for him. People may ask "then why doesn't God just change people to live right".
I seek God in prayer everyday for help with my sins. Some times it feels like my prayers are just hitting the ceiling. I come to God with a sincere heart, but nothing seems to happen. There are a few reasons for this. Yes, God wants you to pray to him. He also wants you to show your faith. God will not jump when you tell him too. He wants you to wait on him and show him your faith. God wants you to talk to him and be honest with him, like you would talk to a close friend. Another reason God doesn't just change us over night, is because he wants us to learn and grow. If we can not see the error of our ways, he will make sure we pay for it. He wants us to realize when we are messing up and thinking or doing things inappropriate. He wants to correct all of our bad behaviors that lead to major sins. For example, don't take an unnecessary stroll down the liquor isle when you struggle with alcohol. Don't think about past girlfriends/boyfriends when you struggle with lust. These are unnecessary traps that you let yourself fall into. We have to keep constant attention on what we are thinking and doing and ask "would God approve of this?" If the answer is no, stop it. The problem is that thoughts are pervasive and can keep coming back. This is what gets me and leads me into sin. We have to just keep fighting and getting the victory. One day the Lord may move and that temptation will be gone forever. Other times the Lord will do nothing and you will have to fight your whole life. What is hard to understand is that God means it for your good. It is a hard fight out there, this world is full of temptations. I am in the middle of it myself and wonder if I will every get the victory. The only way to know is to keep praying and fighting. Would you pray for me? The fight in me has grown weak, pray for my strength. I can pray for you if you comment down below. God Bless.
I hope you enjoyed this article. If you are not a Christian, I invite you to get saved now. Tomorrow may be to late. To get saved all you have to do, is admit that you are a sinner and that Jesus Christ died for your sins. The only way to take away sins is with the pure shed blood of Jesus Christ. Good works can not take away sins. If they could, then Jesus Christ died in vain. Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead as payment for all sins. Once you believe that, you are saved forever. You did nothing to earn it and you can do nothing to lose it.
I Corinthians 15
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Romans 5
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Ephesians 2
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.