I didn't realize I was saved that night. I had freedom from pornography and masturbation. I was no longer a slave to it. Yet months later, when I really came to realize the doctrine of regeneration, what it meant to be born-again. I realized, "Whoa - I wasn't saved at 6."
Remember what he did to Goliath, he not only hit him in the head but he took the sword and cut his head off to make sure he wasn't going to rise up. Radical!
Diego grew up in the church and only by God's Grace was saved in Christ alone at a older age. He was molested by a Catholic Priest when he was younger. He could of easily blamed God and denied the Lord because of the sins of a human sinner.
Listen to me, how often do you cry out to God for greater and greater manifestations of the Spirit's power in your life? Two things about the Holy Spirit one is that we must be asking for greater manifestation of the Spirits power in our life and we must be careful. Walk on eggshells that we not grieve the Holy Spirit. What a precious treasure, that we not grieve Him. Well these are just some principles that I thought might help you because they both hurt and helped me so let's pray.
The reality is in Ephesians 5:5 that no idolater will inherit the kingdom of God. The sad reality is there are thousands of people who have their Calvinism/Arminianism, and that is their God. It is not about Christ, it is about knowledge. Do not be deceived you will not inherit the Kingdom of God unless you can let go of your pride.
Should we be afraid of verses like this?
For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5andhave tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. - Hebrews 6:4-6
Is masturbation/self-gratification a sin? It says in Ephesians 5:5 that no sexual immoral people go to heaven. So if this is a sin, then many people are truly in danger.
Freedom from masturbation and pornography does not come through any self-effort works based salvation but through justification by faith in Jesus Christ.
Sin is heavy. It is very heavy and every sin a man commits, every sin a woman commits, every sin a child commits; it weights heavier and heavier and heavier and the measure of their sin is going up.
Question: How would you counsel someone if they came to you and they said "I am falling into this sin of pornography on the internet." How would you help them discern whether they are lost and a slave to sin or whether they are a saved and they are struggling with this sin and it is a besetting sin.
QUESTION: Hi pastor, i have a real concern about what Jesus said to his disciples, "he that is not willing to deny himself, take up his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple" I see so many Christians buying luxurious cars and living in mansions, treating themselves with every pleasure that this world can offer and it seems as if there is no conviction or even thought about what Jesus said to his disciples.Can you please clarify or explain what does it mean to deny yourself and take up your cross?and deny yourself what? What was Jesus talking about?