Question from a Site Viewer
There is no doubt that all Christians sin willfully against God, somewhere in their walk. However, the true believers eventually recognize their transgressions and repent. As explained by John MacArther there are those believers who continue sinning willfully against God and NEVER repent. God will then turn their minds into “reprobate minds” and turn their hearts away from him. Once this happens there is no turning back to God. Because he will then allow calamity to strike and death will soon follow. This I know to be true because it hapend to me and I am so horribly ill and miserable that suicide is my only escape from 24 hours a day of excruciating pain. And we all know there is no forgiveness for those who take their own life. Am a right or am I wrong? I’ve seen nowhere in the Bible where anyone dies by his own hands and God pardons the murder of self. I think that you are wrong in your advice. Sin only leads to more sin which leads to blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (rejecting God’s salvation) which leads to sickness and then death. Which is why God is always warning us not to sin. One can push God too far, or to the point of no forgiveness.
Furthermore there is the question of predestination. I personally believe that Calvin was 100 percent right when he said that God chooses us and not the other way around. Thousands of people choose Christ as their savior but fall away forever and are lost. In other words, if one chooses Christ and his or her name is not in the book of the living there is no way that person is going to finish the race as a Christian. God will make sure that he or she does not finish the race.
I was taught 30 years ago that God is always loving and forgiving. However, with constant backsliding I found the horrible reality of living in constant fear, pain, illness and depression. If God truly wanted me to finish the race he would have given me an understanding of my backsliding and what misery it caused me, however, I could not see the forest for the trees. Therefore I am now lost for eternity. In other words there is always forgiveness for one who has their name in the “Book of Life” and there will not be forgiveness for one whose name is not there. It would have been better for me had I never tried to be born again.
Tim’s Answer
I apologize for not being able to respond sooner. My heart goes out to you. But I want you to know that no matter who says what about God, the God you depict is not the God of Scripture. There is no Scripture that would support a position that God will turn minds into reprobate minds and turn hearts away from Him. I challenge anyone to provide such a Scripture. While Scripture affirms that God gives people over to their own debased minds (Romans 1:28), God does not turn minds into reprobate minds nor does God ever turn hearts away from Him. To the contrary, Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). He is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). And, He has reconciled Himself to the world and now pleads with us to be reconciled to Him (2 Corinthians 5:18-21).
No matter what one believes on predestination, election, the sovereignty of God, the presence or absence of the free will on the part of man, Scripture does not support the type of resignation or determinism that you have expressed. To the contrary, God plainly states that those who have been chosen by God for judgment, when they turn to God, will always find mercy. This is what Scripture expressly states in many places (Judges 10:11-16; Jeremiah 18:6-10; 26:3, 12-13; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:24:2). God is merciful to all (Romans 11:32). We can choose to seek after God (2 Chronicles 15:4, 15; 17:4; 22:9; 26:5; Psalm 34:4; 77:2; 119:10; Isaiah 55:6; 65:10; Matthew 7:7; Acts 17:27). That is our choice. Fatalism is never part of biblical theology.
Even strongly Calvinist preachers such as Jonathan Edwards called upon people to seek after God. And if you listen to John MacArthur, you will find him calling on people to repent. This is the call of God Himself (Acts 17:30). And in case you think that your sins have been too bad for God to forgive, look to King Manasseh. Manasseh knew what was right. He was the son of a good king. But he deliberately turned away from God. He did evil according to the abominations of the nations that were before him (2 Chronicles 33:2). He also built altars to foreign gods in the temple of God (2 Chronicles 33:4). He built altars to the host of heaven (2 Chronicles 33:5). He caused his sons to pass through the fire (2 Chronicles 33:6). He practiced sorcery, consulted mediums and spirits, and did “much evil in the sight of the LORD” (2 Chronicles 33:6). He even set up a carved image in the house of God (2 Chronicles 33:7). He seduced Judah to do more evil than the nations who were before him (2 Chronicles 33:9). If there was ever a person who had sinned so much that he was past the point of forgiveness, Manasseh should have been that person. He is described as the person who did the most in Scripture to turn God’s wrath against him. But we find that even with Manasseh God’s character as a forgiving God is not forgotten. When Manasseh repented, God restored him (2 Chronicles 33:13). What brought about Manasseh’s restoration was that he “implored the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers” (2 Chronicles 33:12). Don’t tell me that you are worse than Manasseh.
The only thing that can keep any of us from God is our own pride. If we think we are too good for God, too bad for God, too anything for God, we will find that to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. But, if we will humble ourselves before God, seek His face, turn from our wickedness, acknowledge our sins, and seek to follow Him, we will find forgiveness and restoration. This is who God is (Exodus 34:6-7). He is the God of mercy. God has issued a promise and backed it up by His own immutability, that those who flee to Him for refuge will have an anchor of the soul (Hebrews 6:17-20). Those who draw near to Him will find that He will draw near to them (James 4:8). This is His promise.
You state that you have lived a life of constant backsliding. Such indicates to me that you had a desire to live for Christ but that you were like the man the Apostle Paul describes at the end of Romans 7 who could not find a way to live rightly before God. There is another way to live. There is no victory in Romans 7. There is no defeat in Romans 8. Those who live by striving to do what is right will always find failure. We cannot love God by keeping the commandments, whether they be Old Testament commandments or New Testament ones. This is the teaching of Galatians 3-5. But we can keep His commandments by loving Him. Love must always come first. If we love Him, then everything else will fall into place. Thus, our effort must be geared towards loving God. And love comes naturally to those who (1) spend time with another, (2) seek to bless the other, and (3) are thankful for the other. This is where walking with the Spirit provides such a different way to live out the Christian life. Those who walk with the Spirit will always find victory (Galatians 5:25).
What does it mean to walk in the Spirit? Walking with God is such a huge concept in Scripture. Enoch walked with God (Genesis 5:24). Noah walked with God (Genesis 6:9). Abraham and Isaac walked before God (Genesis 48:15). Levi walked with God (Malachi 2:6). The disciples walked with Christ (John 6:66). Walking with someone is the concept of being in close fellowship with them, of being beside them in the daily journey of life. When we walk with the Spirit, we are in close fellowship with the Comforter whom Christ gave to be our helper (John 14:16-17; 26; 15:26). Such a walk is one of liberty (Galatians 5:1), not bondage. It is freeing, not condemning. It is praying without ceasing—constant communion with the God we love. It is making Christ a part of everyday life. We do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the Father through Him (Colossians 3:17). He becomes the life we live (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:4). We become one with Him, even as Jesus prayed in John 17:21-23. We cease striving and start simply trusting in His grace and salvation. We abide in Him (John 15). Trying to please God by trying to do right things simply never works. But a heart that begins to focus on what He has done for us, and in gratitude responds with praise and adoration to God, much like the woman in Luke 7:47, will find the favor of God. It will be a heart that grows in love for God and for man. Thus, our religion ceases to be about us measuring up, but rather about us renewing our minds by growing in love for God through focusing our eyes on Jesus Himself (Hebrews 12:2; Psalm 16:8). He welcomes the sinner back, whether it is 7 times, 70 x 7, or many multiples of this. We all stumble in many ways (James 3:2). But there is a God whose grace abounds over our sins.
This is true, whether we are at the end of life or the beginning. The thief on the cross could be received into paradise (Luke 23:43). It is the nature of Satan to accuse us and cause us to think that we are the ones who are outside of His grace. It is the nature of the Father to forgive us and welcome us back. And He is more than willing to forgive, even after we have squandered all of our inheritance (Luke 15:11-32).
I encourage you to make a fresh start with Christ. If you confess your sin, He is faithful and just to forgive you (1 John 1:9). There is no condition on this promise of God no matter what one believes about predestination. John MacArthur would urge you to do the same thing. A broken and contrite heart God will not despise (Psalm 51:17; Isaiah 66:2). Those who come broken before God will find that God will be pleased to dwell with them (Isaiah 57:15). Put your past behind, and like Paul reach to what lies before (Philippians 3:13). Seek Christ every day, and all through the day. Such may not remove all of the pain in your life, but seeking the God who promises to be found (Jeremiah 29:13-14; Matthew 7:7) may do more for you than you ever dreamed. Seek Him. He is a gracious God, as His saints have long known. His delight is in rescuing people from darkness and bringing them into Christ (Luke 15:7, 10). He has no delight in the destruction of anyone, but rather desires for them to be saved ((Ezekiel 18:19-32; 33:11; 1 Timothy 2:4).
May you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and come to know His welcoming embrace and the awesome meaning of what it is to have a Savior.
a sojourner seeking the face of God,
tim
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Hi,
I love your article, but lost all my faith in you
How can you challenge us to provide proof when the word clearly uses the term reprobate and gave over.
Please refer to king james Rom 1 : 28
Im very sorry for my rudeness,
Johan Coetzee
That’s not the context of Romans 1. Paul is beginning to deliver the greatest gospel presentation ever recorded but before he can preach Gods grace and forgiveness he has to show the entire gentile world is condemned before God. The context is that since the fall, the gentile world has slipped further and further away from God through sin. Even though God has given man a consciousness of right and wrong man has deliberately rebelled through sin. So then God withdraws himself from mankind. Mankind in turn makes his own gods through idol worship in a futile attempt to reestablish fellowship. It’s the people in chapter 1 Paul is trying to reach in his gospel presentation. Except when he’s talking to the believer of course.
Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
“Please!!! clear this up because the bible does say, “God gave them over to a reprobate mind” I will have to disagree with you until you explain this
It starts “and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge…”, its the peoples choice first, God just gives them over to it, he won’t save the unwilling, he doesn’t force salvation, huge difference then just giving you over “for his glory”. People need to end this unbiblical new hyper calvinism.
So what if you were unwilling & told God to leave you alone so you can live your own life. Then after a while you sense The Holy Spirits presence reducing. But then you find yourself in darkness & you repent & cry out to God. Then all the stories come into your mind about Esau, King Saul etc.. Who were never forgiven. No matter how carefully Saul tried to repent. Then you see yourself in the exact same place, cut off & hopeless but you still desire your relationship with God back & spend years, crying pleading begging God to come back into your heart, But nothing?
First of all, I am not a biblical scholar or anything but I would like to help clear out some things with what the Word has given me for a bit here and leave it to God to comfort you.
A very short answer to your question would be the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke. Please read it and let God entreat to you the truth.
My limited interpretation would be that God is always ready to receive us. Even if we have rejected Him, for as long as we want to return to His side, we may do so. But the pre-requisite to this would be our salvation which is made sure by Jesus’s death and resurrection. For us to claim the promise of God’s welcome, we must first become His children which He had given to us (John 1:12).
God bless you.
Thank you Rey.
God bless you too!
Saul repented to man, not to God. And his heart was not wanting God but just wanting to that man houner him. David wanted God and repetend of his sin to God. That’s why God forgave home. If Saul did the same I’m sure God would have forgiven him.
Whenever, I feel abandoned, rejected, alone, condemned, separated, overwhelmed by my failures I humble myself, look to Jesus, and say, Father this burden is to heavy, you said in Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” I then remember Jesus carried all of this for me and died the death I deserved. I give it to Jesus and thank Him for what He has done for me. Becoming reprobate is one’s choice which that choice is given by God. He is not going to force us to follow Him.
It felt like I was dying. I wish i could go back. I have ADHD so it causes me from what I’ve noticed to not have any real commitment to anyone or anything. I want to please God but it seems he makes it tough for ppl like me. Im impatient, hot tempered, no self control, lack of understanding, a little slow, depressed a lot now. I want to be free I want to love I want God but I don’t see how I can have him after all of done and not knowing what to do at this point. I just wish I knew better in the past.
Good day wilo. I dare not say that I can relate with your problems as I don’t have the conditions you have but I know that God’s Word speaks to us all.
God changes us. Some aspects He changes instantly, some more slowly because we choose to cling to those things and that is our nature, to sin.
But God gave Christ to us and whoever receives Him is a new person.
2Co_5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
I implore you to make sure you are saved using the guarantee of Christ’s death and resurrection. After that, search the Word of God for His promises that He WILL give to His children.
God bless you.
No matter what you’ve done, if you want to return to God or come to God for the first time that means the Holy Spirit is drawing you to himself. John 6:44. If anyone was a reprobate they wouldn’t know it or wouldn’t care. If you care it’s never too late.
But doesn’t the word of God state that they throw away their confidence and now are left with a fearful expectation of fiery judgement? So they are aware of the consequences?
Hi Emily,
You are right that God’s Word warns us of the consequences of abandoning Jesus and the salvation He accomplished for us in the New Covenant. The author of Hebrews goes on to say that “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (10:31). But abandoning Jesus is not merely a one time decision. Every day we must choose who to love and serve. Every day is a new opportunity to follow Jesus.
-Nathan
She said the people that are expecting to go to hell because they continually sinned. Can those people be forgiven
I’ve prayed and prayed, fasted and wept and yet I still feel rejected. I was genuinely converted but walked away into a sinful lifestyle. Returning to God is not easy. I’ve repented as best I could but it seems superficial and fleshy; I know what it is to have walked with God however brief it was. Why hasn’t my prayers been answered? I want to be reconciled with God; have I been cast off according to Hebrews 6:1–8?
Hi Christopher,
I know this reply comes late, but I am praying for you today that you would continue to seek the Lord. God sees your heart. He didn’t send His Son and His Spirit because you are good enough. He sent His Son to save you and He sent His Spirit to transform you. You can trust Him in your failure, knowing that He isn’t giving up on you. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:15-16). Chose to trust and follow Him today.
-Nathan
I struggle with food addiction so you are not alone. It is aweful. I personally believe I need deliverance. The only reason I haven’t done it is that I am afraid they will come back seven times worse upon disobedience. Not much confidence I can eradicate this completely. The Holy Spirit is going to have to do it.
Wilo, petros is right. You are just a step away from where you need to be. You have acknowledged that you have erred against God. You have even acknowledge the harm that these bad choices have affected your life. John 3:16 says, for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son that whose over believeth on him, should not perish but have eternal life. If you are a sinner believe now! In your heart. If you are a Christian already, repent. Find your way today. Get to know God. Commune with Him. Get a time desegnated just for him. The more you do this, the more His spirit begins to dwell in you. Once His spirit dwells in you, no demonic force can come inside to attack you. You must still be equipped with the word for future attac
Return to Him and He will return to you. Forsake your sin.
Tim… I totally and completely understand where you’re coming from! That was a great encouragement for that man to be able to find his way back with God nothing is impossible the mercy of God is new every morning so anything can happen if we have a repentant heart as long as we are breathing there is still hope… You’re right about Manasseh if there was hope for him due to the fact that he repented it could happen for anyone you just have to believe! Thank you Tim that was very inspiring for someone who really needed to hear that! And I also feel that no other comment needs to be said all that man needs is some encouragement not to be discouraged! In Jesus name ……
I agree, tim was very encouraging.
As long as God is dealing with you about repentance and seeking his face one should never give up ever God will never leave you nor for sake you he will never reject a broken and contrite heart! Never never give up or stop trying you can become an over comer IN Jesus Name…..
Sandra, I’m not sure why your comments, out of all the comments here, broke through to my spirit today and allowed me to praise God and finally see and accept that he’s returned to me after years of serious depression and worry from turning my back on him through a sin for a time. Thank you for not hesitating in writing what the Holy Spirit put on your heart and God bless you!
Jerome, the best thing to understand is this, God is God and you are not. Just a way to say God knows things we dont. He dwells in eternity past and eternity future. He knows the final out come of mens lives. So, this is why He already has ours (those that believe) names written in the “Book of Life”. Its not that God chose some and rejected others. No, it just seems that way, as we only see from a limited view (through a glass darkly), were as Gods view is not limited! As truthsaves said; “Return to Him and He will return to you. Forsake your sin.” This comes from the scripture; “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.” James 4:8. “Now the God of…
I am 39 I recieved Christ in spirit and in truth for the first time this Feb, i found him in an apostolic church..he came to me that night and he hasnt left me since..he is in spirit and in truth he reveals to us all things as we are able to receive it..the more you go to him in prayer..the more you confess your sins to him out loud speak his name and be not be ashamed the more you seek his face the more he will prepare you to receive the spirit of truth..the body is the temple of God…it must be cleansed of your sins..go to the alter and continue to praise his name receive the holy ghost….which is the gift from heaven..always seek his face…and continue to read Gods word… And believe in his sons name Jesus.Satan will flee..
I don’t know any of you, but I love you all and will continue to pray for all. Pray to GOD to save you, let him lead you to where the true word of GOD is being preached. There you will find HIM. Ask for HIM to save you and wait for HIM to prick your hearts. When HE does, give everything to HIM, sincerely repent for your sins and have faith HE will save you. Give HIM everything. If HE deals with your heaart, then the GOD is dealing with you directly, personally, and wants to save you.
Hi
I have been in the sin of fornication. I have tried to stop but find myself calling the lady to my place every single time against my will. I heard Paul say the flesh should be given to Satan to save the spirit. I don’t care what happens to me I just want to be able to go back home; to God
Hope, I am praying that God would give you encouragement today to continue fighting against sin and temptation. I also challenge you to confess your sin to a fellow believer and ask for help. James 5:16 says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” We need each other in our battle against sin.
I have walked with jesus before and turned my back on him about 8 years ago. My life has descended into sin after sin since then to the point of I now face trial and probable prison. Being released on bail I prayed for the first time in years and turned back to God.
I have a lot of suffering yet to face but am putting my faith fully in jesus and vowing to walk alone no more.
God is good and brings good from any situation. My suffering is a small price to pay to be back with HIM.
First of the scripture says the ONLY thing that will keep you out of his rest is UNBELIEF!!! Second of all , God promises to finish the work he began in you!!!! So do not be dismayed that Jesus will take back the free gift he gave you!!! Only humans do that kind of stuff!
O friends. Every negative comment on here, I live..I’ve been searching to prove the bible is wrong, that God doesn’t exist, and everywheree I research, it is impossible to hide from him, yet his spirit doesn’t reside in me. Don’t know how to repent for the 6th time. I’ve become double minded after all the drugs and all the medications they put me on to get off them. I started to pray just now, and an authoritive stern voice inside said” ohhh no! don’t even try it. you think you can do…
Your being on this site, seeking Christ, is sign that your spirit is not dead and the Holy Spirit is still nudging you on with his ‘still quiet voice’.
I lived in the same space as you, in daily agony over the knowingly turning from Christ for years, doing horrible things on purpose, had turned my mind over. I felt that the presence of Christ had left me. I had tragedy, sickness, hardship for 3 years as I begged for Christ to return to be and forgive me.
I now know that he was with me the whole time. I had searching, learning, and meditating on his Word to do. I had shrunk the voice of the Holy Spirit so much and practiced ignoring him for so long, that it took time to open back up and turn off the voice of Satan. Don’t allow the enemy to whisper in your ear any longer, you are a child of God and he has not abandon you! Praise him today for his mercies, blessings and forgiveness. Pray for wisdom, for your heart to be softened to the voice of God’s spirit!! He is still with you and your being here is evidence that the Holy Spirit can still guide you!
Hope you are better and please don’t listen to those spirits. God loves you.
I really dont know what to do anymore. I feel like totally left and given over. Now i see my life perfectly matching up with hebrews 6,4 and 10,26. I have hardened my heart so heavily. Although i made several professions I realized that i never had a real relationship to jesus. And now i think i am spiritual blind. I want to Jesus because I KNOW he is everything but i cant see the glory and his light. Its like in my mind i know i need him but my heart desires the things of the world.
I need you to know something. Because you never fully came to Him, you haven’t fallen away forever and aren’t reprobate. Come to Him properly and NEVER let go. I did and it was THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME. Then I let my
old sins take over my life again for years without repenting and seeking Him. And I’m now reprobate. It’s a double dose of eternal damnation for me. You better hurry up and get on with it. I’d give anything to be in your position. To just have one more chance with God. JUST ONE MORE CHANCE. I would never make the same mistakes again.
Please don’t give up… this may all just be a torture trick from the devil..
They basically even said Jesus was going to hell, I know the feeling but I’m starting to feel hope also.
Hey, i want you to realize that the LORD promised that if you seek Him, you will find Him. The devil will do all he can to attack your faith, and youre really giving in to his lies. Repent, and turn to God. Cry out to Him to save you and to forgive you, do you truly believe that the blood of Jesus is enough to cleanse you of your past and all sins? Or do you let the devil lie to you and make you think that His blood isnt enough? God is beyond more powerful than the devil. Seek Him!
I was given over to a reprobate mind when I turn to willful sinning and the Holy Spirit departed from me. I wish so badly to turn back to God, but that chance is over for me. The sad thing is I did turn back to God and repent of my sin. But somehow it was too late. Seems my heart had hardened. I just want God back so badly. It’s torment to live each day knowing what is awaiting me for eternity. Please do not play with sin. Stay close to God…
I am hopeless too. I spent the whole year 2020 willfully sinning after being a professing Christian and after not being grateful for Jesus Christ and now God has given me over to a reprobate mind..
Anyone wanna talk. Same boat. I love the people of Christ. I think I lost it. Maybe we could get a group chat!
I was given over also. I was involved with the occult and had an antichrist spirit. God chastened me twice. The last time I was sick for 3 yrs with a total inability to sleep. He healed me after 3 yrs and I was stronger physically and mentally then I ever was. After a couple yrs. I drifted away again into apostacy. Now the same sickness came back even worse for the last 8 months ive been miserably ill. I had a dream I was burning in fire before I got sick. I believe I was blotted out of the book of life. My whole life is in ruin. I must be the most spiritually dead person on the planet.
Gabriel,Your being on this site, seeking Christ, is sign that your spirit is not dead and the Holy Spirit is still nudging you on with his ‘still quiet voice’.
I lived in the same space as you, in daily agony over the knowingly turning from Christ for years, doing horrible things on purpose, had turned my mind over. I felt that the presence of Christ had left me. I had tragedy, sickness, hardship for 3 years as I begged for Christ to return to be and forgive me.
I now know that he was with me the whole time. I had searching, learning, and meditating on his Word to do. I had shrunk the voice of the Holy Spirit so much and practiced ignoring him for so long, that it took time to open back up and turn off the voice of Satan. Don’t allow the enemy to whisper in your ear any longer, you are a child of God and he has not abandon you! Praise him today for his mercies, blessings and forgiveness. Pray for wisdom, for your heart to be softened to the voice of God’s spirit!! He is still with you and your being here is evidence that the Holy Spirit can still guide you!
It is never to late! God has not abandoned us. Reject that lie and believe God’s word unto salvation. Just because you feel or think lost or separated from God doesn’t mean it is the Gospel truth. 2 Timothy 2:13 “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” Yes we can be faithless, but He is faithful, so draw near to Him, not by you merits, but by His in Christ Jesus. Jesus was abandoned, forsaken and rejected. He took our place and judgement on the cross. God is no longer counting our sins, 2 Corinthians 5:19. Now that is something to be really thankful about. Daily we need to remind our selves of this.
Man I wish I could just wipe away my memories to restart it again. I hate the reprobate mind.
I am also reprobate and suicidal. Some people become aware when they’re reprobate and some don’t. I’m aware. There is no greater terror, but that terror is only beginning. Thinking about eternal hell has me in chains all day everyday. I’m so sorry this has happened to you. I know your torture and torment very well.
I am afraid I have become reprobate. How can one know when they have reached that state. I have deep doubts that God will save me as I am hardened to sin. Please can someone help me as I am in a state of desperation
James, Your being on this site, seeking Christ, is sign that your spirit is not dead and the Holy Spirit is still nudging you on with his ‘still quiet voice’.
I lived in the same space as you, in daily agony over the knowingly turning from Christ for years, doing horrible things on purpose, had turned my mind over. I felt that the presence of Christ had left me. I had tragedy, sickness, hardship for 3 years as I begged for Christ to return to be and forgive me.
I now know that he was with me the whole time. I had searching, learning, and meditating on his Word to do. I had shrunk the voice of the Holy Spirit so much and practiced ignoring him for so long, that it took time to open back up and turn off the voice of Satan. Don’t allow the enemy to whisper in your ear any longer, you are a child of God and he has not abandon you! Praise him today for his mercies, blessings and forgiveness. Pray for wisdom, for your heart to be softened to the voice of God’s spirit!! He is still with you and your being here is evidence that the Holy Spirit can still guide you!
I pray we all seek God, Love our Lord and Savior with all our hearts. This is how we should walk. If we love Jesus and the Father we must stop sinning and seek our God with all our heart. Meditate on Jesus, the Father, the Holy Spirit and swim in the words of the Bible morning, night and all time in between. Before we act on anything we should ask our selves if this action will glorify God. If it is possible to have a reprobate mind then I would pray that Gods Will will be done and that my life and all lives will (even in the smallest way) bring glory to our Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and that many may find salvation through the examples we set.
However, I will work to have faith in Jesus and if he says I can be saved then I will believe it. If our God says that he will forgive me then I will believe it. I cast my fears, worries, and sins at his feet. I will repent no matter how many times I have sinned or will sin against Him. When the day comes that I take my last breath I pray he will have mercy on me through Jesus Christ our Savior and that I will be with my God for all eternity. If not I pray that my life was not in vain and that I was used even if just once in the salvation of another. .
Till that day I pray we all have faith in Jesus, believe in His words and that we are all in Gods hand forever. Repent even if its the billionth time, even if you feel its helpless, because that shows love for our God. If we say we love Him then we will believe His words and obey.
This is to all that feel they’ve lost their place with Christ. Your being on this site, seeking Christ, is sign that your spirit is not dead and the Holy Spirit is still nudging you on with his ‘still quiet voice’.
I lived in the same space as you, in daily agony over the knowingly turning from Christ for years, doing horrible things on purpose, had turned my mind over. I felt that the presence of Christ had left me. I had tragedy, sickness, hardship for 3 years as I begged for Christ to return to be and forgive me. Today I’m overjoyed and crying with joy, literally.
I now know that he was with me the whole time. I had searching, learning, and meditating on his Word to do. I had shrunk the voice of the Holy Spirit so much and practiced ignoring him for so long, that it took time to open back up and turn off the voice of Satan. Don’t allow the enemy to whisper in your ear any longer, you are a child of God and he has not abandon you! Praise him today for his mercies, blessings and forgiveness. Pray for wisdom, for your heart to be softened to the voice of God’s spirit!! He is still with you and your being here is evidence that the Holy Spirit can still guide you!
Get on your knees and praise him for his forgiveness, remove the things from your life that bring struggle with sin and even those things that remind you of your sin and cause your spirit to be downcast. Know in your mind, congress with your mouth that you are a child of God, forgiven by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Take back your mind now and see what he’s done for you!