Brothers and sisters, I posted this on the main Bible study board but it has such a bearing on this particular forum, that it bears duplicating. The original post was by Kimberlee in General Discussions talking about disappoinitn others and how to stop. I shared my thoughts and Quietude asked the following question, with my response. I pray for all who have battled sexual sins that their ears and hearts be opened to what God longs to do for all of us...to set us free.

Bruce, would you please share an experience in your own life in which God caused you to walk in his ways. In other words, share an instance in which God caused you to overcome a sin or bad habit. This isn't a test. I'm truly searching here. I would so like to understand what you're saying, but I lack a frame of reference similar to yours. My personal experience is one in which God has never caused me to do anything. He has given me cause to choose certain things over others—to trust him and follow him. But I have never felt that he caused me to do anything. Caused things to happen for me that I could not cause myself, yes—but never caused me to do anything. Am I misunderstanding you here?Well, Jesse, here goes my "reputation", LOL. But if I cannot be honest here, damaged reputation or not, then what good is it if I profess something that I cannot back up in real experience? My reputation is nothing, God's is everything. So here goes....

In my life, Jesse, like many others, I have had one issue that plagued me, a stronghold that satan carved out, a secret sin. For some is gambling addiction, or smoking or alcoholism or drug addiction. Mine was sexual lust and porn, and to be honest it "had" me.

My dad, when I was a child, had a stack of Playboys by his bedside table. By the time I was thirteen, I had a problem. Forty six tears later, I still fought the same issue, and I mean fought it. I fasted, I prayed, and I woulld carve out a little bit of "victory", maybe a week or two at most, and truly, to be really honest, even that was unusual. With the advent of the internet and the ease of access, it got even worse.

As I have said on here before, up till eight and a half months ago, I was living a life of bondage with a short chain around my ankle and my "freedom" roaming range was short indeed before the chain snapped taut and satan reminded me that I could go no further.

Let me interject here, that all in the flesh have the same chain around their leg, but some have a longer chain and perhaps a sin or sins that may be more "socially acceptable". Mine was of the ugly variety, and I hated it, and hated myself much of the time. I felt that if I really wanted to be free, I would simply choose to and satan had a field day with my mind and heart. I know from first hand experience what it is to be an addict and what it is like to be hounded by the accuser of the brethren.

Now nine months ago, I finally broke one night in despair and weepingly told God that I simply could not do it. I could not walk the walk that others seemed to walk easily. His commandments were too high, too hard, and even if I could obey, it was a "white knuckle" victory at best, and certainly not one I could rest in, because I always wondered where and when the next temptation would come from to tear me from fellowship with God. I had no joy and was truly at the end of my rope.

What happened next is hard to put into words. I say this with great reverence and awe. I saw God, in my spirit man, with my spiritual eyes, I heard Him with my spirit ears, and it was earth moving. Like Paul said, whether it was in my body or out, I cannot even tell you. But it was more real than real.

As I broke before Him in a puddle of tears and contrition and confessed my inabilities and the need for him to PLEASE do it in me, He spoke to me. Whether or not any believe me is really not important. He told me he knew I could not obey, right from the beginning and was pleased with me for my confession. Shock and awe are poor substitutes for what was happening to my spirit. Pleased with me? For this?? Do you know how long I had labored to hear those words and never did? He then opened up my understanding in His word to the secret I have been sharing here.


The secret? That we finally see that all our efforts will always result in failure to obey with the heart He desires, a pure one. The law is the coventant of self effort and the purpose of the law is simply to break us of our dependance and trust in ourselves to do it, to obey God. The purpose of the law was not to lead us to Gods bosom by showing us how to be righteous, but by leading us to the feet of Christ begging for mercy and grace. Rather, it was given as the schoolmaster to show us how truly we need a miracle to walk the walk with the heart God desires our obedience to spring forth from. But once it has done its work of truly, once for all, humbling us, its job is done.

It is now time for faith in HIM to do in for us, in us. This is when God directed me to the promises of God that are right there in front of us, plain for our eyes to see, yet promises that we have missed as we struggle for achieving victory, because we were blinded to the path of faith by our trust in our abilities to do it if we just "try harder!" I call it the gospel according to Nike...JUST DO IT!. It does not work...ever.


You see, we cannot believe 100% in God if there is still trust in ourselves. Until we die to self effort and reliance on our efforts to get holy, which is really frustrating the grace of God, we simply cannot put on the new man by faith which God has made available to us.


Ok, back to my "stronghold". Jesse, as God is my witness, the chains fell off me like a hot knife through cold butter. Lust was GONE. The new covenant did exactly what it said it would do. It set me free.


Practically, though, you may ask, how did it and does it continue to work out in real life? We all know we live in a sexual society, with sex used by the advertising industry to sell just about everything. You cannot run anywhere without being bombarded with temptation. Do you know what I see now? I no longer see naked bodies, or picture immoral acts, I see souls...deceived souls. I feel compassion rather than temtation to use them for my own gratification. It is simply a miracle.

It has been nine months of not just victory over that stronghold but over all the other "little" sins of life that grab at me, like they do all of us. It has literally been like a different life for me, and it is simply enjoying the fruits of the new covenant, where God said he would cause us to will and to do of His good pleasure.


Now, does a force come down and take my hand off my mouse to not search out porn? Absolutely not. Have I lost my free will? Nope. He does not make us robots. But what He does do as we grab hold of His promises and believe all that He offers is change us from the inside out, by abiding in him, with sin never rearing its ugly head to yank us out of fellowship and into the mire and sinking sand where satan can constantly accuse us.


The new covenant does not work like to law. The driving force for obeying the old covenant was on OUR shoulders. The law attempts to change us by cleaning us up on the outside in, but if the heart is still impure, it cannot be cleansed from the outside in.


The new covenant, however, is different, The weight of obedience under the new covenant is on HIS shoulders. Self control, a necessity under the old, is amazingly under the new a fruit of simply abiding in Him! As Andrew Murray wrote, "God is willing to take full responsibility for a life totally yielded to Him"

Under this glorious new covenant, , it works by us partaking of the the divine nature of our Father, as we step out in faith and believe His glorious promises. Simply put, God means every word He utters to us. If God said he will always cause us to triumph in Christ jesus, He meant it. If He says that with every temptation, He will make a way of escape, then guess what he meant? Yet if we are still in the flesh, and choose to ignore the escape hatch, what good is it to us as opposed to the old covenant? There would be NO advantage. But God be praised that when we reckon ourselves dead to sin, dead to our flesh and alive to Him, He quickens us and as new creatures, we do not WANT to sin. Why? He changes our heart on the matter. Our victories are not short lived ones, three steps forward-two steps back. Our victories are not white knuckle victories but flow like living water out of Gods own throne. There is a glorious easy yoke waiting for all who are tired of failing their master, if they, with contrite hearts hungry for more of Him, simply believe He is that good to give us the victory we have worrn ourselves out trying to earn.


To many who may be opposed to my message of by faith reckoning themselves dead to sin, and alive to God, this confession will give them plenty of ammunition to throw at me. But Jesse, when you point blank asked me, what was I to do? Shall I rob God of the glory by saving my reputation? Nope, no can do. Outside of Christ, like Paul, I am the chief of sinners, I really am. God, praise God, I am no longer that weak, bound, unhappy son fo God who longed inside for freedom but could not find the secret. I am an overcomer, finally, after 59 years of life and38 years of serving Him. I am a new creaturw and old things ar passed away. I am not dying to sin a little more every day. I am DEAD to it and it is not something I have "acheived", but simply a gift waiting for all Hos children who would be so blod as to simply ask Him for it and believe when they do, that He gives it.

Why did he choose me to show this to? Simply because I needed it and knew it, knew that in my flesh dwelt no good thing.


Thank you God for your victory, and I pray for all who read my words, who hate the fact that there is a chain around their ankle, no matter how long the chain is and what type of sin it is tied to, for all need this walk and all are qualified to recieve it, if they will simply break before their heavenly Father, confess that their sin nature is unreformable and ask Him for the new man that is already created in righteousness and true holiness.

"Nothing profits but a new creature."

I hope this helps you see what I am referring to and as well, why I spend such an inordinate amount of time sharing again and again on this topic. Properly understood, this secret will revolutionize the individual hearer's walk and as well, ignite the church into real revival. If the sleeping giant called the church ever wakes up to the goodness of God and casts off its unbelief like a dirty rag, the whole earth will again be turned upside down, and to that end I labor, reputation destroyed but heart set free.