In studying the lesson quarterly this week I came across the story of the woman who was caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). This story has bothered me a lot because of what Jesus said to the woman. If you remember, this story starts out when the Scribes and Pharisees bring a woman who was "taken in adultery". The Scribes and Pharisees were trying to catch Jesus.

In the end, Jesus told them that that those without sin could cast the first stone. As Jesus was writing in the sand they all melted away leaving the adultress alone in front of Jesus. Jesus said that he did not condemn her, but he said "go, and sin no more."

My question is directly about what Jesus said "go, and sin no more". As a sinner by birth how is it possible to "sin no more". I am struggling with a particular sin in my life. I ask for forgiveness and yet I am caught up in this sin where I am living a lie. I cannot get out of this sin, I have tried not to sin. Every night I ask for forgiveness and I ask for power to overcome the sin. Yet everyday I am presented with it again and again. How is it possible to "go, and sin no more"?

Hope someone has an answer.

I struggled with some sins like that. I struggled and lost every time for about 35 years. I came so close about 3 years ago to giving up. The Lord only gave me the victory when I decided that Jesus was my only hope and my only real life. I had to come to the point where I saw my body and my own life as good as dead and see Him as my only real life.

Also I had to exchange Lords-- myself and my desires (my old lord and master) dies, really DIES, and Jesus now becomes my owner.

I see my body and its members no longer to be used for Satan's purposes but for Christ's only. I do not want to take my body and use it to glorify Satan and let him use me to slap Jesus in the face.

I had to get to the point where I would rather die than commit those sins again. We sin because we love to sin. At least I did.

When we really hate sin we will stop it. That means praying that God will give you a deep hatred for sin-- for what it did to Christ and to God. For the way it makes God look bad.

What if your sin caused the death of your child? Would you do it? For instance, if you knew that when you sin, someone was going to march your wife or son or daughter out in the front yard and cut their throats like a sheep, would you commit that sin?

I really believe we sin because we don't see what it actually did to Jesus Christ. Once we get a good look at that and understand it fully-- have the blinders taken off our eyes-- we won't sin deliberately and intentionally.

We do it rather nonchalantly because we think, "Oh well, Jesus paid the price and he will forgive me like he has thousands of times already. What's one or two more sins?" Maybe you don't think quite that way, but many people do-- if they think of it at all.

I know because that is where I was for most of my life, and that is after I struggled and studied and even prayed.

Why did I keep sinning? Because in my heart and mind, I really loved it. I didn't hate it. I always kept something in reserve. I didn't give Jesus ALL of me.

And Jesus must have ALL of us or nothing. He won't accept only a part of us.

Does he always forgive when we ask him? Of course. But the problem is not God's forgiveness. The problem is the sin. Every time we commit sin, it changes us and does something to our relationship with Him, just like a man's relationship to his wife is changed by his going to another woman even if the wife does not know about it.

Sometimes sins can be such that it takes much prayer by whole congregations before members can get free of them. So I would suggest that you appeal for special prayer. No need to say what about-- only that you need prayer about a special, personal problem that only God must know.

I'll be praying for you, my brother.

Please study prayerfully and slowly the following verses:

Col. 3: 1-10---

1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him...

1 John 3: 1-10. Study this and ask the Lord to help you really understand it and apply to your present life.

1SEE WHAT [[a]an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him.
2Beloved, we are [even here and] now God's children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall [[b]as God's children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him [c]just as He [really] is.

3And everyone who has this hope [resting] on Him cleanses (purifies) himself just as He is pure (chaste, undefiled, guiltless).

4Everyone who commits (practices) sin is guilty of lawlessness; for [that is what] sin is, lawlessness (the breaking, violating of God's law by transgression or neglect--being unrestrained and unregulated by His commands and His will).

5You know that He appeared in visible form and became Man to take away [upon Himself] sins, and in Him there is no sin [[d]essentially and forever].

6No one who abides in Him [who lives and remains [e]in communion with and in obedience to Him--deliberately, knowingly, and [f]habitually] commits (practices) sin. No one who [habitually] sins has either seen or known Him [recognized, perceived, or understood Him, or has had an experiential acquaintance with Him].

7[g]Boys (lads), let no one deceive and lead you astray. He who practices righteousness [who is upright, conforming to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action, living a consistently conscientious life] is righteous, even as He is righteous.

8[But] he who commits sin [who practices evildoing] is of the devil [takes his character from the evil one], for the devil has sinned (violated the divine law) from the beginning. The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done].

9No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and [h]habitually] practices sin, for God's nature abides in him [His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God.

10By this it is made clear who take their nature from God and are His children and who take their nature from the devil and are his children: no one who does not practice righteousness [who does not conform to God's will in purpose, thought, and action] is of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother (his fellow [i]believer in Christ).

Appreciate you sharing this.. THANKS

Stan

Oh, yes, thank you to BOTH of you! Jesus is our only hope!

EGW talked about how we would do well to meditate on the life of Christ an hour each day. It makes sense for this is how we can see the sinfulness of sin and the gravity of the great controversy, the larger picture.

Thank you both of you, for focusing on the personal aspect. It is a battle, and God holds the victory!

I believe that Jesus' words are referring to conscious, deliberate sins. He is isn't talking here about our fallen nature or sins that we are not aware of.

Also, I believe that we can take it for granted that Jesus would not give a command that there is no way for anyone to obey. Ellen White says something I believe, and is supported by the Bible, which is that God's commands are really promises, because what he commands us to do, He provides the power for us to do. But it is all a growth process.

God knows we are but flesh. He loves to have us come to Him in faith and ask for strength and power and forgiveness and mercy. He is not shocked by anything we do or think.

Study and apply 1 John 1 and 2 to your personal life. NEVER GIVE UP. Trust Jesus. He will do what He has promised. I do not know you but I can tell you that He may be waiting for you to give Him all of you and not hold back anything in your life.

When I feel terrible temptation, I say something like this to Jesus, "Jesus, I'm feeling a lot of temptation. You know what temptation is like. Direct my thoughts and feelings. I'm giving myself totally to you right now. I'm dedicating myself completely and totally to you. I can't do anything on my own, Jesus. I give you permission to cleanse my thoughts with your Spirit. Come into my Life and take full control. Drive Satan and all the evil angels away. I belong to you, Jesus. You are my Lord. Thank you, Jesus, because I know you are answering this prayer now. I thank you, my Lord Jesus, for giving me opportunity to demonstrate your power."

And then I often open my Bible to various promises and I read until the feelings change. Usually my own experience has been that the wrong desires leave very soon after praying and reading the promises.

During the last three years, I have never known Jesus to fail me in this. Within a few minutes the temptation and feelings are gone. Stay on your knees in prayer and reading your Bible promises until those thoughts and feelings leave you.

For about the last 2 years, the temptations have been fairly brief and not as strong and are quick to leave when I throw myself at Christ's feet for mercy and hope. He has never abandoned me.

I didn't do this for the 30+ years of struggle where I failed almost every time because I was trying to do it on my own. Instead, what I used to do was say a prayer and then go on and surrender to the temptation, thinking something like, "I just can't resist this. I can always ask for forgiveness afterwards. Jesus loves me and will forgive me this sin. He knows how I need to do this. He made me with these desires and needs."

That was exactly the wrong way to go about it. That is a recipe for eternal defeat if it continues. I know because that is how I dealt with it for most of my adult life.

You see, the problem is that I wanted both Jesus and my sins. I wanted heaven, yes, but I didn't want to get rid of ALL my sins, not my favorite ones. So they very nearly consumed me.

I am talking about sins or desires that I believe I was born with. But I know now that Jesus gives us power through the Holy Spirit to resist and overcome even sins that we are born with.

It is a strange thing but there is a sense in which my terrible temptations have made me feel even closer to Christ because I know that He understands my utter helplessness on my own in such situations and that He loves to help me. The more we are conscious of our complete reliance on Jesus, and the more we confide in Him our weaknesses and helplessness, the more intimate we feel towards Him. He truly becomes a personal friend and companion. He is a very close and present help and Savior.

Friend, on my next post on this thread, please find two quotes from the Desire of Ages that helped possibly more than anything else that I've read to bring me the answer that I was looking for. I pray that they will also help you to find the answer to your question and the solution to your problems with temptations.

Copy those quotes from DA as well as your favorite Bible promises and keep them with you at all times so you can read them and pray about them whenever you feel the need and even when you don't feel the need. Fill your mind with thoughts of Jesus and of what He is doing right now.

Also, may I suggest that you have a strong, Christian friend (of the same gender as you are) whom you can trust and can call at any time for prayer and moral and spiritual support and encouragement

Look on these temptations as opportunities to show the power of God and Christ and to put nails in sin's and Satan's "coffin."

Through the same faith we may receive spiritual healing. By sin we have been severed from the life of God. Our souls are palsied. Of ourselves we are no more capable of living a holy life than was the impotent man capable of walking. There are many who realize their helplessness, and who long for that spiritual life which will bring them into harmony with God; they are vainly striving to obtain it. In despair they cry, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death?" Rom. 7:24, margin. Let these desponding, struggling ones look up. The Saviour is bending over the purchase of His blood, saying with inexpressible tenderness and pity, "Wilt thou be made whole?" He bids you arise in health and peace. Do not wait to feel that you are made whole. Believe His word, and it will be fulfilled. Put your will on the side of Christ. Will to serve Him, and in acting upon His word you will receive strength. Whatever may be the evil practice, the master passion which through long indulgence binds both soul and body, Christ is able and longs to deliver. He will impart life to the soul that is "dead in trespasses." Eph. 2:1. He will set free the captive that is held by weakness and misfortune and the chains of sin. DA 203

When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature. The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own. A soul thus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults of Satan. But unless we do yield ourselves to the control of Christ, we shall be dominated by the wicked one. We must inevitably be under the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are contending for the supremacy of the world. It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light. If we do not co-operate with the heavenly agencies, Satan will take possession of the heart, and will make it his abiding place. The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in His righteousness. Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. We may leave off many bad habits, for the time we may part company with Satan; but without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end. DA 324

Thank you for the reponses. There is a lot to digest there. I will do that over the morning and come back to you about questions. Boy is there a lot to digest. I did not think for a moment that I would have such lengthy responses. But thanks!

Don't feel in any hurry about reading those things or about replying. There is a lot there, I realize.

I'll be praying for you about these things, doctorj.

Appreciate your posts John.

DJ sometimes we ask God to take something away, but it is a consequence of something deeper. God doesn't work that way. Waht we can do is ask God to reveal the cause of the consequence and resolve that (in Him).

Also, some things are rebellion against God and must be repented of - this involved acknowledging our sin and going back to face it. There is a Bible precedent here..


Praying for your freedom,


gcw

Totally out of context...totally! The sin Christ was referring to...the sin that was besetting in her life at that time, was the sin of sexual immorality. Otherwise, Jesus is making impossible for her. Why? Because all of us are failing to measuring up to Christ's life of self-renouncing love!

Rob