A lot of varied answers in this thread.
What is clearly evident is that many people, in their minds, disconnect "yielding to God" from "forgiveness."
Isaiah said this...
Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Isaiah clearly stated, without question, that if a wicked and unrighteous man forsakes his way and his thoughts and returns to the Lord then the Lord will have mercy and grant pardon.
Many people simply do not believe that verse applies to them. They believes in various doctrines which negate the plain words of Isaiah.
We read in Proverbs this verse...
Pro 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
If that verse is applied to the pornography addict then it is very clear that a pornography addict must confess and forsake his sins in order for forgiveness to be granted. Yet it is clearly evident that many people don't believe that verse applies either.
Jesus gave a parable of the Prodigal Son it is very clear that the prodigal son forsook the pig pen and confessed his sins to his father BEFORE he was restored.
Luk 15:11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:
Luk 15:12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
Luk 15:13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
Luk 15:14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
Luk 15:15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
Luk 15:16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
Luk 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
Luk 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
Luk 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
Luk 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
Luk 15:21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
Luk 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
Right before Jesus told that parable He said this...
Luk 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over
one sinner that repenteth.
Yet so many who profess to "believe the Bible" hold to a doctrine where forgiveness can be granted IN THE PIG PEN.
Psychomom asked this question...
how, how, how is a person to forsake sin and do real Godly righteousness
without the Holy Spirit?
Well the Holy Spirit is already in the world convicting of sin, righteousness and judgment. If one who is engaged in sin is to yield to that conviction then this will happen...
2Co 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
A godly sorrow will begin to manifest which will work a genuine repentance experience. The prodigal son experienced godly sorrow in the pig pen which resulted in a genuine repentance where his mind changed regarding his rebellion. Due to this change of mind he left the pig pen and sought mercy from his father. Is it any different for a pornography addict?
Paul listed some of the fruits of a godly sorrow...
2Co 7:11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
Godly sorrow produces a carefulness, a clearing, indignation, fear, a vehement desire, zeal and revenge. Then in the end Paul says it produced a clearing of oneself in the matter (of sin).
Clear in the Greek is...
Clear - G53 - hagnos
From the same as G40; properly clean, that is, (figuratively) innocent, modest, perfect: - chaste, clean, pure.
Is there a clearing if one is still engaged in the act of viewing pornography? There most certainly cannot be.
Has repentance been redefined in the modern era of church theology? Has the fruit of a godly sorrow that WORKS a repentance UNTO salvation been eliminated from the modern gospel message?
I'll leave that one for you all to figure out.
Note:- Regarding Psychmom's question. If it were true that true righteousness was manifested via an individual yielding to the Spirit of God would not repentance be a dynamic by which one is brought into a state of yielding?