Yes, those words of remorse are uttered by the first man, the Just one who falls seven times. He wets his pillow at night begging God for the power to stop that habit...I know that all to well. There is MERCY and FORGIVENESS for that man, amen and praise God!
That I give you and agree with.
But we must bear in mind that beset habits does not mean they are not saved.
Also Gods timing is perfect in dealing with his children.
So we should never write them off.
This is my personal experience of a severe gambling addiction that even though it took 30+ years to deal with.
He had to deal with the cause of the affect.
That affect was severe sexual abuse and extreme negative emotional early childhood upbringing.
For 26 years I begged God for help, but believed I was going to hell.
For those 26 years I did not sleep well, always woke up at the same time very early in the morning full of guilt and condemnation.
Even asked God to kill me so I would know where I was going to end up.
Even tried it myself a couple of times.
I knew he would take care my wife and 4 young kids.
It took 26 years. But he had to deal with cause of the affects.
I sought help from fellow Christians.
Their advice was "Stop doing it" yeh like that helped.
If I could then I would not need to seek help.
Anyway praise God not gambled for 7 years and never had the urge to in those years.
But as I said he needed to deal with cause.
And I thank him.
The following
Romans 8:28-30
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
God worked good in the things of my life. He didn't make what happened good.
Most people stop at v28.
But V29 states that he does this to conform us to the image of Jesus.
He foreknew and predestined and v30 confirms that we have been called and justified and glorified.
Now I was written off by many who had no idea what was going on and never bothered to ask.
I stopped going to church because of the guilt I felt and carried.
I hope you would not have been in that group.
Now I believe in OSAS/ES and I hold store in the above verses.
I never fell foul of
Romans 6:1-2
Dead to Sin, Alive to God
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
And I'm sure those on this thread would not fall foul of that or infact teach it.
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