I was serving the Lord until recently when I slept with a girl. Now I feel trapped in sin. How do I stop this?
Question:
I do not know where to start with this, but I am a born-again Christian. I have been serving the Lord for five years until I slept with a girl recently. I am not married to her. We are just girlfriend and boyfriend. This is not right. I feel like I am trapped because all I think about is sex and sleeping with all the women, even at work. I love the Lord, so this must stop. I need help and advice.
Answer:
You are correct that what you did was not right. You and she committed fornication. "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God" (I Corinthians 6:9-10).
Like any other sin, it can be forgiven. Sometimes I run into people who call themselves "Christian" but haven't really done as the Lord said to be a Christian. So just in case, I would like you to read What Must I Do to be Saved? A person who is truly a Christian is not immune to sin, so even after becoming a Christian, we have to be on guard against sin and deal with its consequences. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world" (I Peter 5:8-9).
John lays out what a Christian who sins must do to correct his sins. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (I John 1:8-2:1).
Along with this is repentance. Repentance is changing your mind about the sin you've committed and changing your behavior to not repeat that sin. The change should be so complete that people who meet you in the future would never guess that you once sinned in this way. "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter" (II Corinthians 7:10-11).
The reason you feel trapped is that you haven't reached the point that you are totally convinced that what you did was wrong. You continue to toy with the idea, looking for a way to justify doing it again. Therefore, I would like you to learn more about why what you did was wrong.
- Why Sex Outside of Marriage is Wrong
- Marriage's Glue
- Dealing with the Effects of Pre-Marital Sex
- Counterfeit Sexuality: Sexuality as Reduced to Animal Impulse
When you get done with these, write back, and let's talk about what you need to do so that there is no repeat of this sin.
Response:
Thank you very much for the reply. It means a lot. It will help me in my walk of faith.
