Hello,<\/p>\n
I am writing in the hope that you could advise me. I have never been baptized, though I have tried to be a practicing Christian. The problem is that although I knew better, and that I shouldn’t, I gave in to temptation and slept with a prostitute. I wish I had not done it. I knew it was wrong, but I just couldn’t help myself. I don’t know what came over me. Now I fear the Lord has taken his Holy Spirit from me and will never forgive me. Is there any hope of what can I do?<\/p>\n\t
There is no sin that cannot be forgiven if the sinner repents of his sin. God wants everyone to repent (II Peter 3:9). Thus, the problem is not whether God will forgive you, but whether you will decide to fully submit to God.<\/p>\n
In regards to your fornication, you state you don’t know why you did it, and that you felt as if you could not help yourself. I believe both statements are wrong. You did it because you wanted to have sex. While I don’t know, I would suspect that you’ve been watching pornography and that put the idea in your head. What I am certain of is that you taught about this for a while and never fully rejected the idea. “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man<\/em>” (Mark 7:21-23). You also had full control over what you did. No one made you arrange for a prostitute. No one forced your pants off. “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it<\/em>” (I Corinthians 10:13). There were many exits from this temptation, the most effect was never starting done the path.<\/p>\n In regards to claiming to be a Christian and thinking you had all the benefits of Christ being in your life without committing yourself to Christ through baptism; well, isn’t that just another form of lying to yourself? For instance, you said you fear that God has taken the Holy Spirit from you. But that would assume you had the Spirit’s gift without being baptized. “Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” <\/em>” (Acts 2:38). Spiritual blessings are found in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). You enter into Christ through baptism. “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ<\/em>” (Galatians 3:26-27).<\/p>\n The solution is straightforward. Give up the world and enter into the covenant with Christ. “And in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions<\/em>” (Colossians 2:11-13).<\/p>\n\t Thank you. I will do my best now to conquer my sin and be baptized.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Question: Hello, I am writing in the hope that you could advise me. I have never been baptized, though I have tried to be a practicing Christian. The problem is that although I knew better, and that I shouldn’t, I gave in to temptation and slept with a prostitute. I wish I had not done…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[1572,683],"class_list":["post-53082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-fornication","tag-prostitution"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":42439,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-i-be-forgiven-for-knowingly-sinning-by-having-sex-with-a-prostitute\/","url_meta":{"origin":53082,"position":0},"title":"Can I be forgiven for knowingly sinning by having sex with a prostitute?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 3, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi, I am a young man, age 22. I came upon this woman, who was a prostitute. I decided to invite her to my place and we slept together. Since that time I became a Christian. I haven't committed fornication since, but I am scared that God will not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":32669,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-lost-my-virginity-to-a-prostitute-and-now-im-scared\/","url_meta":{"origin":53082,"position":1},"title":"I lost my virginity to a prostitute and now I’m scared","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 25, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I just recently had sex with a prostitute. I was a virgin, it was late at night, and I gave in. \u00a0I am deeply afraid of my salvation status. 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When I'm lonely, and my budget\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":44817,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-i-marry-the-woman-my-brother-once-slept-with\/","url_meta":{"origin":53082,"position":3},"title":"Should I marry the woman my brother once slept with?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 4, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: First of all may God bless you for this site. I committed fornication for the first time when I was at the age of 21 years. Since then I have not been able to control myself from fornication. I always have regretted doing it. I want to stop it,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":20845,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-got-drunk-visited-a-prostitute-and-really-messed-up-my-life-what-do-i-do\/","url_meta":{"origin":53082,"position":4},"title":"I got drunk, visited a prostitute and really messed up my life. What do I do?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 16, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I am a 26-year-old male and a Roman Catholic. Last month I was celebrating my birthday and I had planned a simple day for myself with my roommates: have a few drinks and dinner. I prayed for this to be my year with the help of God, and I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":30225,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/must-i-wed-because-i-slept-with-my-wife-to-be\/","url_meta":{"origin":53082,"position":5},"title":"Must I wed because I slept with my wife to be?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 10, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I want to change churches. I have two churches in mind that I could go to. I don't know which one to go to. I want to be where the man of God will help bring out what God has put in me. Please pray for me. 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