[Email Received]... But you're absolutely correct! You see, I have not really been a Christian in a long time! I have been addicted to pornography since age 12 and my mom always told us kids that, 'aslong as it isn't a REAL FLESH-and-blood WOMAN that you're lusting after, it ain't sin ... it's NORMAL ...' in fact, she purchased a subscription to PlayBoy for my older brother at age 14, to keep us from fornicating with 'real' living women, and I would say that 'it worked', I was a 'virgin' until age 19 ... my mom does NOT believe this now and is not a OSASer at all, she's Pentecostal and holds to the belief which you preach, which the Word preaches and teaches ... that one must hold on to eternal life ... but my brother and I are still suffering from an 'addiction' which she began all those many years ago ... I thought I got saved on August 1992 and I did, but about a year later, after having left the Pentecostal faith for the Baptist teaching of OSAS, I fell back into 'Porn' and have been there ever since, thinking all the while that 'I'm saved, so it doesn't matter anyway.' I have since lost my virginity to a MARRIED WOMAN and had sexual intercourse with her several HUNDRED times ... even in the house of her and her husband ... without him even knowing it ... realizing that that was wrong I left her and met my wife and got married, you see I never really had a problem with temptation from 'real women' just the 'porn' women ...kinda strange isn't it? How To Be Victorious Over Sexual Temptation
My question to you is, 'What can I do to 'break' as it were, this addiction that so severly holds me in bondage to sin?' Yesterday, I asked Christ to cleanse me again, but the 'urge' is still present with me, much like Paul mentioned in Romans 7 in the NT.
Another question: Now does the Bible teach that EVERY TIME WE SIN, we lose our salvation and are in danger of Hell fire or is it 'practicing' SIN which places us in this danger, for we all sin, if we're honest with God and ourselves??? When I was 14, I believed that every time I broke one of the 10 commandments or sined, even in thought, I had to be born again all over,...
Sincerely soul-searching, [name withheld]
[Bible Answer] Greetings in Jesus' name. We praise the Lord that you recognize OSAS is not Scriptural.
Though your mother thought she was helping you and your brother, she did not know what she was doing. According to Mt. 5:28,29 a person can go to hell fire just over mental adultery, which is just another way of describing what pornography does. Furthermore, for one to be the cause of a little one who believes in Jesus to sin, it would be better for him/her to have a large millstone hung around their neck and drown in the depths of the sea. (Mt. 18:6; Lk. 17:1-3 cf. Mt. 13:41,42). This does not mean that your mother cannot be forgiven, for she can, nor does it mean that you and your brother cannot be miraculously delivered from your "addiction."
1) Gather up every piece of pornographic literature, videos, calendars, etc. that you have and burn them publicly. This is also the time for you to repent, asking God to forgive you for your sinful abominations that were dragging you to Hell. Sincerely ask the Lord Jesus to have mercy on you.
2) Stop watching all television and listening to all secular radio. TV is a lust generator and radio oftentimes through its music would entice people to sin.
3) Avoid all places and people that may lead you into this type of temptation. This does not mean that you are to avoid being around your co-workers, for there's nothing you can do in that case.
4) Now you need to renew your mind unto wholesome thinking, which can be done by spending quality time in the Bible. You should spend the bulk of your time in the New Testament and get a reliable, easy to read translation whereby you can meditate and even memorize the teachings of the Lord Jesus and His apostles on various topics.
5) Godly, gospel music will also greatly help you as you keep such a tune in your mind and heart throughout the day. Over the course of time the Word of God and godly music based on the Word of God will build you up spiritually, and the mental images that your sinful nature and the devil have been using to damn your soul will become less and less powerful.
6) Christian fellowship is also very important, but you must be careful with such so that the devil doesn't use even them, who may be straying, to lead you also away. [Wholesome Christian fellowship is very hard to find.]
... Keep praying to God, asking him to lead you from temptation and to deliver you from the evil one. This should be prayed every single day of your life.
You also asked in your email, do we lose our salvation every time we sin. The answer is no. But remember there are different types of sin. There is sin that does not lead to death, while there is also sin that does lead to death (1 Jn. 5:16,17). Mental adultery or lusting in your heart is a sin that will damn your soul. You need to fight this as you would a rattlesnake that would be trying to get into your house!
You also mentioned about a person who teaches that if you don't speak in tongues you are not saved. This is not true. That is the teaching of the Apostolics, also known as the United Pentecostals or the Jesus Only people. Many Scriptures could be cited to prove one is saved before and without speaking in tongues. You will encounter many of these as you read through the book of Acts on your own ....
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