Me too.
I have found that He sometimes gives us something else to do instead. He said He would give us a way out when it gets too much.
That’s also not my experience. I made the same error after repentance and knew I was doing it because But was overcome with anger at the belief God had left me.
Maybe I hadn’t repented enough?
But then how much repentance is enough?
Any time Bob, I value your knowledge, views and experience.
This question is something I ponder often.
A friend tells me if you are truly repentant… then you can’t bring yourself to repeat the sin. It would go against who you are, and your now new truly repentant nature, would not allow it.
Glory to God and Bless you, I am aiming for this, and falling short way too often. It can be discouraging.
Thank you
bobinfaith for your thoughts and testimony.
God Bless.
It seems Paul had this problem as well:
NKJV Romans 7:
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.
16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that
it is good.
17 But now,
it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but
how to perform what is good I do not find.
19 For the good that I will
to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not
to do, that I practice.
20 Now if I do what I will not
to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
NLT Romans 7:
14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin.
15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.
16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good.
17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.
19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.
20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.
22 I love God’s law with all my heart.
23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.
24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?
25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
This addresses this problem we have with sin. As it says, "The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord." He knows our hearts and our desires. He also helps us in the struggle.
There is also something here I have never heard analyzed or preached on. The difference between "sin" the noun and "sin" the verb. There is the "sin" noun form in our bodies and there is nothing we can do about that. It will be there until we get our new bodies. Then there is "sin" the verb form that we can work to control, or at least not plan our day in a premeditated way to include sin in our plans. What I've gleaned from scripture is that premeditated sin is what we need to work on and stop. The reactionary type of sin that our bodies perform is something we can only pray about for help.
I have not completely totally changed.
