Is Sin Haunting You?

Is sin haunting you? Are you doubting your salvation? Jon and Justin speak about the fruit of self examination and offer comfort to those who are struggling with believing their identity is in Christ.

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[chrisjohnson]

I am a 1689 baptist and I struggle with severe OCD and intrusive negative thoughts because of an illness. When it's bad it flips all of my thoughts to confused morbid introspection. I have been struggling with a lot of preaching lately because even in super reformed preaching sometimes the gospel is assumed and then they just talk about how we need to be pushing harder to do better and don't encourage those who are struggling with their faith. They gear more towards hard sermons that are meant to cause someone to be introspective but someone who is already struggling with that doesn't need that. I am motivated by love when I see Christ and His finished work and I feel rest and peace it stirs me up to want to be more fruitful!

[voyager]

The Devil and our flesh always want our eyes to fall from Christ to something other. Cling to the cross, look only to Christ and believe the promise of grace, which depends not on our readiness or quality but on Him alone who is worthy and has accomplished the impossible!!

[larrykoz]

Thank you for explaining this so well. I struggle with a besetting sin and satan uses this to call my salvation into question and I feel the pull toward pietism as a result. I especially liked your last illustration about the parental gift. I have been saved forty four years and have been a member of several Baptist churches and I have never heard this kind of teaching. I believe in part this is why churches are so weak and losing members.

[dkertbn]

Christ is Risen, Our Merciful and Compassionate High Priest who by Himself for Himself made propitiation for His people… May the Holy Spirit grant me boldness to serve Him in love… not out of slavish fear but out of joyful love

[KMTexasProperties]

What about the parable of the talents? He’s talking to believers in this parable. I don’t know why, but I’m haunted by this parable of the talents. I really would love it if you two would do a podcast or short story so that it will put my mind at ease on what exactly is the meaning of the parable of talents

[jsoaps]

I don’t say it’s not sufficient. I just have to prove it. I have to prove I’ve been saved which I obviously can’t. I don’t show fruit so how can I say I trust and believe in Christ to save my soul if NOTHING seems different?

[toonrex]

Hey Theocast, can you do a response to Thomas Albin Holmes?

[davidelgeti]

There seems to be those that struggle to believe, believing that they are not as bad as some and can’t grasp what is offered in the Gospel and than there are those who believe that they can’t be forgiven whether low self esteem or a low view of God and His Grace, they see no change in themselves and feel no different. Both intellectually would affirm the gospel, but neither truly have grasp its fullness, this fullness or assurance is found in faith in Christ, but defining a relationship is a most difficult thing. What does it even mean today to be in a relationship?
You make a vow or profession of your love and what follows in marriage to Christ or marriage to your spouse can leave many with doubts. I think we can doubt ourselves and thus doubt everyone else or we can be self deceived in the other direction and not see our need. Faith looks to another and believes! Trusting in that person for your good and promises fulfilled. Who can do such a thing? A part from Christ we have no hope. But thanks be to God the author and finisher of our faith.
Do we see the Spirit working through broken vessels, filling them to overflowing or at least seeing the Spirit seeping out of the cracks of broken men?

[markever]

“ Especially In the Calvinist world, in the end you will prove yourself bro be an unbeliever “ … why are calvinists so inconsistent in their Theology? That statement alone completely flys in the face of their belief system.

[franklyle]

I am so confused. I was a false professor all my life. Now, at the end of my life, I see how much of a mess I have made of my life. I don't know what to do. I struggle to believe that there is any hope left for me. I have so many bad habits and sins that cling to me. I knew the truth but chose the world. I was deceived. It seems no matter how hard i try to trust that Jesus died for my sins, I can not believe that I am forgiven. I have no life left. It's not like I can go back now and change. I am bedridden, in pain, and old. I don't want to live all of eternity in remorse, having pasted up on the greatest gift of all time. Will Jesus forgive me?

[thomasalbinholmes]

Oh come on guys. This is not how the New Testament teaches us to think. If Paul thought this way about the gospel and the Christian life, he wouldn't have warned us so often and so seriously about the consequences of unfaithfulness and continuing in sin. No we do not earn salvation. But there is clearly a conditional aspect to it. Meeting a condition does not mean earning! Meeting a condition is simply part of being in a relationship. Salvation is about A RELATIONSHIP.

You're going too far in a certain direction, and ironically, this way of thinking actually weakens people and makes them terrified of so much of what Jesus and the apostles say to us. It takes away their spine so that they cannot bear the sobering things they say to us for our own good. God help us all.

[thomasalbinholmes]

Many people who you might say are "haunted by their flesh" are really hearing from the Spirit and taking the bible seriously. Jesus said to the people in Sardis, "Your works are not complete in the sight of my God."

But if someone comes to the conclusion that they are not ready for the judgment since they have not done the things God wants to see them do and are therefore in danger of being blotted out of the book of life as Jesus warns about in his letter to Sardis, you'd deceive them into thinking they're being haunted by their flesh when in reality they're just listening to the Spirit of Christ!