What does it take for a person to be a born-again Christian?

[SeekerSA]

Originally Posted by LAFan

How can a born-again Christian get over his addiction of pornography, take his mind off it? I have a hard time letting go of that addiction.

Like with any weakness - admitting like you just have done is a step in the right direction. This is called confession.

Well - sadly I do not have a cut and dry solution yet I too was addicted as a young man to this. Being married and much older now it poses no problem to me buth that is NOT going to help you out.

The problem is that it is so freely available everywhere and seaching for it on Google it seems no matter what word one uses inncocently, some porn link will come up. It will take self discipline to NOT go there if that is the case and like with anything you are trying to give up, you cannot really do this except cold turkey.

My advice is discuss this with someone in the real world like a spiritual councellor that can stand with you and walk you through this trial. Others may tell you to have the spirit f lust cast out of you but IMO it is not a spirit *****.

What you have is an appeal to the lusts of the flesh and is no different than any other lusts that satisfy the flesh like overindulgence in food alcohol etc.

The root of this needs to be discovered and likely you will not bear all on a forum and also is not really a medium to do this.

If you want I do audio councelling (inner healing) via skype but there is no magic solution of a simple laying on of hands.

Bear in mind, there have been many prominent preachers that had/have this problem so you are NOT alone. I think many, if not most, males here can attest to weaknesses in this area one time or another.

Blessings

[Ilene Wright]

LAFan:

Although I am very familiar with every other kind of addiction, pornography is not one of them. I prayed to be delivered from my addictions, and eventually I was. I prayed all of the time, constantly. Not to say the desires ever completely disappear, but you can overcome them through Christ. If you falter, pick yourself right back up and ask Jesus to help you. Be specific, and ask to have these thoughts removed from your mind. You can do this, and it doesn't hurt to get couseling for addictions. Do all that you can do to stay away from it and God will help you through anything, even addictions. God really likes to see us trying super hard to be our best and rewards us for that. Hang in there!!!

[truckzter]

Back to LaFan's question:

I think accountability is paramount. Once our sin is brought into the open, and we can rely on the help and accountability of another, then sin/addiction is much easier to overcome.

God never intended for us to lead a solitary, secret life.

[To GOD be the Glory]

Originally Posted by DayoftheLord

Hi LAFan,
Please do not become disheartened or confused by false doctrines. What you have been told by all but one is correct, and you will find this same truth taught in the Bible by Jesus Christ Himself in the New Testament. All the words written in red in the New Testament are Jesus' words.

Do not concern yourself with false doctrines and people who try to confuse. That is the work of the devil and men, not God.

Christianity was made simple for us, even though the walk of a Christian is not simple. But accepting Christ IS ALL YOU NEED TO DO to become a child of God. It is up to you after that to remain a child of God.

John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life."

Here are some basic things to remember about Christianity/salvation:

1. You must first have faith and believe in Jesus Christ
2. You must repent of your sins and ask forgiveness
3. You must follow God's Word, the Bible, and live a Godly life

If you lose your way, Jesus is always ready to forgive you and love you. He never stops loving us, no matter what we do.

1. BELIEVE John 3:16
2. REPENT Ask Jesus to forgive u of your sins. And to turn from them
3. ASK Ask Jesus to come into your heart.

That simple. HE will do the work in you if you just ask him. HE says, Come to me just as you are.

[cg81]

Originally Posted by LAFan

How can a born-again Christian get over his addiction of pornography, take his mind off it? I have a hard time letting go of that addiction.

One thing that's so easy for me to forget is to pray to God in a moment of weakness, when temptations come to sin. We can't stop these temptations.. and we can't just ignore them either. We need to deal with them in the right way! I know, in a moment of weakness when the devil is bringing some temptation to you, it's sometimes hard to pray, but PRAY! Ask God to help you thru this one, and He will. But we also need to remember that it will take some effort and obedience, self-denial on our part. God won't necessarily magically lift all lustful thoughts from our mind the instant we pray, but He will help us to resist if we do our part. The power is available to you!

Back to your question of how to get your mind off of it, there might be several steps to take.. first of all, ask God to cleanse your mind, and repent of your sinfulness.. I know, I've been there! Secondly, we need to stop the habit that's feeding it... watching porn will always feed this and make it harder for next time. We might sometimes think, "well, my mind is full of lustful thoughts anyway, I might as well watch porn because I'm sinning anyway" and, altho it is true that entertaining and dwelling on lustful thoughts is sin, that does not mean we need to take the next step.. we need to stop right there and realize where this is taking us! When we fail in our thought pattern, the devil sometimes comes up to us and tell us, "Look at you, you're such an evil sinner.. perverted thoughts.. there's no hope to overcome anyway.." and then he points to a downward path, wanting us to take the next step.. but we do not need to follow! God has another plan to release us from this bondage! Every victory, no matter how hard, that we win, will help us win another, by God's grace.

[tonytonytony]

People can be very vague and say have faith and believe Jesus Christ but what does that exactly mean to a Christian today ?

Exactly to be a Christian is more then a few habits to break or
acquire---John 5:39.

Exactly being in the faith of Jesus Christ is more then being a positive
confident person that the atonement of Christ will bail you out when your in sin confessing wrong to be repent of now ---John 8:31 and
Romans 10:17.

Exactly being a Christian is about the wisdom of God to acquire instead of the wisdom of man for direction in our daily life so much---Matthew 4:4.

Exactly Godly means all the book has to be messed with to
be so---2 Timothy 3:16.

Exactly saved means all the book has to be intrepreted God's way to
be so----2 Peter 1:20-21.

Exactly a Christian means you belittle the wisdom of man to be
one----1 Cor. 1:25 and Matthew 5:17-20 and Romans 10:2-3.

Exactly a Christian means you let every decision and thought or action be governed by the book appropriate for each situation---Acts 17:28.

Exactly born again means you die to the wisdom of man to be
saved----John 3:5 and Mark 16:16.

Exactly redeemed means your a perfectionist in God with the book
enough----John 8:31.

Exactly a believer means you allow the wisdom of God to shape your life when it's more natural to let the wisdom of man do so--Psalms 8:4.

Exactly a saint means you look at righteousness or intregrity different then the world does----John 5:39 and Romans 12:17.

Exactly sold out for God means you buried your past philosophies to have God's truth with anything in the book-----Colossians 2:6.

Exactly a kingdom of God person means you suffer for righteousness different cause your of the truth and the world isn't---Matthew 10:22.

Exactly a child of God means you take on anything in the bible the world will call you a crazy legalist with today--1 Peter 3:3 and James 5:20, etc.

Exactly a disciple means the world will misunderstand you cause their not a Christian----2 Cor. 4:3 and Titus 3:10 and John 8:44.

Exactly a warrior for God means the world will be overwhelmed and think your a hater and trouble maker with your good intended in
Christ---1 Thess. 5:12 and 2 Cor. 6.

Exactly a saint means people will be blown away like your some big shot with the book their not-----1 John 2:27 and James 1:5 and 2 Tim. 2:15.

Exactly Godly means Christians look at unity and meetings different then
the world does----Amos 3:3 and John 17 and 2 Cor. 6.

Exactly spiritual means Christians see through the sweetheart in people and really know them in the book enough to know if their really a believer
today---1 Thess. 5:12 and John 8:31 and Titus 3:10.

Exactly a man of God means your passion for Christ goes beyond miracles and converts to have daily-----Matthew 5:6 and John 17 and Amos 3:3
and Matthew 11:29.

Exactly a woman of God means your occupation in Christ goes beyond a 20 year cute biography in God----1 Cor. 8:2 and John 5:39.

Exactly born again means you heard more then an angel voice in heaven speaking out the will of God today----Roman 10:17 and John 6:63.

Exactly redeemed means you got revelation of God enough on any bible topic or word in the book----Ephesians 2:8-10 and 2 Cor. 4:3.

Exactly free from a bind of the enemy means your not following a curse to know where a blessing is---Matthew 15:14 and Galations 1:8-9.

Exactly in God means your not taken in by people with gifts of the Holy Spirit only----Matthew 11:29 and ALL of 1 Cor. 12 and ALL of 1 Cor. 14.

Exactly spiritual means your not manipulated by leadership and tithing doctrine only-----Galations 1:8-9 and Matthew 15:14 and 1 Thess. 5:12.

Exactly a child of God means you don't have a problem with fundamental teaching the world hates-----John 3:5 and Mark 16:16 and Romans 6:1.

Exactly Godly means your going to upset the intellectuals of the world that lie and say their believers---Romans 7:2-3 and 1 Peter 4:1-4 and
Revelation 22:18-19 and Matthew 5:17 and John 8:44.

Exactly a warrior for God means your going to expose light whereever darkness is ---2 Timothy 3:16 and John 8:24 and 2 Thess. 3:10.

Exactly a Christian means people will misunderstand why you have so many enemies----Luke 6:26 and Matthew 10:22.

Exactly a believer means people will misunderstand why your so bold when your called to be----Psalms 107:2 and James 5:20.

Exactly a saint means people will misunderstand why tribulation or offenses occur in your life and theirs all the time---James 3:2.

Exactly a person of God means Christians look at peace differently then the world does----Matthew 10:22 and James 3:2 and Luke 6:26 again.

Exactly born again means Christians see the big picture differently with
life now and to come----John 17 and John 8:31 .

Exactly saved means our vision of life is greater then the world can have
vision of the Holy Spirit----Luke 4:4 and John 6:63 and John 17:17.

Exactly redeemed means Christians see material prosperity differently then the world does----1 Timothy 6 and Luke 3:14 and Hebrews 4 and
Luke 12:15.

Exactly the world referring to anybody an unbeliever in the bible
anywhere---John 8:31 and 1 Thess. 5:12 and 2 Cor. 6.

Exactly of the devil referring to anybody despising anything in the
bible anywhere----Matthew 5:17-20 and Rev. 22:18-19 and
Romans 10:2-3.

Exactly in the church referring to where 100% bible believers are
only---John 8:31 and 2 Timothy 3:16 and Amos 3:3 and 1 Thess. 5:12.

Exactly in a relationship in Christ referring to where the people move of God is only----John 17 and John 10.

Exactly in fellowhip referring to people in agreement with all the book the
same----2 Cor. 6 and Amos 3:3 and 2 Peter 1:20-21 and 1 Thess. 5:12.

Exactly a people move of God referring to people having bible chemistry with each other enough while their searching hard to find each other
today----Matthew 5:6 and Psalms 133:1.