How would you help a Christian friend who’s dealing with a persistent sin issue?
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strngwmnnchrst on September 17, 2012 at 11:59 pm
I would try to help them understand that they first need to be honest with themselves and then honest with God about that sin issue….You can never get deliverance from what you enjoy….Not make them feel judged, but loved and share the concern about their eternal soul….Then spend time in prayer….Some issues can be dealt with overnight and some can’t…We all have a past, a history…Most of the sin issues we have in life is because of our history…We need to understand that only in true submission to God and in developing a relationship with God, through Jesus can we completely overcome our sin issues…
tom felten on September 18, 2012 at 9:41 am
strngwmnnchrst, I like your thoughts! When you mentioned being honest with themselves and honest with God, I thought of David in Psalm 51. He wrote, “Have mercy on me, O God, because of Your unfailing love. Because of Your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night” (Psalm 51:1-3). What a great example of a truly repentant heart!
strngwmnnchrst on September 18, 2012 at 11:32 pm
Thank you, Tom…..David is one of my favorite Bible personalities….I love how he always ran to God when he was confronted with sin in his life….If we can all be like that….God already knows our heart and He’s just waiting for us to come to Him and say, Father, this is me….Help me…Show me how to overcome this issue….And as we know, He’s always willing and able…..I believe David understood this well….It is our Father’s desire to see us free from all sin issues in our lives….
jpkaverman on September 19, 2012 at 9:38 am
I would pray with and for that friend and offer to be there for him / her as an accountability partner. Sometimes when we are tempted to commit a sin of commission it helps to have a partner that can encourage and strengthen us.
tom felten on September 19, 2012 at 10:52 am
Good thoughts, jpkaverman. It truly does help to have brothers standing with brothers and sisters standing with sisters in accountability. It provides opportunities for “iron to sharpen iron” (Proverbs 27:17). A post that I wrote on how to “do” accountability can be found here.
jpkaverman on September 21, 2012 at 8:46 am
Thank you, Tom, for those resources. Proverbs 27:17 has been one of my favorite verses for many years. I’ve also found (Romans 8:12, NLT) “… you have no obligation to do what your sinful natures urges you to do” to be encouraging in situations of accountability.
tom felten on September 21, 2012 at 9:08 am
Great verse, jpkaverman. I love the truths expressed in this passage that Jesus is alive within us and that our lives can be “controlled by the Spirit” who “gives us life” (Romans 8:9-11). Accountability with us others provides external help, while the Holy Spirit continues to comfort, convict, and counsel us internally!
hchead on September 24, 2012 at 1:10 pm
I just really used this site today from my PC and i am glad i bumped into it.
I am happy by comments of fellow christian.
First, i would let him know that we are all living towards perfection and this is only by the grace of God. He/She needs to continuously talk to God about it by showing it in his attitude. He should be remorseful about it and talk to someone about it too.
They should also always pray about it and show God, who sees from the heart, their genuineness to repent of it. Then they should not forsake the gathering of brethren where iron sharpen iron. There they can learn of how others are also trying to overcome sin difficulties. I would even remind them of Paul’s comment in Rom 7:19-20…For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. (NIV). And tell them they should trust o the saving power of God through Christ.
tom felten on September 24, 2012 at 2:16 pm
I’m so glad you’ve joined the odj community, hchead. Really good thoughts on how to help a friend dealing with a persistent sin issue. I especially liked your emphasis on grace and our ability to sin less by the power of God at work within us. I’m so grateful for the Holy Spirit and His continued conviction of sin in my life and His counsel to pursue holiness instead of sin. We’re all a work in progress!