saskgui
Aug 4th 2009, 01:39 AM
Hi
I have struggled with lust since a child. I am now in my mid thirties. I am sad to think of all the time i have wasted in my life with alcohol, drugs and lust however it was my free choice and now i live with the consequences.
I first realized i had a problem in my mid twenties when i could not quit pornography and masturbation no matter how hard i tried. Some of the things i have tried to do in quitting include praying asking God to remove this sin, reading books on sexual addiction, trying my best not to "do it", bouncing my eyes from people that i considered attractive and attempting to love God more and be a better Christian. Since nothing worked by myself I went to christian counselling expecting them to "fix me". That also did not work. So off i went to a 12 step SA group. It was great to be honest amoung other guys, a place where i could be more honest than church but still my sin persisted.
I don't stand before you (er.. metaphorically speaking) able to point to my success but rather what i learned to date. Reading the book "At The Altar Of Sexual Idolatry" by Steve Gallager has been foundational in many ways. It has pointed me to such truths as:
1) what i have been looking for is something to set me free from lust so i can live my life as i choose... with me in 100% control.
2) i have been most intrested in being saved from the Lake of Fire and given eternal life, not in turning from my sins and hating evil.
3) repentance and grace come as a package deal, you can't seperate them.
4) if God instantly removed lust from me then what would i be? A lukewarm christian that would only seek out evil again, whether lust or other.
5) that lust is a fight on three battlefronts, a) the flesh which has natural inclinations to anything pleasurable, b) the world which is a force like gravity pulling people away from God, c) spiritual forces which cannot forces us to do anything but can tempt us in ways which we are most weak. You need to understand the difference between the three and be prepared.
6) At the base lust is just like any other sin in which we don't deny ourselves by giving Jesus Lordship of our lives but rather desire to run our own life.
7) Don't expect a instant or quick release, even with God's help the road to recovery will likely take some time. This is necessary as we need to learn many things over again and some experience for the first time. It is part of developing christian character.
I am not in a position to teach but rather wanted to share things taught to me from Steve which i am convinced are sound biblical truths that can be pivotal for those struggling. If you are in this position of bondage this book may be of help to you.
I have struggled with lust since a child. I am now in my mid thirties. I am sad to think of all the time i have wasted in my life with alcohol, drugs and lust however it was my free choice and now i live with the consequences.
I first realized i had a problem in my mid twenties when i could not quit pornography and masturbation no matter how hard i tried. Some of the things i have tried to do in quitting include praying asking God to remove this sin, reading books on sexual addiction, trying my best not to "do it", bouncing my eyes from people that i considered attractive and attempting to love God more and be a better Christian. Since nothing worked by myself I went to christian counselling expecting them to "fix me". That also did not work. So off i went to a 12 step SA group. It was great to be honest amoung other guys, a place where i could be more honest than church but still my sin persisted.
I don't stand before you (er.. metaphorically speaking) able to point to my success but rather what i learned to date. Reading the book "At The Altar Of Sexual Idolatry" by Steve Gallager has been foundational in many ways. It has pointed me to such truths as:
1) what i have been looking for is something to set me free from lust so i can live my life as i choose... with me in 100% control.
2) i have been most intrested in being saved from the Lake of Fire and given eternal life, not in turning from my sins and hating evil.
3) repentance and grace come as a package deal, you can't seperate them.
4) if God instantly removed lust from me then what would i be? A lukewarm christian that would only seek out evil again, whether lust or other.
5) that lust is a fight on three battlefronts, a) the flesh which has natural inclinations to anything pleasurable, b) the world which is a force like gravity pulling people away from God, c) spiritual forces which cannot forces us to do anything but can tempt us in ways which we are most weak. You need to understand the difference between the three and be prepared.
6) At the base lust is just like any other sin in which we don't deny ourselves by giving Jesus Lordship of our lives but rather desire to run our own life.
7) Don't expect a instant or quick release, even with God's help the road to recovery will likely take some time. This is necessary as we need to learn many things over again and some experience for the first time. It is part of developing christian character.
I am not in a position to teach but rather wanted to share things taught to me from Steve which i am convinced are sound biblical truths that can be pivotal for those struggling. If you are in this position of bondage this book may be of help to you.