Don't let Satan convince you otherwise. He is an accuser. After he tempts you and gets you to fall, he turns around and makes you feel like crap for falling. He tells us things like, "oh you have messed up now!"
Then there's Jesus. Through Him we have forgiveness. If we call on the name of Jesus Christ and ask Him to wipe us clean, He will do it--no matter what we did, and no matter how many times we did it. As long as we have breath in our nostrils, then we have a chance to receive forgiveness.
Acts 4:12 "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."
I understand. Satan is in your ear, telling you what you said or did isn't forgivable. You think the mistake you made was bad? Try aggressively seeking God's people and murdering them. That's what Paul (previously known as Saul) did. Not only was he forgiven, but God used him to bring many souls to Him. Not to mention he wrote a good amount of the New Testament. Now if God can do that through Paul, imagine what He can do through you?
1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
Condemnation leads to more sinWhen you make a mistake, ask for forgiveness and move on. God has moved on. You may not forgive yourself, but He does. At the end of the day it's about God and not us. He's the authority in the matter. So when He says He forgives you, then you are forgiven. Finding the ability to trust in the salvation of Jesus Christ is the difference between committing a sin and being stuck in sin.
1 John 1:7-9 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Satan tries to convince you that God is fed up with you. In doing so he causes you to distance yourself from God. You begin to feel so guilty. You're not praising Him like you used to, and you're not spending time with Him. It's no different than when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and ran afterwards to hide from God behind the trees.
Don't hide from God. The more you distance yourself from Him, the closer you are to Satan's grasp. This often leads to more sin because Satan then tells you, "well you already messed up. You might as well..." Then comes the snowball effect. You will be left with even more sins than you began with! But remember: as long as you have life, you have an opportunity for salvation. No matter how many sins you've committed.
Take time to reflect on your progress
For some of you who haven't read my older posts, I admitted I struggled with a pornography addiction. I used to be ashamed and embarrassed by it, but you will be surprised how many people are going through the same things you did. I spent years and years trying to shake it. It was a cycle. Every time I slipped, I would beat myself up. Satan convinced me that I was a failure and I had failed God. So I would distance myself from Him out of guilt and disappointment. As soon as I did that, Satan began to tempt me even more and I fell deeper.
The moment I came back to God, He reminded me of something very important. He showed me that even though I had fell to the temptation, I hadn't fell in the same way that I used to. I started out indulging in pornography and I didn't think anything was wrong with it. I always thought it was embarrassing, but I didn't think it was morally wrong. I simply saw myself as a "hormone" crazed teenager, and teenagers did things like that. So think about the mistake you made. The mere fact that you feel guilty about it shows how you've grown. You are starting to see your sin in the same way God sees it. He is proud of you for that alone.
Then God showed me that I didn't fall nearly as much as I used to. That matters to Him. It shows that we are trying to actively resist. It shows that we aren't just dipping our toes in sin for fun like we used to. Satan has to work harder now to tempt you. Think of it this way. If we have made this much progress, then how can we lose hope that we will completely overcome our obstacles someday? Don't put all of your energy into trying to live a perfect life. Instead focus on trying to have perfect faith. Our faith in Jesus Christ gives us access to God's mercy and grace.
Psalms 92:12 The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
God is love
1 Corinthians 4:7 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
In these verses Paul defines love. People often refer to this when examining the authenticity of earthy relationships, but when you think about it, these verses also describes God. God is love. Let these verses be your guide when Satan tries to convince you that God is done with you.
1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
God is patient. Once you ask Him for forgiveness, He keeps no records of wrongs. So if you messed up, it's ok. Praise God for giving us a chance to be forgiven through His beautiful son Jesus Christ. Run to Him and not away from Him. Only then can you take back what Satan stole from you and move on.
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