Keep Your Heart with all Diligence

If you are like me you were always a little fearful in your youth, in your immaturity, that you were perhaps not normal.  That is to say, you struggled being the person you ought to be and like Eve desired forbidden things from time to time and the thought came to your mind that is not normal, not normal for those who want to do what is right and be a good person.  Perhaps you got to the point where you questioned your heart.  Maybe you just had a bad heart.  Maybe you were just a little more depraved than others.  Since it is not possible to look inside another individual and see what they are inside (“For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?” 1 Cor. 2:11 NKJV) you doubted yourself.

As I grew older in life I came to realize we are all pretty much the same.  “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” (Gal. 5:17 NKJV)  I think the TEV translation of the last phrase of this verse nails the meaning.  It says, “This means that you cannot do what you want to do.”  So, I have not been the only one.  You must have had the same problem.

Yes, life is a struggle to do what is right and refrain from sin.  Perhaps this is why I get upset with Christians of a liberal bent.  They come across to me as saying “You go ahead and struggle, I am depending on God’s grace.”  Translated that means I will do in my life what I want and let God’s grace cover me in the end.  We are supposed to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12 NKJV) and have been given a sword (the word of God--Eph. 6:17) and a shield (faith--Eph. 6:16).  Where is the fight in liberal Christianity (a misnomer)?  Paul said he had “fought the good fight.” (2 Tim. 4:7 NKJV)  It is a cop-out to live as you want, not being overly concerned about doing wrong (sinning), feeling that grace will take care of it all.  It is a bad attitude toward God.  But, I digress. 

In the book of Proverbs, chapter 23 verse 7, we read of man, “As he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (NKJV)  Make no mistake about it--our struggle is with our hearts within.  “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.  These are the things which defile a man.” (Matt. 15:19-20 NKJV)  Take special care here to notice that the first sin Jesus lists is “evil thoughts.”  Paul says we are to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5 NKJV) 

We are even told what to think about.  “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4:8 NKJV)

No wonder Solomon wrote, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” (Prov. 4:23 NKJV)  The TEV translates this in a way that makes it even clearer, “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.”  How true it is.  How many times in our lives have we heard the words “If you think you can, you can?”  Everything we do in life first begins with a tiny thought that grows and matures.  A seed is sown in our hearts by something we have seen, heard, read, or experienced and a thought begins to take shape as we begin the thought process.  That eventually leads to action.  I do not know of anything we do where there has not first been the thought that then led us to act.  Yes, we sometimes act instinctively but I think the reader realizes I am not talking about those kinds of things.

We say, myself included, it is so hard to control our thoughts and I agree it is but God would not give a command if we could not do it, do it at least to a major degree.  The thought comes to mind from the book of James (James 3:1-10) where we are instructed to control our tongue but it is also said that no man can tame it.  I believe James is telling us we are commanded to give it our very best shot.  The same is likely true with our thoughts.

It is hard to see how a person could be tempted without going through a thought process.  What is the difference between an evil thought and a temptation?  James says, “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.  Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15 NKJV)  Paul, like James, in 1 Cor. 10:13 teaches that temptation itself is not a sin.  “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (NKJV)  Please note that Paul says temptation is “common to man.”  That means, of course, that you and I are not alone when it comes to being tempted by evil.

Temptation while not a sin can lead to sin.  On the other hand, evil thoughts are sinful in themselves (Matt. 15:19-20).  The difference seems to be what we do with the negative or evil thought that enters our mind (heart).  If it is transient it would seem to fall into the category of being only a temptation.  If it remains in the heart and we mull it around in our minds and do not let go of it but entertain it finding some satisfaction in doing so then it would seem to pass into the realm of sinful thought.  At least that is the only explanation I can see.  You will have to decide for yourself.

Perhaps a few Bible examples would help us out.  I was recently reading of the account of Achan’s sin in Joshua 7:20-21.  The Bible says, “And Achan answered Joshua and said, ‘Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done:  When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them.” (NKJV)  We are aware of temptation when it occurs.  Achan knew he was being tempted but rather than immediately running away from the temptation what did he do?  He entertained the thought in his heart, gave it thought as to taking the items, and ended up doing so.

David’s sin with Bathsheba is another example.  David’s adultery began when he saw the naked Bathsheba and began to think about it in his heart, to dwell on it.  He was not keeping his heart with all diligence nor did Achan.  One who did keep his heart and reacted properly was Joseph.  Joseph like David was tempted to engage in sexual sin.  We find the account in Gen. 39.  His master’s wife was after Joseph day after day to lie with her as Gen. 39:7 and 10 puts it.  Joseph, however, unlike David, did not entertain the thought in his heart. 

One who kept his heart with all diligence as did Joseph was Daniel.  The Bible says of Daniel in Daniel 1:8, “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies … ". (NKJV)  Later it is said to Daniel, by a heavenly visitor in a vision, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved … Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard.” (Dan. 10:11-12 NKJV)  A man has some control over his heart.  We are not forced to be what our fleshly nature leads us to be.

How a man reacts to a situation where he is tempted depends on how he has prepared his heart.  David was at heart a good man but he let his guard down.  One must use all diligence in keeping his heart where it ought to be.  This does not come naturally.  Sin, other than sins of ignorance, originates in the heart.  Of the Jews who came out of Egypt with Moses God said, “They always go astray in their heart.” (Heb. 3:10 NKJV)

I used to hear it said that heaven was a prepared place for a prepared people.  I believe that is true.  Our preparation must begin within.  We must gain control of our thoughts which is just another way of saying we must gain control of our hearts for as a man thinketh in his heart so is he (Prov. 23:7).  Gaining that control begins first with a desire to do so.  It then takes self-discipline.  We need to give it our best effort making heaven our treasure for “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:34 NKJV)  Our heart determines not only how our life here on earth will be lived and where we will be led (led by it) but also how our life in eternity will be lived and where.  Keep your heart with all diligence is some of the best advice you or I will ever be given.   

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Never Give Up

When we learn the truth of the gospel message, come to believe it, and then sincerely obey it we sometimes expect more of ourselves than is humanly possible to deliver.  When we first come out of the water of our baptism we are determined that we will not sin, we will live sin-free.  This attitude is to be highly commended but is also unrealistic.  

Many who obey the gospel do so when young and thus their expectations about life are not in accord with reality.  They have little idea of what it will be like to live as an adult in the real world with the pressures that people face daily.  When they are confronted with them, when they are no longer sheltered but must face them head-on, they begin to stumble here and there on occasion.  Discouragement settles in for the one who was sincere in his or her gospel obedience. 

The thinking becomes I have sinned, and then I did it again either in the same way or another way, and then again, and the first thing you know it seems like you are trapped in a body that not only insists on sinning but has power over one’s own will.  We become discouraged and cease feeling good about ourselves.  We think I am not good enough; I cannot live the Christian life; I am just not a strong enough person.  

The truth is that almost all of us at one point in time or another have felt that way.  What do we do when that happens?  Too many just gradually give in to those kinds of feelings and give up.  But, is the situation hopeless?  Does it have to be that way?  I would like to take a look into the lives of some of God’s people who seemingly had the same problems I speak of here and see what they did that was sinful, what led them to do it, and how they handled it in the hope that it will help all of us. 

There is no doubt that Moses was a great man of God.  He spoke with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration before Christ’s suffering thus we know he was a saved man.  The Hebrew writer says of Moses, “And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant.” (Heb. 3:5 NKJV)  Yet, we know God would not allow Moses to enter the Promised Land because of his sin.  What was that sin? 

While the children of Israel were traveling through the wilderness after having come out of the land of Egypt they came to a place later called Massah and Meribah, a place where there was no water and a place in which the people grew thirsty and began to complain to Moses.  Moses went to God concerning the matter and God directed him to go to the rock there and speak to the rock and strike it with his rod and water would come forth.  Moses did this but failed to give God the glory instead saying before striking the rock, “Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” (Num. 20:10 NKJV)  We infer from this that he was speaking of himself and his brother Aaron who was with him.  God was left out of the picture and not given the glory.  For this Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land.  (See the accounts of this in Exodus 17:1-7, Numbers 20:2-13, Numbers 20:24, Numbers 27:12-14, and Deut. 32:48-52.) 

Moses was such a great man of God that God spoke to him face to face.  “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” (Exodus 33:11 NKJV - see also Num. 12:8 and Deut. 34:10).  Please note that this is said of Moses 16 chapters after the events concerning the water at the rock, after Moses’ sin.  So, what was it that would cause such a great man of God to sin the way he earlier had? 

The answer is the very same thing that gets to us as Christians today--pressure on the job, stress in our lives.  Moses in Exodus 17:2 says to the people who were complaining, “Why do you contend with me?” (NKJV)  The very next verse, verse 3, says, “the people complained against Moses,” and it gets so bad that in verse 4 Moses says to God, “What shall I do with this people?  They are almost ready to stone me!” (NKJV)  That is pressure on the job.  When Moses says they are almost ready to stone me we should not think that he is speaking figuratively but stoning was a real possibility if things did not soon get better.  

The Psalmist says with regards to this event, (Psalms 106:32-33 ESV), “They angered him (God--DS) at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account, for they made his spirit bitter, and he spoke rashly with his lips.”  Moses grew angry and bitter at the people and spoke rashly out of passion rather than calmly with forethought and failed to give God the glory.  When we speak in the heat of passion there is seldom any good that can come out of it. 

I have used Moses as an example for us today for how often it is that Christians find themselves in very high-stress situations, under all kinds of pressure, and the result is that we too end up like Moses and sin under stress.  What kinds of sin?  A whole host of sins could be mentioned, here are a few.  We begin to put God on the back burner and give him second place in our lives feeling that there is not enough time to do everything.  Attendance at worship services begins to lag, Bible reading ceases, prayer time diminishes, there is no time for good works, and we begin doing whatever it is that is required of us to stay in good standing in our job even if it means sacrificing our Christian life.  It is easy to eventually end up as a Christian dropout. 

This can happen and it does happen all of the time--the more professional your job, the more responsibility you have, the more of an executive position you hold the tougher it becomes.  Expectations are so great and the kinds of people we often work with are far from having Christian character, just the opposite, and it makes it very difficult to survive as a Christian.  With all the attempts to get the most out of the least, it seems everyone is under pressure on the job no matter what position they hold--blue collar or white collar. 

I want to say there are no easy answers to these kinds of situations that we find ourselves in.  I heard one preacher say words to the effect that we can quit our job.  Yes, and then what?  Will the next job be any better?  This is America in the twenty-first century.  If there are any stress-free jobs in our country today I do not know where or what they are.  We cannot herd sheep.  What can we do then? 

We can hang in there.  We can fight the battle as best we can.  We can pray to God for help.  We can do our best.  We can trust God’s grace.  We can follow Moses’ example and not give up.  When God told him of his sin and told him he would not be allowed into the Promised Land he could have given up.  He could have said I have the toughest job in the world leading these people that are continually giving me a hard time and they are bringing me down with them and I quit, I give up. Despite my best efforts, I cannot live faithfully and please God. 

Had Moses done this what then?  Where would he be today?  Would he have met with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration?  Would he have been called a faithful man in the book of Hebrews as is the case?  What did Moses do? 

He did not quit.  He accepted his sin for what it was and went on with life.  He continued to trust in God as his hope and salvation.  This is exactly what we need to do today.  Remember Moses when things get tough in your life and follow his example. 

Another man I would like to deal with is David.  You know the story of David, a man the Bible says was a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14).  And yet, as great a man of God as David was, his sin with Bathsheba is perhaps the best-known case of adultery that ever occurred.  And one can add murder to his list of sins for having Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, killed.  The account of this affair can be found in 2 Samuel 11 and 12. 

David was a man who had always done God’s will.  If he had lived in the Christian era we would say there was a man who was so strong in the faith that it is impossible to live up to the example he set.  We might well say of him, if he lived near us in our own time, that he is the best Christian man I have ever met.  Of course, David was not a Christian as he lived under the Law of Moses but I say this to emphasize what a man of God he truly was, a super role model in so many ways. 

Yet, he fell mightily.  He lusted with his eyes and heart after Bathsheba, committed adultery with her, and then had her husband Uriah killed to cover his tracks and hide his sin when he discovered Bathsheba was with child, his child.  All this sin began when, because of outside stimulus, his heart ceased to be pure. 

Yet, despite his sin, as horrible as it was, the Bible speaks highly of him.  Here is what it says in comments that are being made about Abijam, a king who came later down the road after David.  “His heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.  Nevertheless, for David’s sake, the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by setting up his son after him and by establishing Jerusalem; because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.” (1 Kings 15:3-5 NKJV)   

When David’s life on earth ended he was found in God’s favor.  The words just quoted above came, obviously, after David’s death.  

What can we learn from what happened to David?  I start with this.  Don’t be deceived, there is no one no matter how spiritual they may appear and may be who is not capable of sin, even grievous sin.  We sometimes tend to think others are strong and not tempted like me.  Don’t be overly sure of that.  No one is struggling like me.  Don’t be sure of that.  No one has to fight temptation like me.  Don’t be sure of that.  It is said that David was around 50 years old at the time of this sin.  It is not just the young who struggle to be faithful. 

Secondly, David’s sin came about as a result of factors external to himself.  He saw, he was tempted, and he lusted.  How many of our sins begin with factors external to us?  We see this or that, we hear this or that, it creates desire within our hearts, and we give in to temptation.  We may not see a naked lady bathing but every day we are exposed to things from the outside that cause lust in our hearts whether it be sexual lust, as was the case with David, or the desire for possessions, or the desire to have position and authority and be praised and honored as we see other men and women being praised and honored, or maybe just the desire to fit in and be accepted as one of the guys.  What we see and hear affects us. 

It is a battle all of us fight.  Paul said in 1 Cor. 10:13 “no temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man” (NKJV) which tells us not to kid ourselves.  We are not alone in being tempted by the things of this world.  But Paul goes on and says, “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Cor. 10:13 NKJV)  

But you may be saying to yourself as you examine your life that I failed.  I did not take the way of escape.  Well, you have joined vast multitudes of God’s people that have had to confess the same thing at various times in their lives including David, the great man of God.  The point is that it is not hopeless. 

We all believe we are going to see David in heaven.  Why?  The answer is he repented and he did not give up.  It would be easy for a man who has committed adultery and murder to go into the depths of despair so deep as to never come out again.  Imagine the shame, the self-loathing, and the inability to look at one’s self in the mirror--the never-ending regret and sorrow. 

What is the lesson?  Never give up; there is always good reason for hope.  God will forgive you no matter how atrocious your sins may be.  The Bible says God is not willing that any should perish but that all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).  Jesus did not come to earth to die on the cross just so men could die in sin.  I remind the reader that both Moses and David were men of God at the time of their sins.  God forgave them.  He will forgive you and me if we repent and do not give up.  Nothing most people have done will compare with what David did.  You have never murdered, have you?  God forgave him.  God will forgive you. 

The 51st Psalm was written by David as a result of this sin he had committed and after Nathan had confronted him and David had repented.  First, he asks for forgiveness and acknowledges his transgressions but then he says in verse 10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (NKJV)  Do you think God was capable of doing that with David?  Do you think he is capable of doing that with you or me when we get caught up in sin?  Remember David is speaking or writing but doing so by inspiration of the Holy Spirit who led him to utter these words.  God is able and willing if we like David will repent. 

Then note verses 16 and 17 where David says, “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart - These, O God, You will not despise.” (Psalm 51:16-17 NKJV)  When a man or woman truly from the depths of their heart repents God will forgive them and we are talking here about the children of God.  Remember how the father received back the prodigal son in the New Testament?  The message is God wants us back. 

In closing, I want to touch on a few passages in the New Testament.  The church at Corinth was full of sinning Christians.  The book of First Corinthians was written with a view of getting the brethren to repent.  Just about every sin you can think of was going on in the church there.  This included even a man who had his father’s wife sexually.  

Paul wrote the brethren back sometime later giving us the book of Second Corinthians.  In that book, he makes it clear that even this man was forgiven as he had repented.  He says to the brethren, “You ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow.  Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him.” (2 Cor. 2:7-8 NKJV) 

In 2 Cor. 2:10-11 Paul says concerning this man and this situation, “Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive.  For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devises.” (NKJV) 

Barnes in his commentary on this passage says, “And the idea is, that they should at once re-admit the penitent offender to their communion, lest if they did not do it, Satan would take advantage of it to do injury to him and them.  It is a reason given by Paul why they should lose no time in restoring him to the church.” 

Concerning the sins of the brethren at Corinth besides this man’s sin Paul says in 2 Cor. 7:9-10, “Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance.  For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.  For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” (NKJV) 

Remember we are talking to and about Christians here.  Their repentance led to their salvation.  They suffered loss in nothing for they repented and God received them again. 

Still, there were some at Corinth that had not repented in contrast to those who had.  Paul writes in 2 Cor. 12:21 that he fears when he comes to them again that there will be some that “have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced.” (NKJV)  Yes, Christians can become involved in anything as did David but if we will repent God will forgive.  Paul’s lament here is that he fears some have not repented. 

The very last passage I want to touch on is found in Hebrews 10:35-36.  It seems the brethren were growing weary and about to give up and drift away.  They are admonished, “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.  For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” (NKJV) 

The message--don’t give up.  No matter how weak you may be at times, no matter how many sins you may commit as a Christian, no matter how bad they may be don’t give up.  It is never hopeless until we give up.  We are all in the same boat together.  John says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8 NKJV)  Sin hits us all even as Christians.  The other guy may just do a better job hiding his.  Quitters never win and never can.  Only when we quit is it over.  Jesus came into the world to save us, not condemn us.  Let us do as David did, repent, and then get up and get going again.  You have the road of salvation to travel so get up and get going again. 

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Seeking Repentance

Awhile back I received a response (a comment) on an article I had posted online entitled "The Hardening of the Human Heart" from an individual who seemed to be truly troubled after reading the article.  I quote the comment I received in its entirety below.

"The sermon i heard was true hard and direct from god i long disobeyed now its too late there is no way to easily deal with this how do i how can i simply ignore what i was told knowing what i choose to do without the power of repentence you can't simply repent i don't want to accept its too late for me to be saved i feel fear and terror knowing its too late for me knowing there is nothing in heaven i can do or anyone can do to help me i am trying to grasp it but its hard for me to understand even i honestly i don't have any words but the pain i am left with . what do i say god remember me"

The above paragraph is a direct quote but it will be easier to understand if you put in the proper punctuation as I take it that English is a second language for the commentator.  First of all, I want to say that while I always try and write the truth from God's word, or about God's word, nothing I write is "direct from God" as per the commentator's words.  I hope I write the truth and try my best but in the end, only the Bible can be relied upon.

With that out of the way, it is obvious the writer is in turmoil and needs help.  Since the writer publicly used his/her name in commenting on my article I will use it here as well since it is easier than referring to him or her, he or she.  The name was Jamie.  Is Jamie's case hopeless?  Jamie seems to feel as though it is.  I do not. 

A case is hopeless when one has totally rejected Christ, is no longer a believer and is not the least bit concerned or worried about sin or his ultimate destiny.  Even then some tragic event or experience in life may turn him or her back to Christ and the gospel.  The parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) gives us some insight into how such a thing can happen.  I think we all know that the father in the parable represents God and the younger son who goes off into prodigal living represents a sinful man who, at least for a time, rejects God.

Jesus in giving the parable says in verse 13 of the prodigal that he "wasted his possessions with prodigal living." (Luke 15:13 NKJV)  The word "prodigal" (Luke 15:13) is used to describe his manner of life in the New King James Version but other translations use words like "riotous living" (ASV, KJV), "wild living" (NIV, NLT, CEV, ISV), "reckless living" (ESV), "loose living" (NASB), "dissolute living" (NRSV), and the NET Bible says "wild lifestyle."  His older brother says he had devoured the father's money with harlots (Luke 15:30 NKJV).  This gives us a pretty good idea of the kind of life he had chosen to lead.

We all know the story if we are familiar with the Bible.  The son becomes destitute to the point of hunger (Luke 15:16) but the Bible says "when he came to himself" (Luke 15:17 NKJV) and began to reason he determined to return to his father and confess his sins with the implication being he had repented.  This took a great deal of humility and involved shame for the failure his life had become.  All pride was destroyed and gone from his life.  He had nothing to be proud of and he knew it.  He had played the role of the fool and had made a complete failure of things but in doing so it brought him to his senses—"he came to himself." (Luke 15:17 NKJV)  He went back to where he belonged—to his home with his father.

We thus have a parable that shows people like Jamie that there is hope of going back to God from a sinful lifestyle.  In fact, Jesus says, "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance." (Luke 15:7 NKJV)  He again says, "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10 NKJV)  Man has it in his power to bring joy to heaven.  Jamie has power to bring joy to heaven.  Heaven cares about us.  Just thinking about that is powerful, someone cares.  That is powerful for sometimes we all are inclined to get to thinking “who cares.”  Well, heaven cares.  God the Father, Christ the Son, the Holy Spirit, the angels, all of heaven cares.  The creator cares.

Hear the Holy Spirit as he spoke in the Psalms:

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart-- these, O God, you will not despise." (Psalm 51:17 NKJV)  From the tone of Jamie's comments, I think he/she has just such a heart, one God will not despise.

"The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit." (Psalm 34:18 NKJV)

I would say to Jamie it is not too late.  God cares about you and you care or else why are you reading religious articles?  You even say, "i don't want to accept its too late for me to be saved."  You care and for anyone who still cares it is not too late.  The person who is lost because of a hardened heart does not care.  You are not in that category.

Jamie seems to think he or she, as the case may be, cannot repent.  Anyone can repent who wills to do so badly enough.  If we are honest we all know sin can be addictive and pleasurable, at least for a season (Heb. 11:25), and very hard to quit.  Add to that the circumstances in which we can at times find ourselves can make it additionally hard to repent.  Let me give some examples.

Drunkenness is a sin but it is also an addiction for some, a physical addiction and quite possibly a psychological one as well although I am not a psychologist.  Gossip, a sin, can be addictive.  What would life be for some without being able to gossip?  Some are addicted to adultery (they are in an adulterous marriage they refuse to repent of and leave and admittedly it would not be easy to do); some have their own personal idols they are addicted to whether it be money, pleasure, or whatever; some are addicted to "selfish ambitions" (see Gal. 5:20 NKJV); some seem to be addicted to judging others and the list could go on and on. 

I think most of us have a sin or set of sins that tempt us greatly, our own particular weaknesses, that are a real battle to deal with.  They are sins we are drawn to.  I think the Hebrew writer may be talking about this when he says, "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." (Heb. 12:1 NKJV)  Note the writer says of this sin or sins that it "easily ensnares us."  The CEV translation says, "So we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won't let go." (Heb. 12:1 CEV)  The Bible commentator Albert Barnes says in reference to this verse, "Every man has one or more weak points in his character; and it is there that he is particularly exposed."  I believe Barnes is right.  The sin that just won't let go, as per the CEV translation, is the sin we are drawn to that tempts us continually and which because of that we have to battle against day in and day out.

It is not at all easy to resist the temptation directed toward our weakness but we can gain victory over temptation and sin through faith in Christ and his strength.  While it is very hard we all know that there have been many who were drunkards, addicted to alcohol, who have successfully been rehabilitated but they fight the battle continually against the urge to drink.

I personally know of a Christian couple who ended their adulterous marriage because of their dedication to Christ and doing what is right.  I think they were married before becoming Christians and one or the other of them did not have a scriptural divorce thus when they married they entered into a state of adultery.  Upon learning the truth about marriage and what constitutes adultery they saw what they must do and did the right thing, unlike Herod and Herodias.  They remain friends and are members of the same congregation.  They no longer are married nor do they live together.

Repentance can certainly be very hard.  It had to be terribly hard for the two Christians I just mentioned but here is another example, a Bible example, showing how difficult repentance can be.  Remember the rich young ruler of Mark 10:17-22 (see also Matt. 19:16-22 and Luke 18:18-23)?  He truly wanted to inherit eternal life.  The Bible also says Jesus loved him (Mark 10:21).  Even so, when Jesus told the young ruler he lacked one thing (knowing the young man loved his wealth) and told him to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and then come follow him the Bible says this made the rich young ruler sad and he went away grieved.  It is or can be very hard to make God number one in our life.  Money had become an idol for this young man and in the end he loved it more than Christ, even more than acquiring eternal life. 

We do people a disfavor when we say or imply that repentance is easy and that it is easy to resist temptation and sin.  If it was easy to resist temptation and sin we could live sinless lives once we acquired the proper knowledge and yet we all do things on occasion that trouble us for we know we were in the wrong and did that which was not right in God's eyes.  Neither Jamie nor anyone else is ever going to live sinlessly no matter how dedicated they may be to living a holy and godly life.  We all sin (1 John 1:8) and chances are when we do most of the time it will be in the realm where we are weakest and most prone to sin.  Those sins that don't ever tempt us, say murder, for example, are not the kind of sins we are going to commit.

Jamie says "without the power of repentence you can't simply repent."  I am not sure what is meant by the power of repentance but suspect what is meant is the will to repent.  There is no magical power of repentance given to anyone by God.  He gives motives for repentance, encouragement for repentance, and blessings for repentance, but does not give one person the power to repent that is not available to all persons.

 The power of repentance lies in the will of man.  Repentance is a personal choice; it is an individual decision.  As I have already said it can be a real battle to repent but it is not impossible for any of us.  It is a choice.  And it is God’s will for Jamie and for all for God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV)  If you are a part of the “any” of this verse God wants you.

We must all forget our past.  It doesn't matter what a no-account you may have been.  It doesn't matter how sinful your life has been.  It doesn't matter what the world may think of you.  None of that matters.  God made each of us in his own image and wants us all to be saved (see 2 Peter 3:9).  He wants us all to come to repentance.  He "desires all men to be saved." (1 Tim. 2:4 NKJV) 

Even Christians must continually be repenting of sin.  David Lipscomb once said he doubted that any man ever lived a single day without sin.  Without trying to make myself a judge of men I suspect he came very close to the truth in that statement.  In fact, the better Bible student you are, the more knowledge you have, the more you realize how short you come in being what God wants you to be, and the easier it is to see the sin you do have and must overcome.

I also want to rid Jamie of any idea that if you truly repented of a sin that once you did so you would never ever again commit that same sin.  It doesn't work that way even though that is the ideal.  The difference between the person who has repented and the one who has not is that the one who has repented fights the temptation and resists committing the sin.  He or she is not always successful in doing so but they fight the fight.  The one who has not repented does not battle temptation at all but readily gives in and engages in the sin.

God does give the Christian help.  "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."  (1 Cor. 10:13 NKJV)  Most translations use the term "endure it" rather than "bear it" at the end of the verse.  I like that better for not only is it true to the Greek (both terms are) but it also tells it like we experience it.  Temptation to sin is something we endure, not something we like or enjoy, for we know when we are tempted it is no fun.  Our spirit is telling us to resist while our flesh is telling us to go ahead and do the sin.  However, the main point of the verse is that there is a way of escape, of getting away if we will take it, so it becomes a matter of our own will.  We can escape if we are willing.  We can win the battle of temptation.

Finally, what does one do if he fails and gives into temptation?  He gets up, dusts himself off so to speak, and says I will not give up but try again to live faithfully.  Of course, he must seek God's forgiveness for the sin he has committed by true repentance and complying with God's other demands for forgiveness which varies for the Christian versus one who needs to obey the gospel.  The Christian repents, confesses his/her sin to God, and prays to God to forgive.  If the sin was against a person then one seeks their forgiveness also and makes whatever amends that can possibly be made. 

Well, what if after doing that he/she commits the same sin again?  The answer is he does the same thing again as he did the first time in seeking forgiveness.  One only obeys the gospel once but one seeks through repentance and confession of sin God's forgiveness many times throughout one's life.  The one thing you never do is give up.  Never ever give up.  Once you give up you are done and lost.

In closing I would say to Jamie and all who may feel like he or she does that God is saying to him/her what he says to all:

"For He says:  'In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.'  Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. 6:2 NKJV)

Jamie, now is the day of salvation for you, now while you have life and breath.

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