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Sin

roubir2010roubir2010
edited December 1969 in Faith Issues
I thought I already gave up that sin but I just fall. I haven't fall in a while by God grace but why God left me alone and fall again
what should I do HELP ASAP I hate my self

Comments

  • Batates74
    Don't hate yourself! as humans, we are weak but by the Grace of God, we are made stronger. The devil wants you to get depressed and hopeless so don't give it that joy... we are victorious in the Lord!

    There's a verse that I love... I think it's Micah 8 but I'm not sure so correct me if I'm wrong and correct my wording too if necessary because I don't know the exact wording, but here it is:

    Do not rejoice over me my enemy for when I fall, I will rise again. In darkness, the Lord is a light to me and over my enemies I have victory.

    So, NEVER give up!! Life on this earth is a continuous struggle!
  • mrpete33mrpete33
    Many time in my life i have felt that i was 'past a sin' or had 'overcome' only to fall. What i realized many of those times is that when i felt good about myself think that I had overcome it, i always neglected that is was in fact God's grace that kept me pure.

    Another thing is that falling is simply a part of human nature. In our fallen nature, we will fall. The important thing is not if you fall or not, but how many times you get up from when you fall. The important thing that you try your best and if you get knocked down in the first round you get up ready to go 5 this time. Everytime you fall, learn from it and take that next step forward. The struggle and the fight won't end, but you will overcome one step at a time. Do not get disappointed at failure, take pride in getting up everytime you fail.

    God bless, Pray for me
  • abrahamfabrahamf
    Forgive me but the exact verse  is: "Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when i fall, i will arise; when i sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the LORD, Because i have sinned against Him, until He pleads my case And executes justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see his righteousness" Micah 7:8-9
    I have found this verse to be comforting, it gives us hope in the LORD, even though we sinned against Him.

    "Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn us, but He will heal us;He has stricken us, but He will bind us up" Hosea 6:1

    Call unto God who said "I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and i will carry you; I will sustain you and i will rescue you." Isaiah 46:4


    God bless and PFM
  • abrahamfabrahamf
    Be courageous in God, and do not get desperate… Do not get desperate however powerful the wars of the devil are. Do not get desperate no matter how many times you fall and forget the commandments and fail in your practices. ...Say to yourself, “...Even If I fall a hundred times on the way, I shall rise and proceed on my way… I shall never accept despair because it is from the devil.”

    This is from the book 'Diabolic Wars' by H.H. Pope Shenouda
  • roubir2010roubir2010
    Thank u guys but the problem is I feel away from God after do that sin. I feel I'm not his son any more and can't even talk to him. And I I do will he hear me will he forgive me even I promised him that I'm not going to do it any more.
  • mrpete33mrpete33
    I understand where that feeling comes from, because no one likes to feel like they 'failed'. But you must understand that is the work of the devil. Just because you 'fell' doesn't mean the devil will take a break, in fact this is when you are most vulnerable. As soon as you fall to one devil, another is waiting in line to tell you that you are worthless, and unworthy. If CHRIST HIMSELF forgave the adulteress why wouldnt you forgive and love you the same. Do not succumb to these feelings of worthlessness and despair, those are demonic and not from your Heavenly Father. God loves you yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever more, He will always count you worthy, you just have to come to Him.

    Do not despair

    Pray for me
  • TITLTITL
    Be serious about repentance and you'll stop whatever it is you're falling into.
  • [Deleted User]
    I used to think that I was a complete failure and I believed it but I read a book, and I think you should to:

    Read:
    3:16 The Numbers of Hope (By Max Lucado)

    Talks about the verse: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

    When I read it, It helped me to think in a positive way and it motivated me (a lot) to keep on believing and helped me understand MANY things.

    I just finished reading it and now I am going to buy all of his books because I am a reading freak and his writing helps me understand God more and more.

    You'll understand why I suggest you to read it, once when you are finished with it. ;)
  • roubir2010roubir2010
    From where can I buy that book?!
  • abrahamfabrahamf
    ebay, here is the link
        http://shop.ebay.com.au/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m570.l1313&_nkw=3:16+The+Numbers+of+Hope&_sacat=See-All-Categories

    some sellers post to USA, UK & Australia

    this seller post's worldwide: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/3-16-Numbers-Hope-/300488571883?pt=US_Nonfiction_Book&hash=item45f683bbeb#ht_2022wt_907.

    Otherwise, any christian bookshop (and a lot, if not all, non-christian bookshops) will sell this book, because i think this book is a rather famous one. If u live in Australia, Koorong, Angus & Robertson and Dymocks have this book.   
  • peterfarringtonpeterfarrington
    I must urge caution in purchasing and reading any Protestant book.

    I cannot recommend that any Coptic young person read any Protestant book apart from the close supervision of their spiritual father. This does not mean I think all Protestant writers are bad people, but what they teach is error, or at best truth mixed with error.

    Father Peter
  • [Deleted User]
    I did not buy the book myself, a servant at church gave it to me.

    So does that mean that we are only allowed to read coptic spiritual books?
  • peterfarringtonpeterfarrington
    I would say that we should concentrate on Orthodox (not just Coptic) books and we should ask the advice of our priests about reading other books. When I became Orthodox I had many popular Protestant books that I had to throw away because they contained much error and I could not take them to a charity shop and allow others to read them.

    This does not mean that everything written by a non-Orthodox is wrong but that our priests should advise us if a book is suitable. Many will not be, especially for a younger reader. This is why I think that there is value in the Church approving books for general reading.
  • [Deleted User]
    Thanks for explaining.

    I don't want to sound denying, but how do we know that whether a a spiritual writer's views are correct or not?

    How do we know if orthodox writers are correct or not?

    Is there a certain way to find out if they are talking about the truth or just talking about their opinions in the books?

    Thanks.
  • abrahamfabrahamf
    IN relation to non-coptic books, I check if the author in the book constantly backs up his argument(s) using the bible, lives of Saint(s), and sayings of the fathers. If the author backs up his statement/argument using any of these sources, then i assume that what he is saying is safe and possibly true.

    Father Peter, do you think this approach is safe?

    PFM
  • roubir2010roubir2010
    [quote author=TITL link=topic=10058.msg122898#msg122898 date=1290977835]
    Be serious about repentance and you'll stop whatever it is you're falling into.
      
    Im serious and praying fot It but stil fall in it so please pray for me
  • servant33servant33
    Have you listened to the sermon on chastity here:
    http://www.stmaryscopticorthodox.ca/media_sermons/spirituality/spirituality.html

    It was posted earlier by someone on this forum

    It really helped me understand the situation better. Though I still fall, I'm still fighting and waiting for God to have mercy on me and take away the war.
  • peterfarringtonpeterfarrington
    [quote author=Chirsts' servant link=topic=10058.msg123164#msg123164 date=1291262256]
    IN relation to non-coptic books, I check if the author in the book constantly backs up his argument(s) using the bible, lives of Saint(s), and sayings of the fathers. If the author backs up his statement/argument using any of these sources, then i assume that what he is saying is safe and possibly true.


    I think that we need to exercise discretion based on what the subject of the book is.

    If it is a translation of an Orthodox spiritual text then it is likely to be accurate and useful. If it is a scholarly book it will probably be useful but will contain some matters which might be disagreed with. If it is a popular Protestant book it is more likely than not of little value to an Orthodox Christian. (I say this after reading a great many such books in my lifetime and throwing most away).

    Books which could be read with great value are:

    i. Lives of the saints

    a. Marriage as a Path to Holiness: Lives of Married Saints
    b. Lives of the Georgian Saints
    c. Life and Works of St Sergius of Radonezh: The Hegoumen of Russia and a Miracle Maker
    d. St Athanasius: The Life of Antony
    e. Lives of the Eastern Saints
    f. Father Arseny 1893-1973: Priest, Prisoner, Spiritual Father

    and many more such books describing the lives of ancient and modern day Orthodox saints.

    ii. Monastic texts

    a. St John Cassian - The Conferences
    b. St John Cassian - The Institutes
    c. St Benedict - The Rule of St Benedict
    d. St. Basil and His Rule: A Study in Early Monasticism
    e. The Paradise of the Holy Fathers
    f. The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks
    g. Barsanuphius and John: Letters
    h. Three Letters of Philoxenus, Bishop of Mabbogh
    i. Palladius: The Lausiac History
    j. Philoxenus: The Ascetical Discourses

    and many more such books containing the wisdom of the monastic fathers

    iii. Spiritual texts

    a. Unseen Warfare
    b. The Philokalia
    c. Writings from the "Philokalia" on Prayer of the Heart
    d. On the Prayer of Jesus
    e. The Jesus Prayer by Frederica Mathewes-Green
    f. The Jesus Prayer by Lev Gillet and Kallistos Ware
    g. Turning the Heart to God by Theophan the Recluse
    h. The Heart of Salvation: Life and Teachings of Theophan the Recluse

    and many more such books describing the practice of Orthodox spirituality from an Orthodox perspective

    iv. Historical books

    (Of course some/many of these are not entirely balanced in regard to our own communion, but these are still useful books)

    a. The Orthodox Church by Kallistos, Bishop of Diokleia
    b. The Penguin History of the Church, vol.1: The Early Church
    c. The Council of Chalcedon Re-Examined
    d. The History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria

    and many more serious and scholarly works which are neutral and balanced in regard to the Chalcedonian controversy. There are more and more such books available.

    v. Theological texts

    a. St Cyril: That Christ is One
    b. St Athanasius: On the Incarnation
    c. Severus of Antioch (Early Church Fathers series)
    d. Orthodox Christology: Father Peter Farrington

    and many more such books written by scholars, and translations of ancient texts.

    vi. Biblical Commentaries

    a. St John Chrysostom
    b. St Cyril
    c. Ancient Christian Commentary on the Fathers series
    d. Catena of the Gospels by Thomas Aquinas
    e. Commentary by Blessed Theophylact

    vii. Church practice

    It is good to be aware of the different cultures of our Orthodox Church.

    a. Introductions to the different Churches by Christine Chaillot
    b. Booklets on the sacraments by Bishop Mettaous
    c. Books by Father Tadros Malaty
    d. Books describing deacons service in the Coptic Church
    e. Audio files of Coptic chant
    f. Audio files of chant from other Orthodox communities
    g. The Shape of the Liturgy by Dom Gregory Dix

    viii. Books and booklets by His Holiness

    a. All of the books of His Holiness can be studied with benefit and reflection. I will not list them all here as there are so many.

    I shall stop here. I would end up writing down the names of literally hundreds and thousands of good books which a Coptic Orthodox should read before turning to Protestant materials. Please do not think that I object to modern Protestant books simply because I am against Protestants. Far from it. I often get criticised here because I am insistent that most Protestants are seeking after the truth and just don't know much about Orthodoxy. But I have read hundreds of these modern books and except for a handful which have been based to some extent on 'traditional' Christian spirituality, the vast bulk of them should not be read by an Orthodox.

    Even a single phrase from one of the authentic Fathers is often of more value than is contained in the whole of a modern Protestant book.

    My own favourite is Unseen Warfare. I have found this immensely practical. Other's mileage may vary. I prefer the full older edition by Kadloubovsky and Palmer than the most recent one produced in the US by Father Jack Sparks. Do read good Orthodox books. There are so many.

    Father Peter
  • TITLTITL
    [quote author=Sinner_91 link=topic=10058.msg123167#msg123167 date=1291264288]
    Im serious and praying fot It but stil falling it it so please pray for me


    I heard Anba Youssef say on CYC once that successful christians aren't the ones that pray so much, or the ones that go to church a lot, or the ones that have a really close relationship with God, or the ones that follow his commandments to the dot, or the ones that sin very little, no, successful christians are those that are serious about their spiritual life.

    There is a difference between saying "I know this sin is wrong, I'm going to stop soon" and "I know this sin is wrong, and I'm going to do WHATEVER it takes to get rid of it now!". That's being serious in one's spiritual life. Not postponing, but rather acting immediately. If we find ourselves falling into the same sin more than once then we are not serious, we are not doing whatever it takes.
  • roubir2010roubir2010
    [quote author=servant33 link=topic=10058.msg123168#msg123168 date=1291266208]
    Have you listened to the sermon on chastity here:
    http://www.stmaryscopticorthodox.ca/media_sermons/spirituality/spirituality.html

    It was posted earlier by someone on this forum

    It really helped me understand the situation better. Though I still fall, I'm still fighting and waiting for God to have mercy on me and take away the war.


    Which one?!!
  • servant33servant33
    The one on chastity:
    "The Virtue of Chastity"
  • andrew_taniosandrew_tanios
    Dear Father,

    Thank you for your post!

    For me, it's hard to know where to begin when looking for books about certain topics from Eastern Orthodox points of view. Your listing of these references serves as a good stepping stone for me.

    Selfishly, I pray that God continues to strengthen your service online.

    Cheers,
    Andrew
  • [Deleted User]
    Thanks Fr. Peter for explaining! I enjoy learning from your posts. Now I have a new set of good books to read!!

    Thank you for your post!

    Please pray for me!

    -CS
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