Now, more than ever before, it is imperative to guard every avenue to the soul through which Satan would seek to entice and ensnare. |
Sin is addictive. It does not matter what the sin is: anger, malicious gossip, drugs, evil surmising, pride, nicotine/alcohol, pornography, masturbation, or something else. It is all addictive.
The only answer for any of us is found in Yahushua. Each one is answerable to Yahuwah for his own soul. As Scripture explains, “Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in [the land], they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Master Yahuwah.” (See Ezekiel 14:14.) With probation soon to close, every single one of us must search our hearts for hidden sin and surrender it all to Yahushua.
Lust—for sex, for food, for drugs, for anything impure—is the appetite of demons expressed through human beings. The only way Satan has to entice the soul is through the five senses. These must be carefully guarded. A healthy diet, an abstemious life-style, sufficient sleep, all work together to guard and strengthen the five senses.
Satan entices through the five senses, but he ensnares through the mind. Those who would be purified and made ready to greet the Saviour at His coming must be diligent in guarding the thoughts because thoughts dwelt upon, become feelings. And it is the thoughts and feelings combined that form the character.
Going to Heaven through the grave is different than being translated without seeing death at the Second Coming. Everyone who goes to Heaven without seeing death, will come up to some point or struggle in their lives over which they cannot conquer on their own. It does not matter if 95% of a person’s character is inherited tendencies to evil or if only 5% is comprised of inherited tendencies to evil. Only Yahushua can save. A person with 95% inherited tendencies to evil can still be saved if he surrenders all to the Saviour. And a person, raised in the best environment, of Yah-fearing parents, with only 5% inherited tendencies to evil, can still be lost if he thinks he can overcome in his own strength and refuses to surrender to Yahushua.
Many are inquiring, “How am I to make the surrender of myself to Yahuwah?”1 You desire to give yourself to Him, but you are weak in moral power, in slavery to doubt, and controlled by the habits of your life of sin. Your promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. You cannot control your thoughts, your impulses, your affections. The knowledge of your broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens your confidence in your own sincerity, and causes you to feel that Yahuwah cannot accept you; but you need not despair. What you need to understand is the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. The power of choice Yahuwah has given to men; it is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your heart, you cannot of yourself give to Yahuwah its affections; but you can choose to serve Him. You can give Him your will; He will then work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus your whole nature will be brought under the control of the Spirit of Yahushua; your affections will be centered upon Him, your thoughts will be in harmony with Him.2
One area that is particularly difficult to the men of the final generation is sexual impurity. Many sincere Christian men struggle with addictions to pornography and masturbation. What needs to be clearly understood is that these sins start with the eyes. When a man allows his eyes to linger on a woman’s body, the mind and imagination become engaged. Christian women dress modestly, but ultimately the responsibility lies with the man to allow his eyes to linger, or to choose to avert his eyes. Where the eyes are allowed to linger, the thoughts are inclined to dwell.
“When we come to Yahuwah confessing our unworthiness and sin, He has pledged Himself to give heed to our cry. The honor of His throne is staked for the fulfillment of His word unto us.
“… Our great High Priest remembers all the words by which He has encouraged us to trust. He is ever mindful of His covenant.
“All who seek of Him shall find. All who knock will have the door opened to them. The excuse will not be made, Trouble Me not; the door is closed; I do not wish to open it. Never will one be told, I cannot help you. Those who beg at midnight for loaves to feed the hungry souls will be successful.”
(Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 148)
Steps for Conquering
Whatever your cherished sin, there are four specific steps you can take to overcome:
- Call upon the name of Yahuwah. Claim the promises applicable to your situation and pray, fully expecting to receive an answer.
- With determination and great firmness, state your intent. Be specific and put it into words.
- Ask Yahuwah to make you aware of impending danger when you first start to wander close to temptation. Ask Him to remind you to pray and ask for help before your emotions are enticed into lusting after the desired sin.
- Have friends help hold you accountable.
Having a trusted group, even if only one other person, with whom you can be mutually accountable, can be a tremendous help in overcoming addictions to sin. The men and women who work to spread truth via WLC are committed, heart and soul, to Yahuwah. But we, too, are still human. We, too, still make mistakes. We, too, still need a Saviour.
Group Accountability
The men of WLC understand that one of Satan’s biggest snares to the men of the final generation is through sexual impurity. We take sexual immorality very seriously and we are not immune to temptation. The WLC team leader recently invited the men of WLC to join together in holding each other mutually accountable for maintaining purity of mind and body.
We are sharing the following letter, not to expose the ministry. We are sharing it as a means to help and encourage others to humbly seek their own support groups.
The truths on Daniel 11 that Yahuwah has recently brought to our attention has opened to our understanding how near is the close of probation. Dearly beloved, we are so close to when our Saviour will say, “He which is filthy, let him be filthy still. And he that is holy, let him be holy still.” (Revelation 22:11) As the Holy Spirit has impressed on my mind the nearness of the end, my heart has been greatly burdened with the issue of sexual impurity that is such a stumbling block to men today. We are the men of the last generation. Satan’s attack on us is stronger, more desperate, and hits harder than any previous generation. Scripture teaches that “as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) Yahushua warned that if we even look at a woman to lust after her, we have committed adultery with her already in our heart. Satan knows this and his attacks on the men of the final generation are relentless. No one is immune to his attacks. As never before, the men of the WLC team need purity of heart and mind and body. When Achan sinned, he hid his stolen goods in his tent. And yet, the entire camp of Israel suffered the results of his sin. Thirty-six men were killed in the first battle with Ai. Thirty-six women, left without a husband. Thirty-six homes left without a father to provide for the children. All because of one man’s hidden sin. Dearest brothers, we have united our efforts to take the truth Yahuwah brings us to the world. It would be an unspeakable tragedy if the blessing of Yahuwah could not rest upon us because of sin in the camp of WLC. We need to use every weapon at our disposal in this fight. We have our Saviour to flee to. He has pledged to give help in every time of need. However, we are also dealing with addiction. We are all addicts to sin. Sin itself is addictive and masturbation and pornography are among the hardest addictions to overcome. One thing that has been proven to help addicts is to have a support group to whom the individual is accountable. I am proposing that, in the safety and privacy of our small group, we hold each other accountable. This is a fight for our very souls and we need to use every tool available to us. We need Yahuwah’s blessing, my brothers. We need to pray for each other. I am requesting that each man working with WLC join together in providing mutual accountability with the following pledge we shall make to each other every week: By the grace of Yahuwah, through faith in Yahushua, I have maintained my purity this week. We would send in this pledge every first day after the Sabbath, on the 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 23rd days of the lunation. I am asking Brother Q to coordinate our accountability group. On the scheduled dates, we will all e-mail our pledge to Brother Q. Brother Q will have two days to compile a list of the names of brothers who have slipped and need to be uplifted in our prayers. He will add his own name to the prayer list if needed. Because this is such a difficult issue for us men of the final generation, if someone does not respond, I am asking Brother Q to assume that he has lapsed as well and to add his name to the prayer list. This is not to embarrass any one of us nor will it impact any brother’s standing with WLC. It is merely to provide encouragement in the struggle for purity. I envision this support group lasting until the close of probation. Satan is fighting hard for our souls and we need to uplift our brothers in prayer. It is heart-work, beloved brethren. Sexual purity embraces much more than abstinence from masturbation or pornography. The eyes are the windows to the soul and, as such, must be guarded at all times. This necessitates averting our eyes if a scantily clad woman walks past. It means guarding our minds. We are not to ogle a woman. It is our responsibility, brothers, to guard these windows to our soul and not allow our eyes or our minds to linger where it would make it easier to succumb to masturbation or pornography. As co-workers with WLC, we have our own built-in support group. We are a band of brothers that can pray for each other and up lift one another. If any of us stumble, we know we have an advocate with the Father. (See 1 John 2:1.) And we know that here we can get support and understanding without fear of judgment. We don’t have any time to lose, dearly beloved. The end is too close. |
Take Sin Seriously
Brothers and sisters, the end is too near to gamble with our salvation. We need to take sin seriously. We need to guard the avenues to our souls. In the storms of life, turn to the Saviour and He will lift you up.
Do not listen to the enemy’s suggestion to stay away from Christ until you have made yourself better; until you are good enough to come to Yahuwah. If you wait until then, you will never come. When Satan points to your filthy garments, repeat the promise of Yahushua, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37. Tell the enemy that the blood of Yahushua cleanses from all sin. Make the prayer of David your own, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7.
Arise and go to your Father. He will meet you a great way off. If you take even one step toward Him in repentance, He will hasten to enfold you in His arms of infinite love. His ear is open to the cry of the contrite soul. The very first reaching out of the heart after Yahuwah is known to Him. Never a prayer is offered, however faltering, never a tear is shed, however secret, never a sincere desire after Yahuwah is cherished, however feeble, but the Spirit of Yahuwah goes forth to meet it. Even before the prayer is uttered or the yearning of the heart made known, grace from Christ goes forth to meet the grace that is working upon the human soul.3
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1 Sacred names have been used in place of titles.
2 Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 47. Sacred names have been used.
3 Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 205. Sacred names have been used.