Will You Be Restored?, by Chaplain Deanna

Editor's note: One of our writer's, Deanna Christian, desires to share some words of wisdom that she ministered to a woman who is living in sin. We share these impassioned, and profitable, thoughts here with our readers. They are as follows: I have been writing lately to confront one who has left the faith and returned to sin. She has left my teaching and gone on to be with Christians who offer her God's eternal grace regardless of her current behavior (living with yet another boyfriend, pregnant, completely incapable of caring for a child). I have much more I would like to say to her, but for now if you think these words are worth sharing with others in similar state, you may share them on your blog.--Chaplain Deanna Will You Be Restored? You began well. The word was near you, in your mouth but not yet in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); The Bible tells us that “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. . . .” Romans 10:8-11, 13 [I] “urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, . . . that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like [those] who do not know God; [See to it] that no one transgresses and wrongs [a] brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. (I Thessalonians 4;3-8) But now you have defiled yourself by what has come out of your heart. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a [person].” (Matthew 15:19-20) Your heart has revealed your true state; for if you had believed God, you could not have kept on sinning. If you would now hope in God, you must purify yourself. “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as He is pure. Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God” (1 John 3:4-10) If you would be a child of God, you must not keep on sinning. Repent. Believe God. Truly believe in a way that changes not only your heart but also your actions. Abide in God and ask God to abide in you. Turn away from wickedness, and turn back to the true and living God (if perhaps you have not so grieved Him that He will not hear your prayers, even as he refused the Israelites who sinned against Him). It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.--deanna_christian@yahoo.com The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you Chaplain Deanna