If someone has been in sexual sin for 10 years, is there any hope that they'll be able to get free? What about 20 years, 30 years or 40 years? In this Timeless Truths segment, Ken Larkin uses Scripture to show that even the worst of sinners can be redeemed.

Host: Ken we want to tackle an issue that must come up very often as you're counseling here at Pure Life Ministries. It comes in from someone who is based on their question, at a point of despair, and they're really wondering, “Can a person reach a place where complete healing and restoration regarding their sexual sin just isn't possible?” Let's help that person out.

Ken: I would say absolutely not, Peter said, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day the Lord will come as a thief in the night.” (2 Peter 3:9-10a NKJV) And with that passage of Scripture, I see four important things regarding people and sin. First, God has given us promises. Of course, one of those promises is freedom from the power of sin. Before Jesus was born, it was spoken of Him that Jesus would come and save His people from their sins. And there are many other passages of Scripture that offer tremendous hope for freedom from the hold of sin for the believer.

Host: You just said that one of God's promises is that He would give us freedom from the power of sin. That promise used to really trip me up because I would want to do the right thing, I'd want to be free from the power of sin, and yet I felt myself being tempted by sin. Talk a little bit about the difference between the temptation of sin and the reality of sin having power over us.

Ken: Well, the temptation to sin is simply that there's something natural within our fallen humanity that's susceptible to sin. And there's that downward pull where you have something in you that wants to sin. As an unbeliever you have no other option. Eventually you're going to cave in to whatever particular issue you deal with. As a believer, you have the power of the Holy Spirit where you can be tempted to sin, but you can say no. It doesn't mean you'll never be tempted, but you don't have to cave in and give in to it.

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Host: Yeah. And that's a good differentiation because I think sometimes one of the things that drives a person dealing with sin into despair is not recognizing the difference between temptation and sin. And so, they just simply give up. And of course, the enemy is always right there telling them that they have no real power over sin because they keep getting tempted by it. But there is great hope in knowing that with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can say no to temptation.

Ken: Yes, absolutely.

Host: You said there were four things. Next, let’s talk about how God views those that are struggling with sin.

Ken: Well, God is very patient with a person struggling with sin. He understands our natural humanity. He understands that we are all tempted. And since He understands that, He comes alongside the believer and gives them a way out. Alongside that, I would like to add that it's never too late to repent.
         Some people think that they’ve passed the point of no return where they can’t repent anymore. That's just not true. If you're breathing, God is still giving you the grace and the opportunity to repent. Of course, it is true that the longer a person resists, quenches and grieves the Holy Spirit, the harder their heart will become. And then, the further you get from the Lord, the less likely you'll want to turn back to the Lord. But the opportunity is always there.

Host: Yeah. I used to kind of look at it like, the longer I wait to repent, or the longer I continue on in my rebellion, it’s almost like I'm giving ammunition to the enemy. Not only am I feeding my flesh, but I'm giving ammunition to the enemy who's always going to turn it back on me and try to convince me that it’s too late to repent or that God doesn't love me anymore. But knowing His heart and knowing that He is patient while at the same time He requires repentance from us, that can help us to avoid those pitfalls and those lies from the enemy.

Ken: Amen. The fourth thing I want to bring out is that it's not God's desire for anyone to perish. He greatly wishes for all to come into salvation through repentance. God's desire to free sinners and to save people is so great that He sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins. So, there's no lack of desire on God's part for all to be saved and freed from their sin.

Host: Yeah. Again, I want to reflect back on some of the twisted thinking that we can find ourselves in. And sometimes we think, “God's just playing games with me. He's setting standards that I can't meet and He's just waiting for me to fall.” But we've got to know His heart and we've got to know His Word. And His Word says that it is not His desire that any should perish. That's His heart and we have to hold on to that truth about who He is.

Ken: Yes. Amen.

Host: Ken, as we wrap this up, we do want to make a balanced presentation. That while God is gracious, while He is patient with the sinner, while He wants us to change, we should never use that as a license to continue in our sin. What's the danger in thinking that we have a license to sin?

Ken: Well, the danger is that if you continue to resist the conviction of the Holy Spirit and refuse to repent, eventually you will have to face judgment for that. Of course, that won't happen until either the person dies, or the Lord returns to this earth.

Host: And dying could be tomorrow.

Ken: That's the thing. You don't want to be presumptuous, because you don't know when that day may come. But God is always there for the believer. Anytime you're willing to turn to the Lord, He's graciously opened His heart so that we can do that. And He will help anyone who sincerely wants to be free from sin.