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Can a Christian with addictions to enter heaven?

by Stephen Davey

Vincent from Georgia asked: “If a Christian is addicted to alcohol, pornography, or drugs, will God still send them to hell, even though they're constantly fighting the addiction?”

Vincent, 

As we mature in Christ, the battle with sin does not get easier. It often gets more difficult. I remember as a young seminary student, visiting the office of one of my dear professors who was in his sixties. I said to him “It must be wonderful to be an older man and not have the struggle with things like a lust or other fleshly temptations.” He chuckled and then said to me: “Stephen, the older I get, the more difficult it becomes.” That was a great lesson for me as a young man. 

The longer a person walks with Christ, the more His character is formed in you. As that happens, you become more sensitive to your sins. There are things about myself that bother me now that didn't bother me when I was a 20 year old. Why? Because sin I thought I could manage didn’t bother me then. 

So Vincent, believers can and do continue to sin. For every one of us, it's going to be different. The struggle might be pride or greed or unkindness. The struggle might be those that you mentioned—drunkenness, pornography or drug use. However, a believer should never become comfortable with his sin or begin to cherish that sin. Loving and cherishing sin is an evidence that the person is not a believer because the Holy Spirit lives in all true believers and causes us to regret our sin.  

Keep in mind that sin is always a choice. God tells us that with every temptation comes a way of excape. We never have an excuse for our sin. Labeling something an addiction does not alleviate the responsibility to remove the sin from our lives. We don't just fall into sin helplessly. Whenever we sin, it’s because we wanted to.

I've often told people that the mark of maturity is not that you don’t sin, but the span of time between your sin and confession. How long does it take you? Does it take you a day? Does it take you an hour? It only should take a moment. That's maturity. 

So Vincent, a persistent struggle with sin does not keep a Christian from heaven. But the way that person deals with his sin is an indicator of his spiritual health. If he confesses, repents and seeks God's help to shun that sin, he is acting as God desires. If he loves, nurtures and never confesses his sin, he is not acting how God desires. In case of the latter, I suggest spending time evaluating if he truly is a child of God.

Thanks for your question,

Stephen

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Comments

David poulin says:
i am a porn addict and a christian , i fear im going to burn in the Hell fire because i cant stop acting out . How can i stop ?
Unknown says:
If u trying very hard to leave the sin and slow leaving the sin can u go to haeven??
Chris says:
Yeah.... I have problems with addiction. Have for about 20 yrs. Now it's hurts me every time I even consider doing it. I love God. Love Christ with every fiber of my being. I use to be 5'11/140 pnds. Now I maintain a healthy weight. I'm about 180/190 But I still mess up here and there. I feel worse now using less than I did then being a complete scumbag. I'm on methadone and that even makes me feel totally guilty. I hate it. I pray on my knees 3 times a day. I pray before I consume food. And I speak with Christ all throughout the day. And yet I feel more guilty now just for being on methadone than I did robbing and stealing for heroine. Ugh... The closer I get to Christ, the more I repent and wish I was more than. It's hard to explain but I just want Him to be pleased with me and to show Him how much I do have enough respect to not even be on the methadone. Idk. Hopefully, and I believe this with all my heart, one day I wont need it anymore. But in the past I have failed miserably without it so if this is what I need to be better than I was than I'll take it over who I use to be.
Rernard warner says:
I love God and fell in smoking PCP I keep on going back for some reason and bad thing happens so I try to put myself back together again after making the same choice again so what do I do
Amber says:
I’m crushed or obsessed or infatuated with a boy at church who states at me I avoided his stares out of frustration with us not speaking and with guilt and shame at lookimg at him during service while pastor speaking now he doesn’t look at me but I’m filled with thoughts of him and hate that we never look at one another any more. I somehow parked near his car by subconscious desire or God . Not totally sure. I spoke to him because I smoked a cig by His car as I was parked near it I finally feel I set him free by saying hi and saying I like how he sang cause I feel he’s been feeling rejected by my lack of looks at him 📀but I can’t explain the guilt and shame I felt after the small talk like I sinned against God by enjoying it. Idk now I don’t want to return. Cause I k ow he goes every other week cause I have no community at church and cause I do t want to see him and know I want him maybe more tha God. I feel addicted to him. I feel infatuated and even worse cause he seems to afraid to ever approach me cause to be honest I’m pretty yet very unapproachable either way since I’m a single mom antisocial and struggle with social anxiety within the church from my difficult different past. I guess I will give up. Leave him be cause he probably was only infatuated with my looks all this year and if he wanted to reach out to me before the I avoided him I smoked a cog when I complimented him. I’m certain he is disgusted with that . I become very obsessses and preoccupied so it. Wry much overtakes my life . Idk. It hurts to leave my church but I can’t stand the rejection he will likely give the way he will ignore me. I feel like staying away for a long while so he will forget me. I’m the sinner he was suckered I go liking he’s the perfect church fmgping guy that I will ruin. Better stay away right ! ? I’m the addiction who is addicted to love and attention from a man so I must stay away from my church u been attending a whole year. When he showed up that December last year. God help me pleas pray for me and hope I find a Christian community as an anxious preoccupied addict with a hard past . How do Christian switch sinful pasta mental health issues and addictions stay I. The faith ? God help us I pray. Hope we all stay strong in whatever Gods will is for us . I love you you are t alone. Let’s pray for each other God bless us everyone if u relate u aren’t alone and I pray us all the best. I love you God bless you so much amen
SOPHIE says:
I LIKE THIS ARTICLE
Pamela Morris says:
You just told my story. I'm uncomfortable around people. I have social anxiety disorder. I also hate myself and sooo afraid I'm going to hell cause I'm addicted to cigarettes and hydrcodone. I beg and plead or even try faith God deliver me. Sooo sick everytime I try to put hydrcodone down. Just read " many are called but few are chosen. This article made it sound like no one was going to heaven. I'm in the word so much of the time. When I get sick trying to come off hydrcodone I get mad at God, he won't deliver me. Now I'm scared to death I'm going to hell. I believe John 3:16 but is that enough?
Kyle says:
Chris, if you aren't using on methadone you are fine. If you are you have a few options. You can increase your dose. You can try switching to something like suboxone. Or you can go to rehab. And if you relapse just know that is normal and go back. Throw away all your drug stuff before you go or you will relapse. Renard, you need to go to rehab as well. Amber, that isn't an addiction. You are in love. This is normal and it is what God wants. Tell him "I really like you" and when he looks at you in church smile at him. He is probably afraid to say something if you keep looking away.
Crystal says:
I am on suboxone, and adderall but I have a problem with meth. God delivered me and for 8 months I was clean from everything then my grandpa was dying and I relapsed on pain pills because I couldn’t take it anymore. He was my favorite person.

I was clean off of meth for 5 years and I got tricked into doing it. I thought it was a sub when it was really meth and for the past 4 years I’ve been going back and fourth doing it and then I’ll stop and then I do it and 2 weeks later I do it again and I can’t stop because I am so tired and exhausted all the time. I’m so depressed I’m so tired I can’t get out of bed even with the adderall.

I can’t do it there’s something wrong with me we just don’t know why I am so tired I fall asleep sitting up I can’t keep my eyes open. I then give in to meth because it’s the only time I can actually calm down and have motivation to get up and work or clean and get all of my stuff done I love God I am ashamed of this but I cannot stop.

I keep asking for help from him I can’t go to rehab I am barely making it as it is to pay my bills. I have to work. I am so scared I’m starting to lose things not because I am spending money on drugs but because God is taking them away from me because he is mad at me. I am so tired of doing this.

I don’t want to go to hell. I keep hearing him saying that was my last chance and it’s too late for me but idk if that’s God or the devil. Im so confused I just keep hearing I don’t have enough time now it’s too late for me and I’ll be dead at 45 now I Al almost 44. I am just so tied if being scared I’ve been an adddict all my life and I have lost almost all hope.
Dave hope says:
Why not ask instead, “can you go to Heaven while practicing the sin of obesity.” I have no intent to cause irritation. But the fact is, a 1/4 of the Church is practicing this sin according to the global epidemic reports.

Let’s face it, the 7 deadly sins were preached in the Church for centuries. Until pastors that can’t button their sports coats decided not to mention it anymore.

I used to weight 265 lbs. and have found Church a very hard place to keep my “food sobriety.” Every celebration is around food.

Why not fast instead? Lol

Love, Rev. Dave
truthhurtz says:
I wish christians would just stop lying. either Jesus is God and He can actually change people or He's a powerless nobody. only BORN AGAIN PEOPLE go to heaven and if you aren't changed in a noticeable way then you're fooling yourself, you're going to hell, end of story. the Holy spirit is not some impotent thing.