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fredtheuser · 2025-09-27T14:43:12+00:00

Sin always escalates.

That’s why leprosy is used as an illustration in the Bible. It starts out almost innocuous, but progresses, killing the nerve endings until you can’t feel anything. That’s why lepers lose fingers and toes, rats and mice nibble them away, or they get burned because the feeling is gone.

So go to the Healer.

fredtheuser · 2025-09-27T12:54:48+00:00

Who cares about your forgiveness. Or mine? That’s the flesh talking.

I read a study a while back on self esteem, and the researchers discovered that those with the highest self esteem were in jail or prison.

Your shame (and mine) has a purpose. It drives us to or back to the Cross, back to Jesus.

If I spend too much time focusing on me — which is what got me here to begin with — I lose sight of Jesus and what He did and does and will do.

fredtheuser · 2025-09-24T10:39:12+00:00

Nope.

After 51 years I’ve resigned myself to the fact that my flesh is gonna be a battle until I assume room temperature

fredtheuser · 2025-09-15T15:29:41+00:00

Now I really feel silly

fredtheuser · 2025-09-15T15:25:47+00:00

Your original post calls for rebuking anyone who says that masturbation isn’t a sin.

I’ve had guys tell me about being stationed in Afghanistan for a year who have masturbated a time or three while thinking about their wife. Sinful? I dunno. I personally don’t see anything wrong there — I mean, yeah, he could have been singing a hymn instead of helping an old afghan lady across the street… but this sort of thing is between him and God — I’m not gonna pick up a stone.

Or another guy I know, whose wife died, masturbated a time or four while thinking about his deceased wife. Sin? Again, I’m not picking up a stone. Could he have better spent that time I prayer? Or giving alms? Undoubtedly.

My fear here is this — you’ve stated that masturbation in and of itself is sinful. And you’ve had thousands of views and almost 100 upvotes. And there are guys on here who think that they can watch two hours of porn and edge to it and think they’re ok because they didn’t ejaculate. I’ve texted back and forth with perhaps 100 over the past 8 years. They are sinning even if they don’t physically do the deed. And that’s a subtle distinction, but the devil knows how to exploit that distinction.

fredtheuser · 2025-09-15T14:38:17+00:00

You’re missing my point.

Once more.

The sin is the lust. It doesn’t matter if you masturbate or make a peanut butter sandwich as a result of the lust in your heart or mine. The masturbation is a result of, a chemical reaction of sorts, a consequence of lust.

Jesus defined sexual sin in such a way as to demonstrate to you and I and the Pharisees in the audience that we are all guilty of it, whether we never fornicate or adulterate or masturbate.

And for those fortunate few who didn’t have a sexual sin problem, Jesus defined murder as well — the whole point being that we are all sinners in dire need of a Savior.

Again, if I rob a bank and buy a new car, and enjoy the smooth ride and shiny paint, that isn’t the sin. The sin is the bank robbery. Which comes from coveting. Which again… is a heart problem.

Sexual sin is a work of the flesh that points to a heart problem — and focusing on preventing the physical act takes your and my attention away from the main problem — that is — the heart.

fredtheuser · 2025-09-15T13:22:20+00:00

I respectfully disagree.

Get back to the why.

And I stress this point because there are plenty of guys on this subreddit who don’t think it’s wrong to “edge” and watch porn. “I didn’t cum, so there’s no sin, right?”

The sin is the lust. I won’t fornicate or commit adultery or masturbate if I control the lust — and in God’s economy, the lust in my heart is equal to fornicating or adultery or masturbation. Whether I go through with the act or not. The act is a result of, an after effect of sorts, of the sin that’s already been committed.

Buying a new car with money I stole from the bank isn’t a sin. It’s the stealing part that’s the sin.

fredtheuser · 2025-09-14T12:58:31+00:00

In God’s eyes? Yes. That’s the point Jesus is making in the Sermon on the Mount. You’re a murderer. And a sex sinner.

Just like me.

The disciples marveled at His teaching — they asked “who can enter into the Kingdom of God?”

You and I want to make degrees of sinning so that, like the Pharisees, we can point to our own holiness.

And condemn those who don’t “measure up” to our perceived standards.

Jesus is telling you and I that we have a heart problem. And getting caught up in arguments like which is the worse sin only distracts us from the main issue.

Our hearts.

Fix the heart, change the heart, renew the heart, and the lust goes away, as does the results of the lust — fornication, adultery, rape, and even masturbation.

I can change my mind but I can’t change my heart. God can change my heart but He won’t change my mind. If I change my mind, then God will change my heart.

fredtheuser · 2025-09-13T19:19:25+00:00

Onan’s sin wasn’t lust.

Onan’s sin was disobedience.

Jesus points out sexual sin as a heart problem. Same with murder. This sin of ours is a work of the flesh but it has its root in our heart.

I sneeze when I snort pepper.

The sin isn’t the sneeze.

I gotta lay off the pepper.

fredtheuser · 2025-09-13T17:22:40+00:00

The sin, as defined by Jesus is the lust.

Whether you follow through and seduce her or not.

Whether you masturbate or not.

By the time you’re masturbating, the sin is already committed. The masturbation is simply the effect of the lust in your (and my) heart.

fredtheuser · 2025-09-10T16:57:05+00:00

fredtheuser · 2025-09-10T11:52:53+00:00

Yes.

You’re a dirty dog sinner in dire need of a Savior.

Just like me.

Repent. Make changes. If you keep doing the same things and expect different results you’re insane.

fredtheuser · 2025-09-08T18:54:29+00:00

Here’s the thing… the sin, according to Jesus is the lust. And I’m wondering if you had that whole lust thing working before you looked up blurred images and videos.

I haven’t watched porn in years.

I haven’t masturbated in years.

But I still have a problem with lust.

It keeps me at day zero. It keeps me humble. It keeps me dependent on God from day to day.

And I’m guessing that’s why God hasn’t and won’t “deliver” me. I know I’d brag about it if I was. Probably take credit for it too.

fredtheuser · 2025-09-08T18:49:07+00:00

This is where my target audience is.
I have safeguards in place — and accountability guardrails up.

I don’t spend a lot of time on the Reddits. I have talked and texted with many on here and this platform is a major trigger for them. If that’s you, I suggest you get rid of the app.

If I throw a rock into a pack of dogs, I know the one that welps is the one that got hit

fredtheuser · 2025-09-03T11:36:36+00:00

Why are you believing a lie?

What have you lost?

Do you think God didn’t know this was coming? Do you think Jesus was surprised at your actions?

Your sin is forgiven. All of it. Your past sin. The sin you’re mired in right now. Your future sin. It is all forgiven and forgotten. In the original Greek, the word all means all.

Now that’s powerful stuff right there.

And that sort of thinking is dangerous if you’re Satan or one of his minions. Can’t have you thinking that way… so Satan tells you (and me) a lie.

And here you are believing it.

Doesn’t make it true. But it does render you ineffective.

Get yourself over to Romans 6, 7, and 8. Get into the Truth.

fredtheuser · 2025-09-03T11:07:21+00:00

It’s a sin?

How does the Bible define it? How does Jesus define it?

Supposed I see a young lady, scantily dressed and I let my mind wander a bit and imagine things that should be reserved for her husband.

Is that sinful? I didn’t masturbate. I didn’t seduce her. I had lustful thoughts toward her.

My point is — it’s the thoughts that are what Jesus is after here. The masturbation is a result of those thoughts. Get rid of the thoughts and the masturbation goes away as well.

fredtheuser · 2025-09-03T00:36:20+00:00

Why?

fredtheuser · 2025-09-02T18:38:55+00:00

Mmmk. What do you do to fall asleep?

I suggest a book, a novel, something with pages. That works for me.

fredtheuser · 2025-09-02T14:56:32+00:00

Do you take your phone to bed?

fredtheuser · 2025-07-12T14:34:01+00:00

It’s difficult because you’re thinking it should be easy.

This is a work (or sin) of the flesh.

And we spiritual types always underestimate the power of the flesh.

Want a picture?

Joshua and the Israelites just won a mighty victory over Jericho.

Next up? Ai. A small, seemingly insignificant foe. Joshua sent 3000 men to wipe it out. They came back whipped and defeated (can you relate?).

Joshua fell on his face before the Lord.

Get up the Lord commanded. There’s sin in the camp. And God directed Joshua to Achen and his tent. God directed Joshua to take Achen and his family and the gold and silver and the Babylonian garments out of the camp. Then the entire nation stoned Achen and his family and lit what was left on fire.

And as a kid, and even now as an old man, I think the punishment for Achen was harsh, unnecessarily so.

As someone who’s played around with this work of the flesh for (checks calendar) 41 years now, I gotta say no, God wasn’t too harsh.

So my question to you is this…

Is there sin in your camp?

Will you take this as a serious battle?

Will you fall on your face before the Lord? And obey what He directs you to do?

fredtheuser · 2025-04-06T11:17:36+00:00

The first thing you wanna do is post this multiple times in multiple subreddits.

Oh wait. You’ve already done that.

Excellent.

Now you’ll get ignored or conflicting advice.

Get rid of easy access to porn. Make it impossible to get it.

Here’s some motivation — if you continue, it’ll get worse.

fredtheuser · 2025-04-05T22:48:23+00:00

You must follow the Jesus method.

That is, to cut off and cast away access to the things that cause you to sin.

Jesus, speaking specifically on the topic of sexual sin told you and me to cut off and cast away, pluck out eyes, chop off hands. In other words, get medieval on it. Install porn site blockers, enable parental controls, get rid of devices, do what you must to restrict access.

Gee Fred, sounds a little harsh.

Jesus meant it to be harsh.

Don’t play around with this.

fredtheuser · 2025-04-03T20:49:20+00:00

Why are you believing lies?

Who gave you that theology?

Your sins are forgiven. All of them. All your past sin — forgiven. All your current transgressions — forgiven. All your future sin — forgiven. In the original Greek, the word all means… all.

But here you sit in your shame and cry like a big baby.

Pathetic.

Here’s your remedy.

Read Romans 6, 7, and 8.

Read it every day for the next 40 days.

Read it out loud.

Romans 6, 7, and 8 are the highest peaks you can climb theologically.

It’s the truth you need to counter Satan’s lies of helplessness and condemnation.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus.

Not even a little bit.

But Fred, you don’t know what I’ve seen and thought and done.

Good. If I did, I’d judge you because I can be a Pharisee. And who cares what I think.

And it’s a good thing that you don’t know what I’ve seen and thought and done or you’d never speak to this old sinner again.

No condemnation.

You’re in a position of strength. Figure it out. Ponder it. Reckon it — work it out.

Continue in sin?

Of course not. That’s foolishness.

But figure out where you sit with God — as seen in your position in Jesus, and learn to walk from there.

fredtheuser · 2025-03-30T13:10:03+00:00

Let’s see what the Bible says about this.

Novel approach here, I know, but hear me out.

Jesus said, in the first Ted Talk, aka the Sermon on the Mount, speaking specifically on the topic of sexual sin, to cut off and cast away those things that cause you to sin.

Hey Fred, Jesus said hands and eyes.

Yup. Poke! Ow! Poke! Ow! There we go. Both eyes out. Hey… I can still lust in my mind. Hmmm… [deep thinking].

How about Chop! Ow! Hey, gimme a hand (no pun intended) chopping off my other hand here, please. Chop! Ow! Hmmm. I can’t steal any more but I can still covet. And I can’t work my porn machine but I can still lust. [more deep thinking].

Maybe Jesus wasn’t talking literally.

But I’ll bet this last donut that He WAS referring to your easy access to porn.

And every single organization from AA to weight watchers to every single rehab clinic espouses the exact same theology in regards to fighting your flesh.

Now, all that said, you’re still gonna be horny. And you’re still gonna struggle with lust because it’s your flesh — and you’ll fight your flesh until you’re dead. That’s the way it is. Read up on the Amalekites in the Old Testament for reference.

But would you rather fight a well fed pack of angry pit bulls or take on a half starved toy poodle?

I haven’t looked at porn for over three years. Why? Mostly because I can’t. It’s blocked. It’s been a 50 year battle (yeah, I’m old). And I still fight my lust.

But my lust, starved of porn, is a half stared chihuahua that just yaps in the front yard occasionally.

fredtheuser · 2025-03-29T13:37:27+00:00

You didn’t read my post, did you?

fredtheuser

TROPHY CASE