How do I become more pleasing to God?

[boxman144]

I've heard that I have to stop sinning to be more pleasing to God. How can I do that, if I don't even know what sin is, specifically? If someone has a list that be great.

Also how do I avoid temptation? I'm a male teen, so hormones are RAGING. I hate it. I feel the need to touch, but a lot of people told me that I will go to Hell for it, or that it creates spirit spouses. But I've prayed and it went away sometimes, but I still feel the need. When I touch, I don't feel like doing it for a long while. It sort of "culls" the need to.

How can I overcome sin? And be more pleasing to God?

Thanks,

boxman144

 

[Sabertooth]

I feel the need to touch, but a lot of people told me that I will go to Hell for it, or that it creates spirit spouses.

People at CF have different thresholds of what they consider to be sexual sin.

1. inappropriate content & sexually fantasizing about a woman who is not yours? Yes, those are clearly defined as sexual sin.
2. Masturbation without #1? See the links below from a Biblical marriage/sexuality website.

Teens and Masturbation - The Marriage Bed

Why Didn't God Call It Sin? - The Marriage Bed

 

[Sabertooth]

I've heard that I have to stop sinning to be more pleasing to God. How can I do that, if I don't even know what sin is, specifically? If someone has a list that be great.

Christianity doesn't work that way.

Have you been Born-Again?

 

[Messerve]

I'm curious who taught you there's such a thing as a "spirit spouse". I have never heard of such a thing and there is nothing in the Bible about it to my knowledge.

 

[SkyWriting]

I've heard that I have to stop sinning to be more pleasing to God.

Nope.
But you can choose to do good things.
Do that.

Hebrews 13:16
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have,
for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

 

[Monksailor]

Yes, you will never please God w/o Christ.

There is no complete list of sins. And if thee was someone would devise "loop holes."

What is sin for one person can be pleasing to God from another person. Ro ch.14

Sin is an attitude of the heart; unseen motives and intentions.

 

[St_Worm2]

Hello @boxman144, part of the Lord Jesus' high priestly prayer to His Father was His request to "sanctify" us (IOW, to make us more & more Christlike) .. John 17:17. Along these same lines, the Apostle Paul puts it this way (so that there would be no misunderstanding), "THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD, your sanctification....." .. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5.

The question then becomes, how are we sanctified? The answer is by God .. Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, but unlike coming to faith/being saved (justification), God enables us and therefore expects us to come alongside of Him in this lifelong process and participate in our own sanctification (as we are able to) .. Philippians 2:12-13.

The principle way/means that God uses to sanctify us is His word, the Bible, by the daily renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2) .. Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:1-3, 119:105; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 2:15, 3:16-17; & Deuteronomy 11:18-21.

Also, if pleasing God is the desire of your heart, the Bible tells us how to do that as well.

Psalms 37
4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
​

This is a command with a promise with an important caveat, which is to be careful that you truly understand what the command half (our half) of the verse is telling you to do, or God will not fulfill His half, the promise half. The key to obeying our half of this verse is found in always chasing after the Lord, ~never~ after the things that we desire

God bless you!

--David
p.s. - for me, beginning to memorize certain verses and passages from the Bible is what ended up helping me the most with 1. avoiding sin .. 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 10:5 and thereby 2. pleasing God. If you'd like some help getting started with Bible memory work, just PM me as I would be happy to

Psalms 119:9,11
How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Thy word. Thy word I have 'treasured' [hidden] in my heart that I may not sin against Thee.​

During the pandemic, Dr. Spoul's online teaching ministry (Ligonier) has made every teaching series they have available for free via streaming, and I believe that this series might be of particular interest to you: Pleasing God by R.C. Sproul

His daily radio/now online broadcast would be helpful to you as well I think: Renewing Your Mind
.

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

I'd second the encouragement to examine yourself to see if you're in the faith. If you're not truly born-again, you need to come to Christ by the way He commanded. Once you get a firm grasp of the gospel, the Bible says without faith it is impossible to please Him. Those that come to God must believe He is and a rewarder of those that earnestly seek Him. Christian Forums has a link that outlines God's plan for salvation. I would ask that you read it.

How do I become a Christian? | Christian Forums

 

[Aussie Pete]

I've heard that I have to stop sinning to be more pleasing to God. How can I do that, if I don't even know what sin is, specifically? If someone has a list that be great.

Also how do I avoid temptation? I'm a male teen, so hormones are RAGING. I hate it. I feel the need to touch, but a lot of people told me that I will go to Hell for it, or that it creates spirit spouses. But I've prayed and it went away sometimes, but I still feel the need. When I touch, I don't feel like doing it for a long while. It sort of "culls" the need to.

How can I overcome sin? And be more pleasing to God?

Thanks,

boxman144

The bad news is that you can never please God. The good news is that you don't have to. Most Christians know that Lord Jesus died to pay the penalty for sin. Not so many know that God has dealt with the sinner that produces sin.

No sin is worse than another, so ignore the rubbish about a sin that will send you to hell. Spirit spouse? Nothing about that in God's word. Sexual sin does invite a demon of lust, so it's good to stay away from it. I've asked the Lord to reduce my sex drive as it is of no value and surely is a pain. And yes, He has. The sex drive is normal and God-given. However, the Holy Spirit is our self control until we can marry and the problem is dealt with that way.

Temptation is not the problem. Giving into it is. God is not unfair. He knows that on our own we are powerless. He gives us Christ to be our victory over sin. God includes us in the death of Christ when we we accepted Christ. Sin is still around, but a dead man does not react. Lord Jesus rose from the dead, and so did we (again conditional on accepting Christ). We are new creations where Lord Jesus lives in us. He has already pleased God perfectly in every way. God no longer looks at us in isolation. We died and our lives are hidden in Christ with God. Lord Jesus will cause us to live in the way that pleases God - if we will let Him.

 

[Ahermit]

...How can I overcome sin? And be more pleasing to God?...

Simply, remain as honest with yourself as you can be.
Now, think about what that means. Don't shrug it off.
The more you think about being honest with yourself, the truth about your wants and needs, the more you realize how dishonest (irrational, insane) your wants and needs are. These falsehoods are our sins. Being true and honest with ourselves keeps us on the right way to pleasing God. That is, God loves our truth and honesty; and guess what, most others love truth and honesty in others too.

 

[tampasteve]

MOD HAT ON

Please note that this thread is in the GEN Z forum, only members of that age group may post.

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[Monksailor]

MOD HAT ON

Please note that this thread is in the GEN Z forum, only members of that age group may post.

MOD HAT OFF

Thank you. I failed to notice. My apologies.