Do you think its possible to be 'left behind'?

Unfortunately I can't seem to register, so I'm posting my topic here, I hope someone can help me.

Just to clarify, I don't mean 'left behind' as in not being brought up to Heaven when Jesus comes back, what I mean is this: I always remember when I was younger a Sunday school teacher telling us about somebody she knew who apparently rejected Christ at every opportunity, God spoke to the man at different points in his life and each time he didn't accept Him, and according to this Sunday school teacher, eventually "God left the man", and he was lost.

What I'm wondering is, do you think this is possible, for a non-believer who constantly rejects to be left behind and lost forever? And also, if you already are a Christian, do you think that constantly falling, failing and sinning can cause God to leave you and cause you to be condemned forever?

I'm asking because I remember a thread a while ago on another forum by a guy who said he was ashamed of an addiction to pornography, and after reading it I posted a similar one where I mentioned my addiction to alcohol, and asked for help with it. I also had a bit of an addiction to masturbation, and I kept praying and saying that I'd try to never do it again...then giving in after a while, which I now completely regret. I decided to quit both a while ago and am pleased to say I'm kept this up ever since.

But I remember when I was into alcohol and such, saying that I wouldn't go near it again...and then failing and getting drunk, feeling ashamed, and praying, telling God I was sorry and that I would try my best not to do it again...then getting sucked in again. I was a Christian when I got hooked on alcohol and masturbation, and am a Christian now that I've quit, but I'm scared though that my repitition of the same sin, even though I tried not to give in but did, would condemn me forever. I am in no way doubting my faith, I love God right now as much as I always have and I live for Him every day, but I am slightly afraid now that I've been reminded of this story from my childhood... could my constant sinning, going back on what I'd said I'd do, ever cause God to leave me?

Does anyone think this could happen? If you prayed and said you don't want to ever drink/take drugs/masturbate/use bad language and so on ever again, and then you went back and fell once again into it...do you think a cycle of this over a period of time can cause God to leave you, or do you can only be left behind in this sense if you weren't already a Christian and rejected God completely at every chance?

Thank you to anyone who reads all of this and replies, I really need advice on this. I'm just really worried that I've been such a bad Christian and constantly repeated the same sin too many times, that I'm wondering if its possible that God has left me...I just hope this isn't true.

[AstheDeer]

Hi, there!

Although some Christians leave God (backslidden), God NEVER EVER leaves His own children. He KNOWS we're gonna mess up! When He went to the cross, He KNEW we were gonna mess up and He KNEW what we would mess up in! Now that doesn't mean that we go and purposefully sin and live wicked lifestyles and say, "Hey! God accepts me and forgives me!" God forgives a REPENTANT heart. Repentance is different from saying, "I'm sorry."
Repentance is saying you're sorry PLUS turning AWAY from what it was you did wrong, meaning that you absolutely don't want to ever do it again. You may be tempted to do it and your flesh may want to do it and perhaps you might even fall back into it again, but the real you, your spirit, resists the flesh and wants to follow and please God. God knows you're gonna mess up at times, and He says His strength is made perfect in our weakness. He tells us to pick up our cross DAILY and follow Him. Why? Because crucifixtion is a slow death...could take a day or more, I heard. Even though we are new creatures in Christ, the old self, the flesh, and Satan try to tempt us to do that which is against God. Jesus knows what it's like to be tempted to do wrong because He Himself was tempted on this earth, yet He was without sin. He knows what it's like. But as long as we are REPENTANT and keep taking up that daily cross and MEANING it when we cry "Create in me a clean heart," He promises to pick us back up and give us a fresh, clean start again in Him. God loves you and you are engraved on the palms of His hand. He thinks about you ALL the time! When He knocked on the door of your heart, HE asked if you would let Him in. Do you think He would walk Himself out when you so much love Him and want Him to stay and are trying to follow Him? Do you think He would walk Himself out when He died on the cross for you? If He were like that, He wouldn't have died for you, but He did. It is not our own righteousness that saves us...it is the righteousness that He Himself has given us. Salvation is a gift from God, and He never takes back a gift. If anyone isn't saved or is backslid, it is because they rejected that gift, not because God said, "I'm tired of dealing with you and your messing up a billion times." God WANTS them to come to Him with all their mistakes so He can wash them away with His blood!
So remember that God loves you and won't EVER leave you! Rest in His love
and rely on His strength to help you to live as He wants you to. Hope I encouraged you!
God bless!
Jy

[AstheDeer]

Here's a quick little thing to remember:
Falling is not the same thing as jumping. Jumping off a cliff is a purposeful action. Falling off a cliff is something you didn't want to do but somehow tripped and ended up doing anyway. But when you didn't want to fall yet did, God's everlasting arms are underneath to bring you back to sturdy ground again.

[Ed]

Originally Posted by Ghost_OST

Thank you to anyone who reads all of this and replies, I really need advice on this. I'm just really worried that I've been such a bad Christian and constantly repeated the same sin too many times, that I'm wondering if its possible that God has left me...I just hope this isn't true.

God knows your heart - point is we are all sinners and all get it wrong. The past is the past. And maybe you've walked back into sin again and again but if you can truly apologise and mean it - if you can truly turn your back on the wrong things you did and set out in the opposite direction (repentance = asking for forgiveness and leaving the tempting situation that keeps causing you to sin! turning your back on the sin) then God wil take you bakc

Look at the story of the prodigal son... he was truly sorry and God was waiting for his return with open arms!

If you feel like you've failed then your fully qualified to come back since you are sorry and not trying to blame someone else for what you did!

btw registration is open again but takes a while to go thru!

[sKybLue]

As The Deer said it all..

i believe that God leaves people in certain situations though : like, when they decide to follow the devil instead of God, when they give their lives over the Satan, when they know the truth yet made the dead decision not to embrace it..

in all these situations, i believe that the decision that has been made is genuine, and that God cannot do anything to intervene with our own free will.. like in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, althought they just lied about money, but read it carefully, and you'd find that "Satan so filled their heart", meaning that they were in agreement with Satan in the first place.

God is God, and he knows whether you're faking a repentance or genuine.. i believe that each time you say you're sorry, God reaches down and impart his strength within you, little by little.. He loves you all the more each time you come back to Him, and he is by your side no matter what.. because your heart is his.. so don't doubt his faithfulness..

2 Timothy 2:13 - if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself..