 Chandler what are you doing Chandler oh my god You're smoking again. Well actually yesterday. I was smoking again today. I'm I'm smoking still Is it possible that people with addictions either drug addiction alcohol addiction maybe even sexual addictions anything like that? Is it possible that a person with an addiction with some sort of stronghold? Is it possible for that person to be saved to go to heaven even while they're struggling with that addiction? The death of Matthew Perry the one who's known for being on the sitcom friends because of his death People are wondering this even more now This was a question that was asked previously and so even now that's happening helps a hot kind of highlight this and the question is one Do we know what his relationship was like with Christ? But also those who profess to have a relationship with Christ and if they're struggling can that person also be saved for the first time In my life I knelt down and prayed and that prayer was Please God make me famous. You can do anything you want to me. Just make me famous Now that's Matthew Perry speaking about a prayer that he had some time ago In his early 20s just about making it big He's in he's in Hollywood and he wants to become someone as most people in Hollywood do one becomes one famous an actor The problem is though the prayer that he's asking isn't quite the prayer that God wants you to pray Although God can work with it But the Bible tells us the one and this for those of us who don't happen to be looking to become a Superstar anything like that, but he says but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness And then all these things will be added to you all what things that I can go ahead and pray to be famous and so forth No, no, no, no Now keep in mind that this is a person's praying this prayer That's also having some struggles and some more struggles are gonna come But whoever it is whether you whether you this person whatever it is in life And even if you still have a struggle remember this also in Proverbs I'm sorry song 374 says to light yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart So whatever your desires are if you first to light yourself in him, well, then he will change your heart But what if you're still struggling three weeks later? I got friends and God did not forget about the second I mean I had the American dream happen to me I got the great job. I was good at it. I had a I bought a house I the house had a pool and I really really liked it Loved it for about six months and then I walked in my house and went oh man This is not fixing This problem that I have now for him therein lies a problem But it also is something that a lot of people deal with not just alcoholism, but alcoholism Also some other sort of drug addiction. What about some sort of sexual addiction or porn any sort of addiction? We can kind of all put in the same category, especially if this addiction is a sinful addiction What does the Bible say the Bible says in Galatians 5 specifically in 21 it says in the end Drunkenness carousing and things like these of which I forewarned you just as I forewarned you That those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom God So what if someone is practicing those things someone is constantly doing those things? Can that person can a drunkard can someone who is under some sort of compulsion sort of addiction? Can that person be say well it looks like this pastor says that they cannot inherit the kingdom God? Well, there might be something to look at so we can kind of drill a little bit deeper The Bible also says in 1 John 3 9 He says that no one who was born of God practices sin because his seed Abides in him and he cannot sin because he's born of God by this the children of God and the children of death are obvious Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God nor the one who does not love his brother So the question is does that include the person who is struggling with the sin? Well, there's something in that that we ought to see let's go back to verse 9 No one who was born of God practices sin. Well think about yourself Do you sin does anyone that you know that he's born of God? Do they happen to sin well sure that's all of us matter of fact He already told us in chapter 1 8 that anyone who says he does not sin or has a problem with sin That person's lying we all do and we and when we do sin we do have an advocate We have an advocate that pleads for us on behalf of our sin But realistically speaking all of us who are who name the name of Christ we do sin We will send now not as much Hopefully and the issue is this practicing sin and the word that she's practicing is the word poi a so it's word That's doing the sin that's constantly doing the sin What about a person who's struggling with the drug addiction someone or alcohol addiction just like Matthew Perry? Yeah, I was drinking at that time. I was drinking out with friends a lot and Then at 145 I would say I'm gonna go home and I've raced across town to a liquor store by a bottle of vodka And drink as much as I had with the other guys that night and Then deep into addiction. There was a much more real prayer You know to save my life, you know, and that was answered as well now. He's got us. He's had a serious addiction He's so much so that he's willing to do whatever it takes to get alcohol Some folks you know that are willing to do whatever it takes to get this drug whatever this fix is and I don't know if he's ever made a profession of faith He gives he's given a kind of a generic Testimony of him praying to God for God to save his life. Well in terms of him saving him The way that I think maybe he was hoping well that didn't happen He lost his life and all the details aren't out presumably the reports are that may have may have been addiction related We don't know but Here's the issue is and I get I don't know what his life is like What his prayer life was like what his walk with Christ was like if he had one who this Which which God was he praying to we don't know what's it's just some something that was just kind of superficial but nothing really Personal nothing that was actually heartfelt and Serious that he really places faith in Christ what Christ did don't know However, what I do know is I know of plenty people who have struggled with an addiction Who have placed their faith in Christ? Ultimately that addiction ends up going away as a matter of fact I can point to my mother same thing with her and so it's possible But now what about a person who has placed their faith in Christ and still struggles with it? Well going back to the passage the Bible says anyone that's practicing center with someone that's doing or has particular addiction going back to Galatians 5 21 notice what it says. He says In drunkenness and course this whole thing can it's not just being drunk Obviously someone with any other sort of addiction will follow in this But he says that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God. Well Does that mean again the person struggles with that? Can they not go? Well, there's something that you need to figure out that we need to see Paul talks about his struggle. Well, and we don't know specifically what the struggle is possibly probably Something having to do with pride I him boasting and so what does he do? He kind of changes it around so what will he boast in rather than himself and his knowledge and so forth He'll boast in the Lord both at his weaknesses. We don't know what it is But Paul says Paul tells us the things that he struggles with he says in 10 verse 7 verse 18 He says for I know that nothing good dwells in me that is in my flesh for the willing is present in Me but the doing of good is not for the good that I want I do not do but I practice the very thing with a very evil that I do not want But if I am the one doing the very thing that I do not want I'm I am no longer the one doing it, but the sin which dwells in me. So are we to take from this that Paul? Possibly won't see the kingdom of heaven because he states himself that he Practices that's literally the word that shoes here. Well, no and this is the hope that we can find for Paul For ourselves for the attic notice what he says he says for I know that nothing good was in me That is in my flesh for the willing and the word that shoes for willing is worth they lane Which is comes from the Greek word fellow, which is to desire the desire My honest heartfelt desire is there to desire for what to do good not to do bad He says that is present in me, but the doing of The good is not then he says for the good that I want I do not do And said same word well, which is what we saw in first John 3 so this so the good that I want to do I don't do with the evil. I don't want to do I keep doing he said but I practice The very evil that I do not want to do well The point is what do you desire and so if a person who is an addict Struggling do they want to be that has to because if a person desires to be changed Then that's indicative of the desire of their heart being changed the Lord working in them If your desire is to not be an alcoholic if your desire is not to struggle with the drugs struggle with porn struggle sexual addiction Struggle with alcohol whatever it is if that's not your desire now if your desire is I want to get this I want to I want to drink I want to whatever it is and still be safe Well, that's the person that's practicing Sam. That's the person that's practicing drunkenness That's the person that's practicing evil That's the person that practice that if the desire is different that person is struggling He has a stronghold, but he's not desiring to be that way in other words. He didn't want to be a drunk Christian He didn't want to be a homosexual Christian. He didn't want to be a lustful Christian He didn't want to be some sort of addicted Christian to anything else if you and course ultimately the main addiction That leaves people to hell As a matter of fact, this is kind of what if you want to break down what you would even see in a person's desire to not be saved Or to live how they want to The greatest addiction is the the addiction of me me serving myself me doing what I want to do now Matthew Perry spoke about him wanting to be famous and so forth Well, that sort of addiction that sort of desires desire for yourself But if your desires for him then you'll be saved if your desires for you and then him second If your desires for him and take away these things the bad stuff so I can live a better mean and then still him second You cannot be safe the desire has to be him first and foremost and then there'll be some struggles Obviously and then sometimes he even leaves those struggles a little bit longer than we would like to why because maybe there's someone there That's looking at me and my struggles that I can help or I can look at someone else who's also gone for these struggles And they can help me But if a person desires to be delivered that person will be delivered as a matter of fact The Bible tells us Paul tells us that there's no temptation that you that's overtaking you But such as is common to man So all of these temptation all things we go through everybody goes through them and look what he says and God is faithful Who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear? So he's not gonna put anything more than you can actually deal with and he says but with the temptation Will provide the way of escape also so that you will be able to endure it endure what you're going through Making it through it ultimately you'll come out of it now. How is it gonna work out? I don't know but a person who struggles Obviously God is cognizant that people are gonna struggle even as being believers But that person that's desiring to be closer to him Then he will clean you along the way he'll bring you out, but that's if you're desiring Him that's why I says delight yourself in the Lord Then he'll give you the desire to your heart The desires your heart don't take place don't take precedent before seeking him and that may have been the issue with Matthew Perry I hope not I pray that he did have a relationship with Christ. I don't know I can't find any videos saying so but I didn't mean that they don't exist that I mean that it's not true So I hope so but for anyone else who's struggling you can take comfort that God is a God who delivers Hey, man, goodbye, Mr. Hackles