Thje bible says that we all have a sinful nature. Romans 7:18 says “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” So, when did you first become painfully aware of your sinful nature?
I was painfully aware of my sinful nature when after being abused at a young age I began to like men and now in a committed relationship with a man I love, but it’s wrong and I’m tired of failing the lord homosexuals will not enter the kingdom of heaven and i so want to go.
When I’m dealing with something of that magnitude, I try fasting and prayer.
One of the aspects of the “Hippie Movement” was an overwhelming self-righteousness. I know because before I was a Christian, I was following that worldview. It was easily observable in all of my friends. Collectively, we hated the Establishment and those caught in its grip (howevermuch we were about peace and love). We saw them as slaves to their own greed and selfishness. As I became more aware of things, I noticed that my hippie friends were as selfish as the “suits” but just about different things. It was a great revelation to me that, after denigrating that side of humanity for so long, I began to see the same flaw in myself. After trying to amend my ways by sheer force of will and failing, I started looking for a spiritual answer, investigating Eastern mystic religions, and Western Theosophy. Into that mess, Jesus got involved…the Real Jesus with a Real Holy Spirit that I could trust to help me out of the dilema of my faulty nature. That is why I am a Christian.
The more I read and study Gods word the more Holy I relaize He is. And the less I Holy I feel. I agree with Pauls writing in Romans, the things I want to do are not the things I do, but the things I do not want to do are the things I do. Who can save a wrench like me? It goes on a bit about the sinful nature and the spirit before it ask that question. But when I get to the answer, I am glad God cared enough about me to send His Son to pay for my sins. He also left 1 John 1:9 for my daily if not more use. Try it, it is good for the soul.