When should someone be asking themselves, "Am I really saved?" Steve Gallagher answers that very question in this interview from our archives.

Host: We want to deal with a question today that came in from a fellow who professes to be a Christian. He says that he struggles with an obsessive-compulsive disorder and that he doubts his salvation. He wants to know, is there ever a time when Jesus will simply stop forgiving a person? He wants the answer to questions like, “Am I going to hell? Am I saved? Is there any hope for me?”

Steve: Well, this is one of those situations where I think we really are dealing with the salvation issue and that's what needs to be addressed. As long as a guy is dealing with ongoing sin in his life, then he isn't going to be able to sincerely enjoy the affirmation of salvation that comes to a person who knows that their life is right with God. This has been one of those areas where the church has just given way, given way, given way for so long allowing one corruption after another into the church to the point that now people who are in ongoing homosexuality (or any other form of sexual sin for that matter) can ask the question, “Am I saved?” And many will rush in and say, “Don't doubt your salvation.” And I'm saying that there is every reason in the world for this guy to doubt his salvation.

Host: Are there some particular scriptures that you can provide for this fellow that will help someone who's in sin that's looking for affirmation.

Steve: Well, I can give some scriptures that paint a fairly black and white picture. 1 Corinthians 6 says not to be deceived. Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate and homosexuals and a list of others will not inherit the Kingdom of God. That's very straightforward. 1 John 2:3 says, “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” (1 John 2:3, NASB 1995) And then a couple verses later John said, “By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” (1 John 2: 5b-6, NASB 1995) And then in the next chapter, John says, “No one who is born of God practices sin.” (1 John 3:9a) It's fairly clear cut. I'm not trying to be a hard nose. I'm just trying to help people to see what the Bible really does say about a person who is in habitual sin.

Host: Now, Steve, we should probably say here that we're not talking about sinless perfection here though.

Steve: No, we're talking about ongoing outward sin. We're not talking about the struggles any sincere believer has. There are no sinless people alive. We all have our struggles, but we are talking about someone here who is continually flouting the commandments of God.

Host: Well, the man who asked this question had a concluding question to go along with his question. And that question was, “Is there any hope for me?” So, is there any hope for Him?

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Steve: Absolutely. There's hope, but it means that you have to repent. It means that you have to put your faith in Christ in a real way. It means that you have to lay aside your sin and your life and make a surrender to Jesus Christ. Jesus said that the gate is narrow for a reason. And that gate being narrow means that we are discarding our old life and going into a new life. But the wonderful thing is that instead of going through the drudgery of trying to live in two worlds and dragging yourself through the Christian life trying to do something you're not empowered to do by the Holy Spirit, you can surrender yourself to Christ in a real way and then have the abundant power that's available for you to live that kind of a life?

Host: Yes. And we might add also here that the gentlemen that asked this question is talking about his struggle with homosexuality specifically. But we are really talking about giving up our life in this world more than just dealing with one particular type of struggle.

Steve: Yes. Homosexuality is no worse than sexual sin of any other kind – or any other of the sins that Paul lists in Galatians 5 or 1 Corinthians 6. Sin is sin.

Sexual sin is like a hurricane of evil, and the overwhelming devastation can make it seem like there's no hope for the marriage. But in God's powerful hands, the sense of our total neediness actually becomes the first step on the road to redemption. That's what we'll talk about in episode two of our series, Ashes to Beauty.

When professing Christians get sick of being addicted, they often turn to the internet, self-help gurus or psychology to find out where their real problem is. Unfortunately, a lot of what they'll find from these sources is nothing more than myth. In today's show, we'll look at some really common myths that many Christians believe about sexual addiction.

For over 35 years, we have watched God do miracles in even the most hopeless of situations. If your marriage has been reduced to a pile of ashes, we hope you'll join us over the next 8 episodes. We'll talk to four couples whose marriages were horribly damaged by sexual sin, but who walked God's pathway to restoration and found that He is truly able to transform marriages from ashes to beauty.

Every believer is susceptible to the enemy’s lies which surround us every day. The power to overcome them begins with a cry for God to unravel deception entrenched within us. Only then can He begin to work truth into us so that we can stay free from the duplicities of our time.

Join us May 3rd and 4th for the Pure Life Ministries' 24th Annual Conference. Our hope is that through this powerful 2-day event your faith in the Truth of God will be strengthened so that you can stand strong in these last days. For more information, or to register, visit conference.purelifeministries.org.

Real freedom isn't just about protecting our hearts from a lustful spirit, it's about yielding to a completely different kind of spirit—a loving, giving, spirit of mercy. In today’s interview, we’ll talk about why learning to get in the flow of God’s mercy is absolutely critical for going all the way into a life of victory, and we’ll also give you some practical things that will help you foster that spirit of mercy.

In our last episode, we took time to reflect on the wonder of Jesus—his lowliness, his love and his sacrifice. This week, we'll keep going. Welcome to Part 2 of our Purity for Life Christmas episode!

It takes quite an effort to fix our eyes on Jesus in this crazy world, and it is no different at Christmastime. In fact, the holidays often only amplify the pain and sorrow many people feel in their everyday lives. But we want to help you allow Jesus to take center stage during this holiday season. No matter what's going on in your life, please take some time to stop everything and focus on the greatest gift ever given.

We wouldn’t think twice about trying to live without air, water, or food. So why do we think we can live spiritually without a daily intake of God’s word and a daily life of prayer? In this interview, we talk about establishing and maintaining a devotional life—because, let’s face it, we will never stay on the road to freedom without keeping first things first.

"I’m struggling.” This is probably the most common way Christian men describe their continual attempts to break free from sexual sin. But for many, it would be much more accurate if they said, "I'm a slave to lust.” In today’s episode, we'll get to the heart of addiction and we'll talk about the first step men must take if they want real freedom.

• The Roots of Addiction (Article) By Pure Life Ministries

Here's a paradox: If you want to enjoy tremendous freedom in Christ, then cultivate a disciplined lifestyle. In today’s episode, Steve Gallagher joins us to take a look at why discipline is part and parcel with growth as a Christian.

Do you want to know how to effectively deal with temptation? Do you ever wonder if the apostle Paul believed that marriage was the cure for sexual addiction? In this episode, Steve Gallagher and the leadership of Pure Life Ministries offer biblical answers to really common questions about sexual sin.