Heightened awareness of Sin

[GirdYourLoins]

So much to say on this and I doubt anyone would want the long long response it would mean so heres the shorter version

A lot of us had a sinful past, we are a new creation and forgiven when we are saved.
Forgive yourself as well.
Get healing in your soul and mind for what you've done.
Stop judging other people and their sin.
Love your neighbour (I'm English so this is the correct spelling of neighbour)
Be more Christlike.

Recognise it for what it is. The flesh will battle against the Holy Spirit in you (assuming you are born again and Spirit filled) and Satan will try to distract you from the things of God and hes very good at doing that. Try to focus on the new creation and what you are doing now and serving God. I do volunteer work with the homeless and it gives me a great opportunity to talk about my past and what God has done in my life and how he has turned me around. I use my sinful past to bring glory to Him and what He has done.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

Paul, it is all about humbling the pride of man

I did read the rest of your post, just thought this sentence summarises it. I've got more pride than I'm prepared to admit. I honestly think some of it is useful . Keeps me from being trampled on by other people.
What you're suggesting is, we get rid of all our pride. That God wants us completely humbled. There's a part of me that thinks this not only foolish in a secular sense but perhaps not what God intended. He surely wants to have some sense of self in order to go about our earthly business.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

I thank the members who pointed out my self-obsessive and "all about me" OP. It just shows how far I have to go in my faith journey.

 

[mcarmichael]

I thank the members who pointed out my self-obsessive and "all about me" OP. It just shows how far I have to go in my faith journey.

What about me? I haven't so much as squeaked since you disfavored my comments.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

What about me? I haven't so much as squeaked since you disfavored my comments.

Glad to see you sober today Michael.

 

[Halbhh]

I feel better when I do adhere to the commandments but I'm learning now there's nothing I can do to be pleasing to God other than be with under Jesus' sacrifice.

Right now I'm at work with some one who doesn't have a clue what she's doing and she shouldn't be working here as far as I'm concerned. This makes me angry and I've lost my patience and refuse to answer her (frankly) obvious questions.

But isn't this irritability a sin? Yes. If I stopped it, would that please God? Perhaps. But if I stopped it by forcing myself to act in a way that is inconsistent with how my heart really is at this moment, would God be happy about that? Or would he view it as me artificially trying to please him?

For questions like this, His words guide us --

"So in everything, do to others as you would have them do to you, for this sums up the law"

There we have it, the ultimate and only valid answer. His own. To follow it is our duty, and to do otherwise knowingly is sin, from which we need to confess and repent, and return to follow Him. And this is the wonderful thing, that if we repent from the heart, He is merciful to forgive, and we can ask for help and get profound help. It's a win-win-win. Love wins.

 

[thesunisout]

I did some pretty irresponsible things in my youth and early adult life. Things I am not proud of now. The thing is, at the time, I didn't think it was such a big deal. If you move in secular circles, a lot of things become pretty loose. Excitement and pleasure become your false Gods. And of course looking cool. (not that I really achieved "cool" anyway ) Just enjoy your life mate. No worries!
Now I've started to take God, Christianity and life after death more seriously. For over a year now. The more I work on my relationship with the divine, the more I realise how sinful I was. Am I becoming holier than thou? Too serious?
I try to have the same approach to myself as I should to others. That is, hate the sin and forgive the sinner. Still, as time goes by, those sins seem worse and worse. My awareness of those sins becomes heightened more and more.
I can see how some people go from one extreme to the other. Too sinful to too holy. I feel I have to watch I don't become an uptight prig.

As we walk closer to the Lord His light reveals the darkness in us. It can be pretty disturbing to see what is really inside, but our hope is in Christ, not in ourselves. God is able to mold us and create good character in us as we walk with Him and serve Him. Let it be a matter of prayer and not of anxiety. Gods word also tells us in 1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.

Once we confess to God we are forgiven. He does not keep bringing our old sins to our mind. We should be aware of our sinful nature so we aren't deceived by it. But Satan will keep bringing our past misdeeds to our remembrance to condemn us, but God doesn't see us that way. He sees us as His children, and we are covered by His grace.

To answer your question though, a heightened awareness of sin to me is a sign of growth and maturity. Just make sure that it tempered by scripture because guilt can become an issue there. God has grace towards His children, although we are not to take advantage of it. I think He is always helping us overcome our problems, in ways we don't understand. The scripture says there is a human tendency to see God as a hard father, which He is not. He is kind and gracious towards His children, but we also have to learn how to walk and also to war against our enemy the devil.

 

[Emmy]

Dear jimmyjimmy. What is sin? How do we know? In Matthew22: 35-40: Jesus tells us. The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: love your neighbour as thyself. In verse 40, we are told: on these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. God is Love and God wants loving sons and daughters. The Bible tells us: give up our selfish and unloving wishes and wants, start loving and caring. Treat all we know or meet, treat them as we would love to be treated.
In Matthew 7: 7-10: we are told: Ask and you shall receive. We ask for Love and joy, then thank God and share all love and joy with our neighbour.( neighbour is all we meet and know)To love all as we love our neighbour, that is not too hard, love is very catching, and soon we will be as God, our Heavenly wants us to be, loving and caring, and treat all as we would love to be treated. What is SIN? Everything what has no love is sin. Jesus died that we might live. Let us follow Jesus back to God, and remember that God is Love. Where there is no love, there is SIN. I say this with love jimmyjimmy. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

Let it be a matter of prayer and not of anxiety.

I think you're right. Thanks.

 

[chevyontheriver]

Thanks I'll bookmark Psalm 25.
I have been to confession. My sins have been absolved. So I should feel fully healed. And I do mostly. Just ......

Reparation for those things is still possible. You are forgiven, so not to worry, but you may have opportunities to make some particular amends towards healing for yourself and others. Or if that is completed to sort of pay it forward. There are some Carmelite nuns nearby, cloistered people nobody sees. They spend almost the entire day in prayer praying for us, doing amends for us. I suspect that without them this world would have already fallen apart. We can do our tiny bit to join them in joining their prayers and works to that of Jesus the savior of the world.

 

[chevyontheriver]

I did read the rest of your post, just thought this sentence summarises it. I've got more pride than I'm prepared to admit. I honestly think some of it is useful . Keeps me from being trampled on by other people.
What you're suggesting is, we get rid of all our pride. That God wants us completely humbled. There's a part of me that thinks this not only foolish in a secular sense but perhaps not what God intended. He surely wants to have some sense of self in order to go about our earthly business.

St. Thomas defined humility as having an accurate view of ones self, not exaggerated (prideful), but also not too low an opinion. We were not created to be zeros, incompetents, worthless. We were created to use whatever talents we have soberly. Under-evaluating ourselves is in a perverse way also prideful. Being proud of how lowly we are. Appraise yourself accurately and get to work to use your abilities. Works for me if I can force myself to do it in periods of depression.

 

[Grace2022]

I did some pretty irresponsible things in my youth and early adult life. Things I am not proud of now. The thing is, at the time, I didn't think it was such a big deal. If you move in secular circles, a lot of things become pretty loose. Excitement and pleasure become your false Gods. And of course looking cool. (not that I really achieved "cool" anyway ) Just enjoy your life mate. No worries!
Now I've started to take God, Christianity and life after death more seriously. For over a year now. The more I work on my relationship with the divine, the more I realise how sinful I was. Am I becoming holier than thou? Too serious?
I try to have the same approach to myself as I should to others. That is, hate the sin and forgive the sinner. Still, as time goes by, those sins seem worse and worse. My awareness of those sins becomes heightened more and more.
I can see how some people go from one extreme to the other. Too sinful to too holy. I feel I have to watch I don't become an uptight prig.

 

[Grace2022]

I did some pretty irresponsible things in my youth and early adult life. Things I am not proud of now. The thing is, at the time, I didn't think it was such a big deal. If you move in secular circles, a lot of things become pretty loose. Excitement and pleasure become your false Gods. And of course looking cool. (not that I really achieved "cool" anyway ) Just enjoy your life mate. No worries!
Now I've started to take God, Christianity and life after death more seriously. For over a year now. The more I work on my relationship with the divine, the more I realise how sinful I was. Am I becoming holier than thou? Too serious?
I try to have the same approach to myself as I should to others. That is, hate the sin and forgive the sinner. Still, as time goes by, those sins seem worse and worse. My awareness of those sins becomes heightened more and more.
I can see how some people go from one extreme to the other. Too sinful to too holy. I feel I have to watch I don't become an uptight prig.

Hi,
I think this is good! You are honest with yourself and sorry about past sins. So, as a Christian, you repent, accept Jesus as Lord and saviour so Jesus promises you are forgiven, the slate is clean. What a gift of grace! The problem is, do you forgive yourself? Just ponder and pray on this. You will realize you are in fact free.

I too worry about coming across to people as holier than though. So I keep quiet. I just pray to be the best I can and ask Jesus to guide me in all things. It's lovely to just let go, let the Lord be in charge of your life and stop worrying.

Does that make sense? X

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

The problem is, do you forgive yourself? Just ponder and pray on this. You will realize you are in fact free.

Thanks. I'm getting there. I probably need to tweak a few mindsets I have, and I will back on track .
Being a naturally born worry wart doesn't help.
Thanks for seeing some good in me. It must be the good in you that does.

 

[Blade]

Well.. maybe ALSO look at it like this. The closer He gets to us.. we see what we are really made of. Granted His blood washed all that away....and we can BOLDLY come before Him. I understand I truly do.. I still see the sin more then good. Yet I know HE does not. He sees me in right standing with Him. Righteousness. Yet.. maybe.. just maybe what you cant see is how CLOSE HE is getting.. and you are getting to Him. That HOLINESS shines...He is transparent.

I always heard that.. dont be do heavenly that your not earthly good. Something like that.. Yeah.. its man made up lol. On earth as it IS IN heaven. How is HE there? We should be here. So ..yeah.... you just cant see.. that how CLOSE HE IS getting..and SOMETHINGS in our lifes..cant stand how HOLY pure loving kind wow He is.

So.. as He asked me once.. when I was going to give up.. what is righteousness? Ok..how do you get righteousness? there ya go. THAT is what HE sees.. see what HE does

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

Well.. maybe ALSO look at it like this. The closer He gets to us.. we see what we are really made of. Granted His blood washed all that away....and we can BOLDLY come before Him. I understand I truly do.. I still see the sin more then good. Yet I know HE does not. He sees me in right standing with Him. Righteousness. Yet.. maybe.. just maybe what you cant see is how CLOSE HE is getting.. and you are getting to Him. That HOLINESS shines...He is transparent.

I always heard that.. dont be do heavenly that your not earthly good. Something like that.. Yeah.. its man made up lol. On earth as it IS IN heaven. How is HE there? We should be here. So ..yeah.... you just cant see.. that how CLOSE HE IS getting..and SOMETHINGS in our lifes..cant stand how HOLY pure loving kind wow He is.

So.. as He asked me once.. when I was going to give up.. what is righteousness? Ok..how do you get righteousness? there ya go. THAT is what HE sees.. see what HE does

Interesting post. Thanks.