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How Do You Stop Sin?

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Nanopants

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Here are some things I've found helpful...

To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.
-Titus 1:15

If I go to a chinese restaurant which happens to be sporting the typical overweight buddha statue in the lobby, I could potentially imagine that I'm partaking in some pagan worship practice by eating at the restaurant. As a christian, I know that that would not be good, so I might also imagine that God would be angry with me for departing from Him in a sense by "eating in an idol's temple," so to speak, but still believing that the idol has some sort of power over me as if it were something magical or demonic. On the other hand, I can choose to believe that "the earth is the Lord's and all of its fulness," that idols are nothing but material substance, and that Chinese food is just tasty food that I could be thankful for. In the latter case, by choosing to believe scripture, my conscience is cleansed and I struggle with less temptation which could potentially stumble me.

That brings me to see moral good and evil as having no physical substance, and while that in itself is a huge relief, it opens the door to seeing righteousness and unrighteousness as a matter pertaining to the inner self, in which case, the following is relevant:

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
-Ps 139:23,24

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
-Rom 8:1,2

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. -Gal 6:7

In my own life it has been a slow process of learning what is and is not acceptable to God as it pertains to desires, drives and motives, that faith really does "cleanse" the "heart" or inward man, and that doubting leads into sin.
 
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SnowyMacie

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Here are some things I've found helpful...
If I go to a chinese restaurant which happens to be sporting the typical overweight buddha statue in the lobby, I could potentially imagine that I'm partaking in some pagan worship practice by eating at the restaurant. As a christian, I know that that would not be good, so I might also imagine that God would be angry with me for departing from Him in a sense by "eating in an idol's temple," so to speak, but still believing that the idol has some sort of power over me as if it were something magical or demonic. On the other hand, I can choose to believe that "the earth is the Lord's and all of its fulness," that idols are nothing but material substance, and that Chinese food is just tasty food that I could be thankful for. In the latter case, by choosing to believe scripture, my conscience is cleansed and I struggle with less temptation which could potentially stumble me.

I've never even thought about it that much. Whenever I see a Buddha statue in a Chinese restaurant I think it's pure decoration.



From what I've noticed in my life in that I either tend to struggle with something or I don't. It's very easy for me to resist gossip and say "no" to that, and usually if I do it I see it as more of a slip of mind than a constant struggle that I have to fight. On the other hand, sexual sins are something that I do struggle with and so if it's something that I see as an ongoing battle as opposed to "that was a slip."
 
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Rhamiel

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we can not resist sin on our own

we are not pelagians who think we can be saved by our own strength

we need to rely on Christ, trust in Him

He will strengthen us through the sacraments
frequently receiving the sacraments will help you resist sin
Confession and the Eucharist
 
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Cearbhall

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How have you stopped sinning? When you are tempted, how do you choose to do good and not fall?

(if you feel the word "sin" does not apply to you, change to a different term related)
I don't believe in sin. I'm not sure what word I would use. Usually, if I think through something logically and come to the conclusion that I shouldn't do it, it's not very difficult to refrain from doing it because I know exactly why I shouldn't. My thoughts are focused on a tangible consequence that I wish to avoid. The only frequent exception I can think of is remaining patient and respectful no matter what someone says in a conversation, because I know that there usually won't be significant consequences if I momentarily cross a line.
 
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How have you stopped sinning? When you are tempted, how do you choose to do good and not fall?



(if you feel the word "sin" does not apply to you, change to a different term related)

One sure way for one to stop sinning is for one to ......DIE!
 
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Messy

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Nanopants

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I'm kind of glad that my brain doesn't grasp that

Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. -Col 2:20-23
 
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