reviewing evil thoughts in the head

[rahulpatel1985]

Supposing that one had an evil thought and then asked for forgiveness for it.

Subsequently, if one felt bad for having had the thought and reviewed the thought, and thus reviewed the sin by thinking what the bad thought was - would that be a sin? - after all the evil thought is still in ones mind

 

[visionary]

Need a cleansing, pray for it, ... Singing praises to God helps dwindle the time for dwelling on bad thoughts...

 

[heron]

Need a cleansing, pray for it, ... Singing praises to God helps dwindle the time for dwelling on bad thoughts...

Agreed. Remember that sin is wrong, but part of being human, and moving on is expected.

It helps me to think of how learning takes place. When information comes in, it is in short term memory until you reinforce it. If we dwell or revisit bad thoughts, we reinforce them and put them into long term memory.

But this stored information can also get buried into hard-to-access connections... as far as the east is from the west. This requires that we block instead of entertain sins and worries. The suggestion above, to sing praises is a great way to plant productive thoughts in place of the negative.

Thinking this way helped me at a time when my sleep was interrupted by stressful thoughts. I had to make a conscious effort to block the cycling of worries. It worked! As for God's perception of your thoughts, He loves a broken spirit and a contrite heart.

 

[wonderwaleye]

Supposing that one had an evil thought and then asked for forgiveness for it.

Subsequently, if one felt bad for having had the thought and reviewed the thought, and thus reviewed the sin by thinking what the bad thought was - would that be a sin? - after all the evil thought is still in ones mind

Thoughts are not sins. Acting on a thought can be. Thoughts pop in and out without really any control over them. Like GOD'S WORD says:




It's not what goes into the mouth that is sin. It is what comes out of the mouth, as that comes for the heart.


LOVE


steven

 

[visionary]

Reviewing.. dwelling on thoughts.. can turn into an obsession.. which could, while never acting upon them, alter a lot of other behaviors indirectly related.

 

[wayfaring man]

Supposing that one had an evil thought and then asked for forgiveness for it.

Subsequently, if one felt bad for having had the thought and reviewed the thought, and thus reviewed the sin by thinking what the bad thought was - would that be a sin? - after all the evil thought is still in ones mind

It depends , was the review of the evil thought a reviving of the essence of the evil behind the thought ? Or was it more of a remembrance of how one used to go along with evil thinking ?

If the evil was revived , then it would be sinful , if indeed we indulgently gave space to it in our mind .

But , if we reviewed it without embracing it , but merely remembered how we used to think ... then it would not be sinful , but rather should be cause to rejoice , and give thanks , for not being under the spell of that evil any longer !

Having an evil thought come up in our mind , is not sin , if we reject it right away , for then it was only a case of being tempted ... but if we allow the evil thought to reel around in our head , then it is at least the sin of not doing the good that we know we should .

Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin. <-----> James 4:17

The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men. <-----> Proverbs 24:9

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds )
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; <-----> 2nd Corinthians 10:3-5

Hope this is helpful .

wm