Sin, Sin and More Sin!

[WeLikeSheep]

It's all about SIN! Or maybe not...

Ok, I've been studying the book of Romans. I keep thinking about what Paul says about sin in his own life: he does what he doesn't want to do, and yet doesn't do what he wants to do. (I mean, if someone could get sin mostly out of his life, I'd think it would have been him. "We all fall short..." Mother Theresa is another one who seemed to score pretty low on the Sin Score.)

So where does that leave the rest of us goofballs?

Do you sin every day? Is sin a "black dot" no matter how big, or are their degrees of sin to you? What is sin to you? Do you think your sins are greater or lesser than someone else's? (Be honest...self-righteousness is a big one for me, and I suspect I'm not alone.)

I know that "it's covered" is an excuse I hear a lot. Sure it is, but we still go right on doing the same ol' stuff knowing it's "missing the mark". "Sure, I commit character assassination with my mouth every day, but at least I'm not a murderer!"

We're called to "be holy as our Father in heaven is holy..." I don't know about ya'll but this seems to be a pretty tall order some days. Sometimes I wonder if Christianity is even truly possible for mere mortals like me.

For my non-Christian friends who may read this, what areas in your life are the hardest not to "miss the mark"? Do you think Christians spend too much energy feeling guilty about sin or pointing out the sins of others? Are we missing out on joy and gratitude for an over-emphasis on sin?

I've always loved this little prayer below:

Dear Lord,

So far today, I’ve done all right. I haven’t gossiped, haven’t lost my temper, haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or over indulgent. I’m very thankful for that.

But, in a few minutes, God, I’m going to get out of bed. And from then on, I’m probably going to need a lot more help.
​

 

[AngelusSax]

Do you think your sins are greater or lesser than someone else's? (Be honest...self-righteousness is a big one for me, and I suspect I'm not alone.)

On one hand... no, and on another, yes. I know my sin separates me from God as much as any other person's sin does, but the sins of myself seem so much bigger to me... I guess I'm just too close to the problem, eh?

We're called to "be holy as our Father in heaven is holy..." I don't know about ya'll but this seems to be a pretty tall order some days. Sometimes I wonder if Christianity is even truly possible for mere mortals like me.

To me, this says we are to strive for perfection, knowing we can never achieve it, and above all rest assured that the Grace of God has cleanses all our sins with the blood of the Ultimate Passover Lamb.

Do you think Christians spend too much energy feeling guilty about sin or pointing out the sins of others? Are we missing out on joy and gratitude for an over-emphasis on sin?

I'm a Christian, but I'll answer anyway. We don't always spend too much time feeling guilty for our sins (we should feel convicted for them), and I think we do spend way too much time judging others. Sure, we're called to rebuke, but we're to take care of our plank first. Too bad many (especially my conservative friends) miss that... they think they can look around their plank instead of removing it.

And yeah, I think we do miss out on some joy by over-emphasising sin and under-emphasising the thing God promised to give us as a completely free gift: Grace.

 

[jgarden]

The church has always been preoccupied with the "sin industry." Considering the 2 Greatest Commandments are about love of God and neighbor, many Christians are converted out of fear, not love. I think we should have many more sermons based on the Song of Solomon. It would certainly keep the congregation awake and help fill the pews.

 

[Angel4Truth]

We're called to "be holy as our Father in heaven is holy..." I don't know about ya'll but this seems to be a pretty tall order some days. Sometimes I wonder if Christianity is even truly possible for mere mortals like me.

Its actually that we are called to be 'perfect as the Father is perfect ' but what the word in greek is actually saying is to be complete - we are complete in Christ who is complete in the Father . Perfect means complete , lacking nothing . When we are born again in Christ , we have literally exchanged our lives for His , so He can live through us and its HIS righteousness that clothes us , not our own .

Because its not our own merit that saves us , mere mortals indeed can be saved because grace is about forgiveness and love and mercy . Christ didnt come and die for us because there was a way to be perfect without Him . If a man could follow the law to the letter we wouldnt need a savior .

Its this forgiveness and love that washes through us and his Spirit entering us that begins to transform us into His image because He is there , living through us as we submit to His will . It doesnt happen overnight , Christ continues His work in us untill the day of redemption . We will never be completely without sin while we are on this earth because we still have a fallen nature - we are without sin before the Father because of Christs righteousness covering us . In that love , we are transformed and like all new creations we have to be trained and taught like a little child and as we respond to Spirit , we start to grow and mature in Christ .

 

[ChristianCenturion]

It's all about SIN! Or maybe not...

Ok, I've been studying the book of Romans. I keep thinking about what Paul says about sin in his own life: he does what he doesn't want to do, and yet doesn't do what he wants to do. (I mean, if someone could get sin mostly out of his life, I'd think it would have been him. "We all fall short..." Mother Theresa is another one who seemed to score pretty low on the Sin Score.)

So where does that leave the rest of us goofballs?

Do you sin every day? Is sin a "black dot" no matter how big, or are their degrees of sin to you? What is sin to you? Do you think your sins are greater or lesser than someone else's? (Be honest...self-righteousness is a big one for me, and I suspect I'm not alone.)

I know that "it's covered" is an excuse I hear a lot. Sure it is, but we still go right on doing the same ol' stuff knowing it's "missing the mark". "Sure, I commit character assassination with my mouth every day, but at least I'm not a murderer!"

We're called to "be holy as our Father in heaven is holy..." I don't know about ya'll but this seems to be a pretty tall order some days. Sometimes I wonder if Christianity is even truly possible for mere mortals like me.

For my non-Christian friends who may read this, what areas in your life are the hardest not to "miss the mark"? Do you think Christians spend too much energy feeling guilty about sin or pointing out the sins of others? Are we missing out on joy and gratitude for an over-emphasis on sin?

I've always loved this little prayer below:

Dear Lord, ​

So far today, I’ve done all right. I haven’t gossiped, haven’t lost my temper, haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or over indulgent. I’m very thankful for that.

But, in a few minutes, God, I’m going to get out of bed. And from then on, I’m probably going to need a lot more help.

It's a life long process of taming the flesh and being purified by perseverance. Why do I do it? Because I love God with all my heart and I wish to please Him. Because if I can do my share along with God's help in quitting smoking, I can help someone else with that addiction quit. Because if I can do my part in following His ways and be delivered from pornography, lust, fornication, adultery, masturbation, etc. , then I can help someone else find the hope in deliverance. Because if I can ask for the self-control in controlling my foul language, lying, slander, and dishonest ways, I can testify to the next that He has delivered me.
I do it because He makes it possible and I become better in dying to self and letting Him live through me. It's not about dwelling on how lowly I am or how insignificant, weak or pathetic I am by my self - it's about how He loves me and enables me to be more, to be filled, to be healed, to be used for good. It's about running that race one milestone at a time and not looking back or quitting when I stumble. It's about aiming for the mark and trusting Him in His word.
It's not about sin, it's about Him.

 

[sinner/SAVED]

So where does that leave the rest of us goofballs?

Pretty much the same as Paul and Mother Theresa, relying on grace.

Do you sin every day? Is sin a "black dot" no matter how big, or are their degrees of sin to you? What is sin to you? Do you think your sins are greater or lesser than someone else's? (Be honest...self-righteousness is a big one for me, and I suspect I'm not alone.)

I sin practically every moment and my sins are not lesser than anyone's.

I know that "it's covered" is an excuse I hear a lot. Sure it is, but we still go right on doing the same ol' stuff knowing it's "missing the mark". "Sure, I commit character assassination with my mouth every day, but at least I'm not a murderer!"

And the murderer could say, "Sure I murder, but at least I don't gossip, am not a racist, I hate pornography, etc., etc., etc...." I mean, what's the difference. Didn't Jesus say that anger was equal to murder, that lustful thoughts are equal to adultery? I am still waiting to meet the person who at some point in their life has not broken at least half of the ten commandments.

We're called to "be holy as our Father in heaven is holy..." I don't know about ya'll but this seems to be a pretty tall order some days. Sometimes I wonder if Christianity is even truly possible for mere mortals like me.

Christianity is not possible through any effort of our own. Christianity is the work of the Spirit.

For my non-Christian friends who may read this, what areas in your life are the hardest not to "miss the mark"? Do you think Christians spend too much energy feeling guilty about sin or pointing out the sins of others? Are we missing out on joy and gratitude for an over-emphasis on sin?

Any time that we spend pointing out the sins of others is too much. How can we, if we are honestly dealing with our own sin have any time left to even notice the sins of others. I don't believe feeling guilt is the answer. Repentence is the answer.

 

[jonwsj]

It's all about SIN! Or maybe not...

Ok, I've been studying the book of Romans. I keep thinking about what Paul says about sin in his own life: he does what he doesn't want to do, and yet doesn't do what he wants to do. (I mean, if someone could get sin mostly out of his life, I'd think it would have been him. "We all fall short..." Mother Theresa is another one who seemed to score pretty low on the Sin Score.)

So where does that leave the rest of us goofballs?

Do you sin every day? Is sin a "black dot" no matter how big, or are their degrees of sin to you? What is sin to you? Do you think your sins are greater or lesser than someone else's? (Be honest...self-righteousness is a big one for me, and I suspect I'm not alone.)

I know that "it's covered" is an excuse I hear a lot. Sure it is, but we still go right on doing the same ol' stuff knowing it's "missing the mark". "Sure, I commit character assassination with my mouth every day, but at least I'm not a murderer!"

We're called to "be holy as our Father in heaven is holy..." I don't know about ya'll but this seems to be a pretty tall order some days. Sometimes I wonder if Christianity is even truly possible for mere mortals like me.

For my non-Christian friends who may read this, what areas in your life are the hardest not to "miss the mark"? Do you think Christians spend too much energy feeling guilty about sin or pointing out the sins of others? Are we missing out on joy and gratitude for an over-emphasis on sin?

Not only are there degrees of sin, there are degrees of righteousness. Gross sin (such as the man in the church of corinth) requires excommunication. As for righteousness, elders and deacons are held to a higher standard than other believers.

That said, everybody sins every day. But some sins are not as damaging to our faith as others. The catholics have a distinction: venial vs. mortal sins. However, their mistake is trying to label certain sins as venial and others as mortal. Jaywalking might be considered venial to one person, but may be "mortal" to another, if he does it defiantly, willfully, etc.

There are seven sins that are very hard to conquer because they're very hard to define: pride, greed, lust, sloth, gluttony, envy and anger. I pray every day that God will keep me free from those sins. But I ask forgivenes for various sins at least 20 times a day, sometimes saying, "Lord, forgive me if that was a sin" (because sometimes I just don't know!).
When does appreciation of beauty become lust? At what point does righteous anger turn become sinful anger? How do we know if we've eaten one calorie too much and thus become a glutton? And so on with the rest of those seven sins. So none of us will be perfect. When I get to heaven I want to see a videotape of how Jesus lived--how he knew _exactly_ how much he should eat, so he never was a glutton. Remember that we will _never_ be perfect in this life! Anyone who tells you he has achieved perfection is deceiving himself. (Ask him if he ever eats one calorie too much during a day.)

Sancification is a slow road upward, with many dips on the way up. But the more sin gets conquered in your life, the more room there is in you to be filled with the Holy Spirit--and one of the fruits of the Spirit is joy. So the less guilt you have, the more joy.

BTW feeling guilty about sin and pointing out the sins in others go hand in hand, because what we hate/dislike/judge in others is really what we hate or dislike about ourselves. So the more you progress in sanctification, the less judgmental you will become.

--Jon

 

[holo]

I don't agree that there are degrees of righteousness. How could there be? It's either spotless or it has a spot. Or two.

We are spotless in God's eyes, so let's not judge each other, or even ourselves. Let's not say "I am unclean" when God has declared you clean.

Someone posted something about "doing his part" in conquering addiction or whatever. It's a logical thought, but it's not God's thought. He doesn't leave any of it to us, in fact He even prepares our very works so we may walk in them. We don't have to meet God on the halfway, He stooped all the way down. It's all His work from beginning to end.

As if I could add to my righteousness after being washed in Jesus' blood.
As if God needed my sordid human efforts to add to His supernatural strength.

It is finished.

 

[Angel4Truth]

Jonwsj, just wanted to add a comment , imo , gluttony is not simply eating a little too much , its much deeper than that - its eating greedily , when you are taking from someone else and its eating much more than you need , its root is selfishness , like greed is selfish , lust is selfish etc... its not eating one excess calorie . It would basically be eating well beyond what anyone needs at the expense of others - taking their share if you will like greed .

 

[]RiSeN[]

One prohibitive command was given to Adam, that forbidding eating of or even touching the tree of knowledge of good and bad. God's test of man's obedience and devotion is notable for the respect it showed for man's dignity. Eating was a normal, proper, and Adam had been told to "eat to satisfaction" of what God had given him. But God tested Adam by restricting his eating of the fruit of this one tree, thus causing the eating of that fruit to symbolize that the eater comes to a knowledge that enables him to decide for himself what is "good" and what is "bad" for man. In the same way today we would sin by choosing for ourselves what WE think is good for us rather than what we KNOW God has told us. And even though Adam failed this test, as do we,we are still rewarded with John 3:16.

 

[jesusfreak3786]

One prohibitive command was given to Adam, that forbidding eating of or even touching the tree of knowledge of good and bad. God's test of man's obedience and devotion is notable for the respect it showed for man's dignity. Eating was a normal, proper, and Adam had been told to "eat to satisfaction" of what God had given him. But God tested Adam by restricting his eating of the fruit of this one tree, thus causing the eating of that fruit to symbolize that the eater comes to a knowledge that enables him to decide for himself what is "good" and what is "bad" for man. In the same way today we would sin by choosing for ourselves what WE think is good for us rather than what we KNOW God has told us. And even though Adam failed this test, as do we,we are still rewarded with John 3:16.

Wow I never thought of it that way, that makes sence.

 

[jonwsj]

I don't agree that there are degrees of righteousness. How could there be? It's either spotless or it has a spot. Or two.

Then why does Paul hold Deacons and Elders to a higher standard than other Christians? They must have a good reputation in the community, be able to manage their households well, raise their kids right (so they're not given to disobedience), etc. Not every Christian meets these qualifications, and therefore can't be an Deacon or Elder. That is what I mean by degrees of righteousness. There are clear distinctions there.

As far as God sees us, "through Christ", we are all righteous because all of our sins have been paid for. That's justification, so we're all equally going to enter heaven. But some Christians have stored up more treasure in heaven than others. That's a different thing.

--Jon

 

[jonwsj]

Jonwsj, just wanted to add a comment , imo , gluttony is not simply eating a little too much , its much deeper than that - its eating greedily , when you are taking from someone else and its eating much more than you need , its root is selfishness , like greed is selfish , lust is selfish etc... its not eating one excess calorie . It would basically be eating well beyond what anyone needs at the expense of others - taking their share if you will like greed .

I agree that gluttony is not simply eating a little too much. There are some gluttons out there with a perfect body weight, but their gluttony is that they eat because of the _taste_ of the food rather than its nutritional value. That is another form of gluttony.

As far as lust, sometimes I just don't know if my gaze has lasted a split-second too long and gone from appreciation of beauty to downright lust. It's difficult to tell sometimes, and I just have to pray, "Lord forgive me if I lusted there," because sometimes I don't know.

--Jon

 

[]RiSeN[]

LOL, dont make it in to 2 sins by saying you dont know if it was a split-second too long Jon lol, even if you sin 77 times, and repent, we must all forgive you