Sin

[Dream]

As I once again am in need of absolution before recieving the Eucharist, I can't help but wonder about sin.

Why is sin so easy? Why is it so easy to completly turn one's back on God? In fact, not only is it easy to sin, it can be so incredibly difficult not to sin. It seems almost as if we were programmed to sin.

I'm sorry if this is sounding blasphemous, but it just doesn't seem to add up.

 

[Paul S]

We are programmed to sin, in a way. It's called concupiscence, the tendency to sin, and it's a consequence of original sin. Baptism removes the guilt, but the effects remain.

 

[Chilldogg77]

Yeah, Paul. I had a theology teacher who used to say when talking about our tendency to sin that it wasn't actually "natural," but fallen.

DT, I think God wants us to totally depend on him, and to realize how dependent we are on him. We are weak, and must rely on God in prayer to keep from sin. This keeps us from being full of pride, and thinking that we are strong and capable without need of God's grace. I have found that I need to set time aside every day, at least a half hour, just to avoid grave sin. The bright side is that this is great motivation to do something that will make me much happier and more pleasing to God.

 

[Dominus Fidelis]

Paul S answered your question. The Fall of Man left us prone to sin. We lost our supernatural mastery of our natures.

Don't let the devil fool you by thinking the rules are setup to be unfair.

 

[Benedicta00]

If you are asking why do you keep sinning when you say you want to stop so badly? The answer is pride , it's your will vrs. God’s will be done. It is natural, this is what we inherited from Adam and Eve, we are born irrational people in the area of the moral good. We will struggle always between doing God’s will and ours. It is only when we give our will completely over to God, die to ourselves and live only for him will we be free.

We are the only created beings anywhere who can justify eating half a cake instead of just one piece by saying. “I’m entitled, it’s my birthday in 6 months.” Do you get the picture? We are wounded in the area of choosing to do the moral good and act irrational in the face of tempation. We can know what is the right thing to do but struggle in doing it because we are disordered. St. Paul says, “I don’t do the good I want and I do the evil I don’t want.” But this does not mean we are helpless because we aren’t, Jesus came to set the captives free. It is the power of grace but one must die to their disordered passions if they will rise to new life.

You can say to yourself a 1000 times, you want to stop the sinning but talk is cheap- humans struggle with pride that make us feel as if we is bound in chains. The secret of the saints was surrendering but no one can surrender to God if they do not die to themselves, and make a efficacious attempt to change, if they say they want to change but do nothing to change, they will not be able to rise with Christ to freedom, they will remain bound.

 

[Jamza]

In any case, Christ died to deal with our sin, Dream Theatre, heaven knows how hopeless we are, and that's the beauty of God's grace. He sent his son to free us form the chains of sin. So, if you have faith in Christ, don't be ruled by the guilt in your heart. Christ has freed us from our sin, God won't 'unforgive' them. Obediance to God and a desire to lead a sinless life must come out of love, not guilt. Be a Christian, and do what you want. If you love Jesus, you'll do what he wants. God Bless!

 

[Benedicta00]

In any case, Christ died to deal with our sin, Dream Theatre, heaven knows how hopeless we are, and that's the beauty of God's grace. He sent his son to free us form the chains of sin. So, if you have faith in Christ, don't be ruled by the guilt in your heart. Christ has freed us from our sin, God won't 'unforgive' them. Obediance to God and a desire to lead a sinless life must come out of love, not guilt. Be a Christian, and do what you want. If you love Jesus, you'll do what he wants. God Bless!

I’m sorry but this is bad advice to give a Catholic in a Catholic forum. You allude to the Protestant teaching of OSAS, that as long as we “Believe and have faith” in our confession that Jesus is Lord, that Christ covers all those sins we have or will commit we should just buck up and not worry because they are covered aka we are “saved.” And anything less than this presumption (because this certainly isn’t faith you describe) is guilt talking and not love- this is really not true. Another false assumption you allude to is thinking, "if we are really "saved" we will love God and do his will" This is all error, not truth.

One should never just sit back and claim that grace will kick in because we love God and this means we are really saved. We must make a effort, cooperate with grace, what we call dying to self, picking up the cross if we will rid our selves of sin and be disciples of Christ. Sin is like the wolf and we should fear it and run from it, do violence to our passions (that is our disordered inclinations to sin) that causes it, and not, not worry about it!

It is not guilt that is talking to us when we feel bad over our sins, it is grace talking, the Holy Spirit working in us that convicts us when we sin promoting us to repent. It is never wrong to want to rid us of sin. Feeling guilt over our sins does not mean we don’t love God or that we doubt we have been “redeemed” in the Catholic understanding of that word. Guilt means just the opposite, that we are sensitive to the Holy Spirit who lives in us to sanctify and purify us.

 

[Carrye]

Yeah, Paul. I had a theology teacher who used to say when talking about our tendency to sin that it wasn't actually "natural," but fallen.

That's an important distinction. We are not natural sinners - God did not create us to sin. It only seems natural to us because we have never personally known any other way. But it is not natural to our being to sin. That is, as your teacher rightly pointed out, our fallen nature.

 

[Wiffey]

Sin is spiritual sickness, and we are all afflicted in this fallen world. Christ is the Physician of our souls and bodies. It is our job to grow in faith and strength by receiving the Sacraments, and to struggle to overcome our sins. We fall, we get up, we fall, we get up. We go to Confession and are forgiven. As we grow in spiritual maturity and grow in Christ, we begin to see that, little by little, we are sinning less and doing God's will more. It is not easy. But it is worthwhile. And our spiritual struggles on earth will be rewarded in eternity. Then we will rejoice, we will be united to Christ in whom there is no sin and we'll be healed.

The evil one, who seeks the ruin of our souls, wants to tempt us to fall into sin and disobey God. But Satan cannot take away your soul without your help. As long as you keep seeking to do God's will and keep getting up each time you stumble, you will defeat the snare of the evil one. God loves a repentant sinner. He knows our spiritual struggles and our burdens better than we do. He will be there to aid us that we may endure our sufferings, and you will never be alone as long as you seek Him.

Here are some ways to overcome sin:
When sinful thoughts enter, do not entertain them. Turn your mind toward God and seek His help in prayer. Avoid sin and the near occasion of sin. Do not go where you will be tempted. Do not rationalize or minimize your sins. Go to Confession regularly and receive Holy Communion frequently.

Pray! When you are struggling against temptation, say a rosary (or use a prayer rope with the Jesus prayer, depending on your tradition). When you struggle with doubt or despair (it happens to everyone at some point), pray and get help from a priest. Also ask the Theotokos (the Blessed Mother) to pray for you, that you may not fall into temptations beyond your strength to bear.

When you feel as if God cannot possibly forgive and love you, meditate on His mercy. (Maybe one of your fellow OBOBers can tell you about the chaplet of the Divine Mercy.)

 

[Irenaeus]

DreamTheater,

I have to say...these people have it covered! I love you guys very much.

I will say this, however.

With certain sins, if you pay attention to them too much, they tend to get engraved in your mind. Sometimes you may just need to ignore them, and they will go away. The devil is terrified when we pay him no mind. We must steadfastly resist, but show no fear. It is only in addressing him, and trying to fight him apart from the fortitude of Christ, that we will be overcome. God will bring us the victory, if we do not submit...pray often to the Mother of God, as Wiffey said.

Another secret I would like to share with you: Praise God often! How much the devil hates praise, and the rejoicing of a soul who recounts to God his many mercies. True adoration always has good effects; humility, the stirring of love, contrition, and good resolutions for the future.

Worship God.