What makes something sinful?

[isleof]

You act like you have no conscience of your own. What's the deal with that?

Can you explain further?

 

[isleof]

I think God's law (love) often does ask you to violate the earthly government.

I would break into a shop and steal food to feed a starving person if the situation warranted it. I would also turn up at the cop shop the next day to explain why and hand myself in.

Should I take the government as my own now if it does wrong?

You would not break into a shop and steal, you would be loving your neighbor.

Can I ask you to expand your mind for a moment? What if your neighbor, your fellow human being was starving and you were still hearing about how much money the rich have and how the hospitals are gaining riches beyond repute. Would I break into a store and take its greed from it? Probably not, id rather give all that I have. Lets get an example, $22,000 for a chemo treatment on a cancer patient, as if they didn't already have problems. $1 mil for a house in a populated area. $25k for a new car. Where is all this hard earned money going? Who is so cold and wicked to steal this from honest working citizens?
We pay taxes day in and day out and how is there still a debt in america that is blamed equally amongst it's citizens when only the high ranked have accumilated it?

Where is the justice in the "law of the land"? I have good news for all of you though. God is aware of all that is going on and will pay each and every one according to their due.

 

[isleof]

Daniel was thrown into the lion's den for violating the law of the land. The three Hebrews thrown into the furnace were as well.

Their conscience before God led them to follow God, rather than the law.

This was repeated in the New Testament as well.

Acts 5
27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.


(Eta: By the way, isleof, I am not picking on you or trying to bait you. It takes me a while to find the Scriptures and get them in the post, and I'm usually several posts behind by the time I check it over and hit "enter")

Confusing breaking the law and going against wicked humans isnt the same thing.

I go against wicked humans all day long, it is all God, for God. Breaking laws is for petty losers that are so dumb they hate doing things right.

 

[Sayre]

Confusing breaking the law and going against wicked humans isnt the same thing.

I go against wicked humans all day long, it is all God, for God. Breaking laws is for petty losers that are so dumb they hate doing things right.

Well, it was a nice convo for a while, but this is where I pull out .

 

[~Anastasia~]

Ok - I will continue to chew on this.. Does God have two wills?

I've heard teaching that He does, but ... I'm not really inclined to just repeat the teachings of others if I haven't at least checked it out. Unless it's just mentioning for interest. So I'll tell you (and you may have heard?) that some say God has a "permissive will" as well as something like an "absolute" will (I may have the wording on the second one wrong), and some mention a third level of wills. One is supposed to be what God will allow to happen even though it's not what He wants, and one is supposed to be what is central to God's plan and He will not allow that to be derailed.

It makes some logical sense, since I don't think we are puppets. But I would be hesitant to put it forth dogmatically. I don't think Scripture addresses this, or if it does, I'm not aware of it.

I may ask about the two terms for "will" in theology section and see if someone with a better resource can comment better on it, but I find I don't tend to get a lot of responses in that section.

 

[Sayre]

I've heard teaching that He does, but ... I'm not really inclined to just repeat the teachings of others if I haven't at least checked it out. Unless it's just mentioning for interest. So I'll tell you (and you may have heard?) that some say God has a "permissive will" as well as something like an "absolute" will (I may have the wording on the second one wrong), and some mention a third level of wills. One is supposed to be what God will allow to happen even though it's not what He wants, and one is supposed to be what is central to God's plan and He will not allow that to be derailed.

It makes some logical sense, since I don't think we are puppets. But I would be hesitant to put it forth dogmatically. I don't think Scripture addresses this, or if it does, I'm not aware of it.

I may ask about the two terms for "will" in theology section and see if someone with a better resource can comment better on it, but I find I don't tend to get a lot of responses in that section.

Ok - I will chalk this up as an interesting question to be solved later on .

 

[~Anastasia~]

Confusing breaking the law and going against wicked humans isnt the same thing.

I go against wicked humans all day long, it is all God, for God. Breaking laws is for petty losers that are so dumb they hate doing things right.

Well, I was commenting for Sayre on this one. But I was curious to your answer on the last one I addressed to you. No matter.

It may just be semantics. But you realize there was an actual law passed that prevented prayer to anyone other than the king, and that the prescribed punishment was to be thrown in the lion's den. That was a bit of a scheme designed just to force the king into having to punish Daniel, his friend, and appealed to the king's pride.

Yes, wicked humans were involved, the advisers to the king who encouraged the making of the law. And yes, I'm sure God makes things right in the end, whatever that shall look like, because He is a just God. All of that is in His hands. He also justified Daniel by shutting the mouths of the lions. (The king apparently did not want the sentence carried out, but the word of the king signed into law was irrevocable, even by the king himself.)

But the fact is, Daniel broke a law that was written as the law of the land. I don't wish to debate you though. Maybe it's just the words we choose and the meanings we give them, and maybe you see it differently. Either way it's ok.

I do agree that if we follow the Spirit, as you said, we will not go wrong.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Sin is missing the mark.

The mark is God's Law, His righteous commandments that tell us what it means to be just and godly. When we do what we ought not do, or fail to do what we should do, we are sinning.

In the Rite of Confession and Absolution we pray that God forgive us not only of our sins of commission, but also for our sins of omission. We confess that we have not loved God with all our strength, with all our heart, and with all our mind, and that we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. We have strayed, we have gone our own way, we have acted in self interest.

Because sin is more insidious than simply some moralistic infraction, it is a truly destructive thing that works and worms its way to destroy faith; and it is present on our finger tips, our feet, and on our lips day and night as each and every opportunity arises for us to do as Christ has taught, that we love the Lord our God and love our neighbor and yet we consistently don't.

Sin most certainly is a trespass of God's Law, but it is also the destructive fracture of our humanity, killing and poisoning our human personhood, soiling and toxifying not only our relationship with God, but our relationships with one another, and with all creation. As we are bent, curved inward upon ourselves to act selfishly we sink inward into the abyss of our own choosing. Away from God, away from our neighbor, away from all of God's good creation.

That's Sin. With a very capital 'S'.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Sayre]

Sin is missing the mark.

The mark is God's Law, His righteous commandments that tell us what it means to be just and godly. When we do what we ought not do, or fail to do what we should do, we are sinning.

In the Rite of Confession and Absolution we pray that God forgive us not only of our sins of commission, but also for our sins of omission. We confess that we have not loved God with all our strength, with all our heart, and with all our mind, and that we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. We have strayed, we have gone our own way, we have acted in self interest.

Because sin is more insidious than simply some moralistic infraction, it is a truly destructive thing that works and worms its way to destroy faith; and it is present on our finger tips, our feet, and on our lips day and night as each and every opportunity arises for us to do as Christ has taught, that we love the Lord our God and love our neighbor and yet we consistently don't.

Sin most certainly is a trespass of God's Law, but it is also the destructive fracture of our humanity, killing and poisoning our human personhood, soiling and toxifying not only our relationship with God, but our relationships with one another, and with all creation. As we are bent, curved inward upon ourselves to act selfishly we sink inward into the abyss of our own choosing. Away from God, away from our neighbor, away from all of God's good creation.

That's Sin. With a very capital 'S'.

-CryptoLutheran

Thank you, lovely.

 

[Emmy]

Dear Sayre. Jesus tells us quite simply in Mathew 22: 35-40: " 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 thy neighbour as thyself." Then Jesus states this great fact: " On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." Everything we say or do, everything we advice or stand for, MUST BE FROM LOVE AND COMPASSION. In Matthew 7: 7-10: we are told to " Ask and ye shall receive." We ask God for Love and Joy, then we thank God, and share all Love and Joy with our neighbour: i.e. all we know and all we meet, friends and not-friends. God will see our sincere effort to love and care, and God will approve and Bless us. We keep asking for Love and Joy, then thank God, and share all Love and Joy with all around us.
Jesus our Saviour will help and guide us: JESUS IS THE WAY.
Love is a Christian`s great weapon, with love we will overcome all enmity and wrong behaviour. The Bible tells us to " Repent," and to " Be Born Again."
We have to learn to stop being selfish, and Love God with all our beings, also: to love and care for our neighbour: treat all as we would love to be treated. Luke 10: 25-28: tells us quite clearly once more: " Love God and love our neighbour. Jesus tells the Lawyer: " You know the two Commandments to Love God and love your neighbour? DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE." God wants our love, freely given and No conditions tagged on.
Jesus told us straightforward and simply, and WE ASK AND RECEIVE.
Love is very catching, and Love will change us into the men and women which God wants us to become. We might stumble and forget often, but then we ask God to forgive us, AND CARRY ON LOVING GOD AND LOVING OUR NEIGHBOUR AS WE LOVE OURSELVES. I say this with love, Sayre.
Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[RDKirk]

I think God's law (love) often does ask you to violate the earthly government.

I would break into a shop and steal food to feed a starving person if the situation warranted it. I would also turn up at the cop shop the next day to explain why and hand myself in.

If we are living God's law, stealing the food would not be necessary. God ensures that the Body of Christ has all the resources necessary to support the Body of Christ. If one member of the Body of Christ needs resources, those resources already certainly exist in some other member of the Body of Christ.

Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need.

The goal is equality, as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.” -- 2 Corinthians 8

 

[Jake255]

If we are living God's law, stealing the food would not be necessary. God ensures that the Body of Christ has all the resources necessary to support the Body of Christ. If one member of the Body of Christ needs resources, those resources already certainly exist in some other member of the Body of Christ.

Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need.

The goal is equality, as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.” -- 2 Corinthians 8

That's some wisdom right there.

 

[Emmy]

Dear Sayre. Sin is a heart attitude. God is Love, and God wants Loving sons and daughters. In Matthew 22: 35-40: Jesus tells us: " The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all your hearts, with all your souls, and with all your minds. The second is like it: Love your neighbour as you love yourselves. " Then Jesus points out this great truth: " On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
The Bible also tells us: " Repent," and also " Be Born Again." God wants us to change from being selfish and unloving, to be Loving and Caring. We Love God with all our beings, and love our neighbour as WE LOVE OURSELVES.
That is simple and straightforward, we change gradually into the men and women which God wants us to become. It might not come easily to us, BUT GOD OUR HEAVENLY FATHER WANTS IT FROM US. Jesus our Saviour will help and guide us, and with God and Jesus by our sides, WHO or What can be against us? We start treating all we know and all we meet, friends or not friends, we treat them as we would love to be treated, with kindness and friendly words always. God will see our sincere efforts, and God will Bless us.
Matthew 7: 7:10: tells us: " ask and ye shall receive," then we thank God and share all Love and Joy with our neighbour: all around us. We keep asking and thanking God, and then sharing all Love and Joy with our neighbour.
A Christian`s great weapon is LOVE, with love we will overcome all enmity and wrong behaviour. We will become sign-posts to our Heavenly Father.
Love is very catching, and our Saviour Jesus Christ will lead us all the way.
Love covers a multitude of sins, and let all we say or do, be from Love and Compassion. We might stumble and forget at times, but then we ask God to
forgive us, and carry on being loving and caring. I say this with love, Sayre.
Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[LilLamb219]

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