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Wondering if anyone wants to explain sin in general or talk personally about it. How do you try to eliminate or reduce sin? Any sins you struggle most with (if you care to share)? When you do sin how do you repent?
Do most sins come from actions or thoughts. Seems like it would be thoughts, but would be interested to learn more.
Wondering if anyone wants to explain sin in general or talk personally about it. How do you try to eliminate or reduce sin? Any sins you struggle most with (if you care to share)? When you do sin how do you repent?
Do most sins come from actions or thoughts. Seems like it would be thoughts, but would be interested to learn more.
"Sin" under the New Covenant is not the rigid "transgression of the Law" we see in the OT. Instead it is based on the commitment to community expressed in the concern for the well-being of everyone we know as Agape love. It is not a matter of rules and regulations, although they may be considerd as general guidelines subjct to review in the Spirit that is to be our promised "Guide." In a nutshell it is doing something that is harmful to an individual (including self). the community and/or our relationship with God, OR knowingly failing to do needed good.
The fact that "sin" does harm should give a clue how to avoid it and/or obtain pardon for having committedf it: we must recognize and be sorry for causing harm and then we must do what we can to rectiry it
Wondering if anyone wants to explain sin in general or talk personally about it. How do you try to eliminate or reduce sin? Any sins you struggle most with (if you care to share)? When you do sin how do you repent?
Do most sins come from actions or thoughts. Seems like it would be thoughts, but would be interested to learn more.
Spoiler
English
sin = "true"[in guilt].
which means to "transgress".
Ancient Latin
sin = "peccatum"
which means "to offend" or "misstep" (think in terms of the word roots in "impeccable")
Ancient Greek
sin = "hamartia"
which means "tragic first mistake" in tragic hero dramas or a "fall-short" in the sport of spear throwing.
The word in Hebrew was [c]hata,
which meant to "fall short" of the dead-center of a target in archery (but still hit the target).
In as general terms as I can think of, sin is doing something (even thinking or being something) that is against the wishes (or moral sentiments) of any god (or an ordered democratic/oligarchic heaven). The ancient polytheists around the mediterranean had this concept also, as can be attested in this online journal for Christians Protestant pastors: https://www.ministrymagazine.org/arc...n-and-judgment. The ancient Hebrews, saw their Nations and their human-selfs as of course full of sin themselves, just like their neighbors.
In terms of striving for perfection, I try to gain better understandings of what perfect would even mean. I try to eliminate or reduce imperfections by gaining further understanding and applying it in order to change things. Some of the imperfections I struggle most with are in terms of physical health. I try to take note when I've done wrong, and implement some proper counter-measure.
Imperfection can come from thoughts, but its the later actions and inactions that end up affecting or not affecting others. In theistic terms, thoughts and actions can sometimes be considered on the same level, but sometimes some thoughts are considered worse than any actions or vice-versa. In secular terms, thoughts could ever hardly be held on the same level as actions.
Last edited by LuminousTruth; 09-02-2017 at 11:41 PM..
Thanks for the responses. To me it seems like the actions are based on immoral decisions that typically can be self-regulated where the thoughts are based on one's closeness to God or inner peace for non-believers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LuminousTruth
In theistic terms, thoughts and actions can sometimes be considered on the same level, but sometimes some thoughts are considered worse than any actions or vice-versa. In secular terms, thoughts could ever hardly be held on the same level as actions.
If you're actions affect mankind, but your thoughts only affect yourself, isn't prioritizing actions over thoughts a very selfless way to look at things?
Wondering if anyone wants to explain sin in general or talk personally about it. How do you try to eliminate or reduce sin? Any sins you struggle most with (if you care to share)? When you do sin how do you repent?
Do most sins come from actions or thoughts. Seems like it would be thoughts, but would be interested to learn more.
To me, sin is the willful disobedience of a religious law or moral principle. Since atheists do not believe in God, but still have moral principles which are determined by their own consciences, I'd say they sin whenever they do something that contradicts what their own conscience tells them is wrong. Religious people do the same, but are also bound by the laws they personally believe God has given them.
Overcoming sin takes effort. For me, I just ask God for His help whenever I pray (which is at least once a day). I struggle with vanity and laziness. I'm working on both.
To sin means to miss the mark. The mark is the mind of Christ, part of the high calling in Christ Jesus that Paul spoke of. Knowing the mind of Christ requires knowing both Him and His word, as they each witness each other. It's knowing His perfect will for the individual in any given circumstance, revealed by His Spirit and confirmed by the word.
There is an acceptable, a good, and perfect will, which line up with the pattern revealed of the heavenly or spiritual things, the Tabernacle. Most people that know Him live out of the realm of His acceptable will, which is that only the spirit is saved. Some people live out of the realm of His good will, which the inner court realm of the Tabernacle, and soul salvation/sanctification process starts here. Few (there be that find it) live out of the realm of His perfect will, seeking ONLY that which pleases their Father, as Jesus did. This is the kingdom likened unto 3 measures.
The soul is like a womb and it will reproduce the nature of whatever seed is planted in it. Tares are thoughts from the wicked one that have been accepted into the womb of man, and are then reproduced and expressed as actions. One is the root, the other is the fruit. this is why we are told to take every thought captive to the mind of Christ. A captive is an element of war, and we are in a spiritual war for who will ultimately be allowed to have rule and dominion over our soul, the enemy or Christ Jesus. Peace
Sin is an outmoded concept to which I can no longer relate. If it solely involved our interactions with others and the planet, it might make more sense to me. But to many believers, there are "sins" such as blasphemy and taking the name of a god in vain which I consider absurd. It's an ancient concept that should be put to bed for good.
Even sociopaths know that lying, cheating, stealing, rape and murder are wrong. They just don't think the rules apply to them.
Thankfully, 95+%* of the planet are not sociopaths. And believer or non, following one's conscience with a little direction from the Golden Rule should keep most of us relatively "sinless."
*Factoid summoned from the top of my head. Link would require a Vulcan Mind-Meld.
Sin is an outmoded concept to which I can no longer relate. If it solely involved our interactions with others and the planet, it might make more sense to me. But to many believers, there are "sins" such as blasphemy and taking the name of a god in vain which I consider absurd. It's an ancient concept that should be put to bed for good.
Even sociopaths know that lying, cheating, stealing, rape and murder are wrong. They just don't think the rules apply to them.
Thankfully, 95+%* of the planet are not sociopaths. And believer or non, following one's conscience with a little direction from the Golden Rule should keep most of us relatively "sinless."
*Factoid summoned from the top of my head. Link would require a Vulcan Mind-Meld.
I am coming more and more into agreement with your sentiment. The idea that we are sinning against God because we aren't perfect in all that we do is an extremely unhealthy concept. It's what causes people to self-flagellate or flagellate others (metaphorically, and sometimes literally) as if God needs us to suffer pain and punishment and shame and anguish in order that God's anger about our imperfection be appeased. There's no polite way to say it: it's sick.
I am coming more and more into agreement with your sentiment. The idea that we are sinning against God because we aren't perfect in all that we do is an extremely unhealthy concept. It's what causes people to self-flagellate or flagellate others (metaphorically, and sometimes literally) as if God needs us to suffer pain and punishment and shame and anguish in order that God's anger about our imperfection be appeased. There's no polite way to say it: it's sick.
Wondering if anyone wants to explain sin in general or talk personally about it. How do you try to eliminate or reduce sin? Any sins you struggle most with (if you care to share)? When you do sin how do you repent?
Do most sins come from actions or thoughts. Seems like it would be thoughts, but would be interested to learn more.
First of all, sin is either: on purpose or not, intentional or not, by accident or not, intentional or not, willful or not.
Sin does start or develop by what James 1:13-15 says out of wrong desires...... ( dwelling on what is wrong )
We repent by confessing to God in prayer and sincerely Not wanting to do that wrong ever again.
Seems as if our ' weak spots ' can remain our weakness that we continually need to be on guard about doing it again.
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