What Causes People To Commit Sin?

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
FranC

FranC

Banned
#21
Apr 30, 2016
5,162
75
0
#21
Blain said:
The devil can tempt us but he cannot break the rules of free will therefore the whole the devil made me do it is bogus. Like when people say the alcohol made me do it that too is bogus even when we are not in our right minds blaming an outer source of our choices saying they ( made) us do it is just not taking the responsibility of our own actions
Click to expand...
Hi Blain,

This is why I said KIND OF.

You're absolutely right in all you said.

But if we take what we do back and back and back to the beginning...

We can say that the devil made us do it because HE causes the evil in us.
We are, of course, still free to say no.
This is one of the ways that Jesus has made us truly free.
John 8:36
 
FranC

FranC

Banned
#23
Apr 30, 2016
5,162
75
0
#23
AbigailZeke said:
Very interesting, indeed. I often wondered about this 'human-nature' (some misconception I had caused me to backslide the last time).

I can easily relate to 'short term' relief or satisfaction. Sometimes we just want to take matters in our own hands and deal with it right then and there, sometimes, even knowing full well the consequences.

In the case of 'human-nature', I see it applies to both saved and unsaved. My conclusion, then, is that the Cross didn't save us from human-nature. This makes sense because Jesus didn't die to remove our free-will. But He died for our sin. I think this is a grey area, at least to most people my age that I know.

To me, personally, I understand that Jesus died to be judged on my behalf, all my sins counted as one. Being saved, I still sin, but I no longer am under the penalty of every sin I made and will make.

With that said, 'human-nature' isn't that much of a concern to me anymore.

However, I know some, if not most, people still have this question in the back of their minds, is there something we should do about our nature to sin? Would love to hear your thoughts!
Click to expand...
Difficult to pick up on this because it's a very complicated subject.
It would really require it's own thread.

I'll just say this:
Before we're born again, we are slaves to satan.
After we are born again, we are slaves to God.
Romans 6:20-22

We are born with the sin nature, or sinful nature, in us. It makes us tend toward sin.
After we know God, we still have the sin nature, but it becomes subjected to God's power and is kept in subjection.

We are made up of three parts: Body, Soul and Spirit.
The spirit part of us also affects the soul part of us. This is why there's change in persons who know God.
The spirit part of us is the part that puts us in touch with God. (even animals have bodies and souls but NO spirit).

Your nature, or tendency to sin, diminishes greatly once you understand how much Jesus loves you and what He did for you.
You want to love Him back, so to speak. And you do this by following HIS ways and being as much like what He'd want you to be like as possible.

It seems this simple to me.
Just do your best...
 
Corbinscam

Corbinscam

Senior Member
#24
Jul 17, 2016
560
35
28
#24
I think there is a valid argument behind the idea that our sin nature forces us to sin. It is ingrained in us and a part of who we are. Unless we allow Christ to overtake our nature and guide our thoughts it is, realitically, WHO we are. We are born sinners.

I think we also get dealt a hand. Our temptation come from portions of our lives that we often can't really control but what we are able to control is our reaction to the hand dealt and how long we dwell on the thoughts when we are tempted.

NOW, there is truth to the devil made us do it. But through Christ we have the ability to take our thoughts and actions captive and choose. So in reality what makes us sin? We choose it. Rather we mean to or not or see the full consequences we make the choice to put our wants above what is best and we don't take hold of our natures and we make a choice to sin.
 
G

GaryA

Guest
#25
#25
We are born with the 'Sin Nature'. It is literally "in our flesh"...

It is the 'instigator' of selfishness ( in all of its forms ), and as long as we 'reside' in our body, it will affect / tempt us -- and, as born-again Christians, we will have it to 'contend' with it until we die or receive our new 'glorified' body. ( the transformation of which is a form of death - the 'old' body dies )

It is through and by the Lord that we are able to overcome it.
 
Magenta

Magenta

Senior Member
#27
Jul 3, 2015
55,857
26,019
113
#27
GaryA said:
We are born with the 'Sin Nature'. It is literally "in our flesh"...
Click to expand...
Unless you are Mary. According to RCC she was born without the sin nature so that God could be born sinless in the form of Jesus Christ. So she was not born in Adam as is the rest of the world, and neither did she die according to RCC, for death is the consequence of sin, and again, according to RCC, she never sinned all her life, and was bodily assumed to heaven. RCC are forced to believe things like that. It is part of how they rationalize other nonsense about Mary, for instance, praying to her despite Jesus clearly instructing us to pray to the Father, and claiming she intercedes on behalf of those who pray to her, despite the plain teaching of Scripture that there is only one mediator/intercessor, and His name is Jesus. If Catholics better understood the Bible, perhaps they would see how false the teachings about Mary are, but they are too attached to their idolatry (sin) to see it for what it is.
 
G

GaryA

Guest
#28
#28
Magenta said:
Unless you are Mary.
Click to expand...
Nope. Mary "got hers" from her earthly physical human father.





I know that this simple statement ( that you said, quoted above ) was a somewhat-sarcastic "lead-in" to all of that other stuff in the post - meant as a message to catholics. Still -- I feel I should make the reply above. And, it does "go right along with" what you said. In fact, it could even be considered the foundation for a proper understanding that would "speak to" all of the stuff you said.
 
Crustyone

Crustyone

Senior Member
#29
Mar 15, 2015
697
50
28
#29
seed_time_harvest said:
When starting a three day fast I sinned because of the weakness of my flesh ,although In my mind I did want to fast.
Click to expand...
I managed a three day water fast, but boy that last day was hard, even though I was one or even two days closer to eating again. Water seems less appetizing on the last day, but it has helped me to stop snacking so much since then and I have lost about ten pounds. My blood pressure went up while I was doing it though so if you want to try it be aware that you might get a BP spike. Mine went from normal to second grade high, but it is back to normal again now.
 
Crustyone

Crustyone

Senior Member
#30
Mar 15, 2015
697
50
28
#30
Sorry to go off message. I do sometimes sin intentionally, but not willingly. My carnal mind and body just tell my spirit led conscience to go sit in a corner and I will deal with it later. Not fun later.
 
M

MattforJesus

Banned
#31
Apr 15, 2017
2,867
653
113
#31
seed_time_harvest said:
When starting a three day fast I sinned because of the weakness of my flesh ,although In my mind I did want to fast.
Click to expand...
This one time I fasted I was so hungry when I went to bed,that I dreamed I was eating a big marshmellow,and I woke up and my pillow was gone.
 
Desertsrose

Desertsrose

Senior Member
#32
Oct 24, 2016
2,824
207
63
#32
AbigailZeke said:
Very interesting, indeed. I often wondered about this 'human-nature' (some misconception I had caused me to backslide the last time).

I can easily relate to 'short term' relief or satisfaction. Sometimes we just want to take matters in our own hands and deal with it right then and there, sometimes, even knowing full well the consequences.

In the case of 'human-nature', I see it applies to both saved and unsaved. My conclusion, then, is that the Cross didn't save us from human-nature. This makes sense because Jesus didn't die to remove our free-will. But He died for our sin. I think this is a grey area, at least to most people my age that I know.

To me, personally, I understand that Jesus died to be judged on my behalf, all my sins counted as one. Being saved, I still sin, but I no longer am under the penalty of every sin I made and will make.

With that said, 'human-nature' isn't that much of a concern to me anymore.

However, I know some, if not most, people still have this question in the back of their minds, is there something we should do about our nature to sin? Would love to hear your thoughts!
Click to expand...

Hi Abigail,

Because the Lord has rendered sin powerless in each one of us, I think it's really important to think as He does, to take on the mind of Christ and believe that we can overcome sin.

If we live in the lie that we're just going to sin anyway so why try, we live a defeated life where the enemy wants us to plant our feet.

So when we read God's will for our lives, we need to see that the things He requires of us are possible. That's why we're told to put off the old man. And we're told to put on the new man.

We stop listening to our own desires of the flesh, we deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus with all our heart, not with a divided heart.

I'm not sure how you meant that the human nature isn't a problem anymore. So I'll just respond in what I do know. :)

The old nature to sin is a problem every day. Each and every day we are to put off the old man. We have an enemy who is prowling around seeking to devour us. If we think that we are not in a battle, we're already deceived and aren't wearing our battle gear. (Ephesians 6)

As we read the NT and study it we have instruction, correction, doctrine, exhortations, rebukes, encouragements, etc. The teachings of the apostles are always comparing or contrasting living holy or living carnally, after the flesh.

And they also teach us how to live in newness of life. How to live in the Spirit.

The Lord says we have the mind of Christ.......as we grow and mature, we take on more and more the mind of Christ.

The more we come together to praise and worship God, the more we love one another and obey God's word, the more we pray and allow God to work in us, more and more we live in the Spirit and don't live after the carnal flesh.

It's entrusting ourselves to the full counsel of God, to take in all of scripture and to love, follow and obey the Lord with all our hearts.

If we took tally of our day, and if we are honest, how much of our day is taken up with our own carnal desires and how much is taken up with the things of the Lord?

I don't say that to bring condemnation, but as a way to evaluate what we're doing with our time and if maybe our schedules affect our ability to walk in the Spirit by walking in the flesh.

What are we doing with our time? We could test ourselves and see how much time we really are giving to the Lord.
 
G

GaryA

Guest
#33
#33
MattforJesus said:
This one time I fasted I was so hungry when I went to bed,that I dreamed I was eating a big marshmellow,and I woke up and my pillow was gone.
Click to expand...
All of the people who tell that story ( and there are many ) --- is that what they were doing -- fibbing - I mean, fasting?

;):D
 
G

GaryA

Guest
#34
#34
GaryA said:
( the transformation of which is a form of death - the 'old' body dies )
Click to expand...
I said this because of what it says in this verse:


Hebrews 9:

[SUP]27[/SUP] And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:


Even those who are still alive and receive their 'glorified' body when Jesus comes will "die" -- that is, the 'old' [ corruptible ] body will die.

( At least, that is the way I look at it. )
 
FranC

FranC

Banned
#35
Apr 30, 2016
5,162
75
0
#35
GaryA said:
I said this because of what it says in this verse:


Hebrews 9:

[SUP]27[/SUP] And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:


Even those who are still alive and receive their 'glorified' body when Jesus comes will "die" -- that is, the 'old' [ corruptible ] body will die.

( At least, that is the way I look at it. )
Click to expand...
1 Corinthians 15:50-58



1 Corinthians 15:52 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised [a]imperishable, and we will be changed.
 
Crustyone

Crustyone

Senior Member
#36
Mar 15, 2015
697
50
28
#36
I think Desertsrose said it very well, but I would add that God helps us to do right by punishing us for our sins now, on the earth.

Hebrews 12:5-11 5 [FONT=&quot]And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,[/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”[/FONT]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. From the NIV version.​[/FONT]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.