Is sin a choice?

[faniehennig]

Christians who raise excuses like these show a definite lack of knowledge with regard to sin – the extent and contents of it. And that, in its turn, demonstrates a lack of knowlegde of God.
“Whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him.”

Where in the whole inspired Word of God will any example be found, where sin, any sin, is made out to be a minor thing by the prophets or apostles, or any of the inspired writers?
We rather find the revelation if sin there.

Sin is revealed in the Bible for what it is, the abomination and destructiveness thereof and the consequential wrath of God over sin.

 

[GregoryC]

My religion? I don't claim to have religion.
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
I think it's saying free from sin or, not a slave to sin.

Implying i'm a slave to sin right? Sigh

How in the world did you ever get those rep points?

By the way I did pray for you today.

 

[NotmebutHim]

I'm not totally sure if I have any solid Scriptural basis for this, but here's what I think:

I think that there are two types of sinful rebellion. One, rebellion against God's infinite law (which goes way beyond the Ten Commandments or even the Bible as a whole). Two, rebellion against God's authority over us.

Which brings in the distinction between ignorant and willful sinning. When Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they made themselves subject to the infinite law of God, which neither they nor us could keep perfectly. That's why Christ came to die for us (which was planned before the foundation of the world). This was the rebellion against this law.

Now, when it comes to knowing what is right and wrong to do (and either not doing right or doing wrong anyway), that is rebellion against God's authority and His instructions to us. This is willful sinning.

There is a website, called God's Purposes, which makes the case that when Adam was created, he already fell short of the glory of God, even prior to eating the fruit. The assertion is that anything that God creates falls short of Him, because He cannot create anything that is equal to Himself. But before Adam and Eve ate from that tree, they were not subject to God's infinite law, although they did do things which were naturally good. According to this site, God didn't intend for man to keep this law, it being infinite, and God knew that mankind couldn't obey it completely all the time. But when they ate the fruit, they introduced that law into their being and thus were required to keep it under the sentence of death.

I may have gone on a tangent here, but I hope that helps to explain the difference between ignorant and willful sin.

 

[dcontroversal]

I think it is a mixed bag if you will......someone who knows that it is sin and does it it is a choice....children may do somethings that are sins, but be unaware they are sinning and maybe even adults in some cultures which have not heard the word of God may not understand that what they are doing is sin in the eyes of God..just a point to ponder or two

 

[Rosesrock]

I think it is a mixed bag if you will......someone who knows that it is sin and does it it is a choice....children may do somethings that are sins, but be unaware they are sinning and maybe even adults in some cultures which have not heard the word of God may not understand that what they are doing is sin in the eyes of God..just a point to ponder or two

You know, I've thought about this too. But I'm reminded that there are sins of commission, those we do. And sins of omission, that we should do but don't.
Either way, doesn't matter. Sin is sin. it's a choice to do it, and if we don't know what we're doing, it's still sin.
Sorry long day, I hope that even made sense

 

[seed_time_harvest]

GOD looks at the heart.
You could say he knows what is sincerely and truly going on inside where no one sees.

 

[psalm6819]

Singing "What can wash away my sin?"

Intentional, unintentional, of commission or omission

"Nothing but the Blood of Jesus..."

 

[faniehennig]

If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Eph 4

 

[convallaria]

Well the first thing we have to do is lead people away from the false teaching that thoughts are sins.

Why is that false teaching? Of course we can have sinful thoughts. Paul was able to say Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
There is a difference between thinking and desiring: the thinking action is in the mind, while the will proceeds from the heart.

So the flesh has no power to do what is good, neither in thought or deed, but by the working of His Spirit, God changes us at the seat of our will.

Jesus said (John 6:63) It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Only by being born again are we given the Holy Spirit; only by yielding our will to the Holy Spirit, having no confidence in the flesh, can we walk in any way pleasing to God.

But here is the interesting thing: we still have a choice, at every moment. We have our fleshly will, but we also have the will of God. If we are born again (I mean really born again, not just claiming to be) we have the mind of Christ...so we know when we have gone wrong because He shows us by comparison of our mind to His mind, giving us scriptures to shed light on our carnal thinking, prompting us with groanings and grievings so that we know His will on a matter...and then we have a choice to yield to Him.....or not.

Yielding to the Spirit of Christ is the only way to grow in the Lord. But God will never violate our free will. Therefore to grow is a choice we are generously offered, but to grow spiritually is not a possibility in the flesh.

Personally I feel we would know more liberty if we were not so preoccupied with the doings of the flesh, how to satisfy it by this or that...if we would change our focus from the satisfaction of our dead flesh to the accomplishment of God in us through the Holy Spirit.
Preaching to myself here as I write, I know I have sticking points where my heart says, really Lord? Some places I don't want to go with Him, some places of liberty I can't seem to enter and I give my personal circumstances as the reason for holding back. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. My sticking point is a place of unbelief, clearly, a fleshly security blanket that I don't want to abandon. I need to abandon it really but I exploit the choice God gave me to its fullest extent in avoiding that abandonment, and I know it is holding me back.

While I am in this place however, this spiritual location in my heart, my earnest intention, my "will", is to get the fullness of teaching out of it, because I believe that some things God doesn't take away...like the thorn in Paul's flesh...if it means we would place ourselves above others, forgetting what manner of men and women we once were.

ALL things (not some, but all) work together to them that love God, to them that are called according to His purpose.
Praise the Lord!
love to all

 

[phil112]

Why is that false teaching? Of course we can have sinful thoughts. ..................

The initial thought is never sin. It becomes sin when we dwell on it, when we allow it to linger in our minds.

James 1:14-16 "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Do not err, my beloved brethren."

"When lust hath conceived" is the initial thought. It brings sin if we let it stay. It isn't sin initially, only when we give it a place to stay in our hearts and mind.

We have a choice of what we think about. When those things come to mind, drive them out. Dwell on God and His beauty.

Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

Truth is immutable. The fact is you are in control. Too many people desire to sin, don't wish to strive against it, and therefore willfully accept the false belief that they can't help themselves.
The bible clearly tells us differently.