Is it sin?

The bible says if you know you have to do something but fail too it is sin. I sometimes feel I must do certain things but cant bring myself too. (Things I have repented and been forgiven for. ) does God hold this as sin against me even if its (hopefully) been forgiven?

For me it helps to clear things up a lot if I ask myself the question "why do I want to / not want to do this?" When I answer that question I can usually figure out whether or not it is sin.

True. My brain unfortunately doesn't work that way most of the time. I know I've been forgiven and should let it go but my brain likes to ponder the same things over and over.

Hello Kojikun, while it's normal to feel shame for awhile after we sin as Christians (especially from certain, bigger sins), I suspect that you are getting a lot of help with that (pondering over and over again what God has already forgiven you of) from our common enemy. So, you need to resist him by taking those intrusive thoughts (flaming arrows) that he keeps sending your way, "captive" .. e.g. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (as soon as they enter your mind), knowing who they are really from .. cf James 4:7, and give them over to the Lord Jesus to deal with instead.

If you fail to do so quickly enough, and you feel like you may have sinned again because of them, just ask the Lord to forgive you and He will (because He ~promised~ us that He would do so, PTL, just for the asking .. 1 John 1:9-2:1), then go and get back to your walk with Him again, choosing to trust that you have been forgiven because you know that you have been , no matter what your feelings and/or Satan is telling you in the moment!!

~Deut

If you knew conclusively that it was sin, how would that change things for you? Conversely if you knew conclusively that it wasn't sin, how would that affect your behavior? Usually I find the question of is this sin or not to not be all that productive because when we ask it we're usually in a mindset of law and legalism and for most of us knowing something is sin isn't enough to actually get us to stop doing it. So I like the more philosophical questions like what does this behavior show about how I think about God and life and stuff etc. And does that belief and displaying / reinforcing that belief match what the Bible teaches and what I claim to believe

I believe you're referring to James 4:17:

Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
(James 4:17) NLT

This scripture is about decisions; choosing to do the right thing when faced with a decision. Like if your friends want you to help them shoplift or want you to join them in vandalism, or do drugs, etc..

It's not about finishing stuff on a to-do list.

God will not hold any sin against you if you are born again.

When Jesus died on the cross for your sins all of your sins were in the future, and He forgave them all.

Feeling you must do a certain thing is not the same as God telling you to do a certain thing. If you failed to do something that God prompted you to do that would be a sin of omission. Regardless, the shed blood of Jesus paid the penalty that infraction as well.

When you ask for forgiveness God totally erases that from memory. The next day you could tell God your sorry for something you previously confessed and He will just scratch His head trying to figure out what you're talking about. In God's book once a sin is forgiven the slate is wiped clean and we become a new creation.

The way my Mother (The church lady) explained this to me was. " the path to hell is filled with good intentions " I kind of get it now. Or is paved with good intentions. Some thing like that...

Hey bro.

Remember that scripture,
Acts 2:38 English Standard Version (ESV)
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

So because we have recieved the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit will guide us in what is sin against God - through this is conviction from the Holy Spirit. If that conscience in you is telling you it’s bad then more than likely, it is.

Keep praying and ask God to show you plain and clear

Well theres alot of things I cant do I that I probably should. I just hope God forgives and I'll focus on what I can do.

Why do you feel like you can't do them?

God gives us each different gifts and equips us to do the things He calls us to.
God wants us all to be kind, generous and welcoming, but that doesnt mean you have to lead a hospitality committee.
I have the gift of teaching.
I teach children, but thinking about leading an adult Bible study freaks my freak.

Maybe some of the things you feel you should do, aren't things God has called you TO do?

If that's the case it would be a relief. It's a constant nagging the my brain keeps spinning in circles. I've been told God doesn't do it that way and its probably my anxiety and depression

That IS the case Kojikun, so be encouraged.

There's a reason the enemy is referred to as "the accuser of the brethren".
He wants to steal from, kill and destroy you...and to feed into that anxiety and depression.

Praying that you'll experience some peace and clarity in regards to these things! 🙏🏼❤

Why for one second would you think that God would Punish you for something that you are not capable of? Things you simply can't do ? Just follow His lead. You'll be good. Let go and let God...

Hello again Kojikun, if you'd like to better understand how Satan and his demons operate in your life, why they do what they do, and how to recognize their attacks for what they really are (and that, far more quickly than you do now), then I'd recommend reading, The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis.

The Screwtape Letters is actually a fictional collection of short stories that Lewis first read on the radio (around the time of WWII, if memory serves). They are particularly interesting and useful to us as Christians because he wrote the stories from the POV of the demons in this particular book (typically, when you see the word "Enemy", for instance, you'll know that it's God who is being referred to, because the conversations that you'll read in The Screwtape Letters are almost always between demons .. Screwtape is, in fact, one of those demons).

If you don't mind spending a little $$ for the book, I recommend the 50th Anniversary Annotated Edition because of the many extras it comes with (both from and about Lewis, as well how to get the most out of your reading of this book), but you can also read it online for free These are available at the following links.


Enjoy (oh, and be sure to read any intros/prefaces that your edition contains, as they will help you understand what's going on from the get-go)

Praying for you!

~Deut
p.s. - just FYI, Lewis authored MANY other books, like Mere Christianity (a MUST read for all Christians), and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (which as I'm sure you already know, is also a movie).

I read mere Christianity brilliant!. Watched the "Lion and..." Yeah, and I used to Read C.S Lewis' broadcast on the British Broadcasting system, He is an amazing person...

The bible says that God remembers our sins no more. That refers to repentance, God does not hold grudges which is what you would be implying. When we are asking for forgiveness he is faithful and just to forgive us for our sins. The devil is accusing you, so in the end you will feel helpless and give up your faith.