Monday, 27 December 2010
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Why do I Keep Sinning when I Know it Hurts God?
By MattI started going to Church about two years ago.
I had always believed in a mythical "something" but really didn't know in my own mind what "it" was.
I had been working in a prison and would often speak to the chaplain about God and the Bible. She put up with a lot, as I threw questions after questions at her. I think in some situations I may have been quite insulting without realizing it. Eventually, though, her advice to me was this: "Go to church, see what you think, you may hate it, you may love it, but try it out."
So I did just that. I went along to my local church and met some fantastic people, heard some great things, and generally felt on cloud nine. People I knew at work were asking me if I "was on something" as I seemed to be so happy and walking on air. When I thought more about it, all I could think was that the Holy Spirit had entered me and was showing the joy of Jesus to me.
However, over time this feeling faded. I became annoyed at how the Church was run and what I saw as a lack of God in my life. I tried another church where the teaching was great but I knew no one there, it was tiny yet I knew hardly anyone. I decided to move on again.
Now throughout this time I was struggling with sin. Sin that I had prayed to God to take away from me, to save me from. Yet I would go for a few weeks and then sin again. What was even weirder is I got no joy out of the things that I did before and couldn't understand why I was sinning.
I spoke to friends in the third church I attended and some said it was normal, others said it was the devil. I guess I found that blaming the devil was far too easy. I know its me doing this and I want to stop yet I never seem to be able to kick the habit.
One friend, during a Bible study, said that Jesus forgives sin, yet when we do sin it is like Jesus being crucified all over again, so why sin? I understood this, but yet the same pattern emerged. Fine for a few days/weeks then back to sin.
What confused me more was that when I was with Christian friends I have no problems. I feel encouraged. I feel good. I don't even think about sinning. Yet when i am on my own I struggle immensely!
Why do I keep sinning? Why do I do it when I know how much it hurts God? What can I do to stop for good? I am so desperate for God's forgiveness, yet no I deserve nothing of the sort. I just want to be a better Christian and know God's love and peace.
How do I get saved, and feel like I did those first few church-going weeks? I trust in God yet I hurt God constantly -- why should he save me? Any help is greatly appreciated.
How do you respond? Why do we keep sinning despite our relationship with God? How can we be close to God when all we do is hurt Him?
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Comments (48)
As to the why do you keep on sinning question, first off that depends on if you are really born-again or not. If you are, then I'd suggest reading Romans 6-8, where Paul discusses it at length. If you aren't born-again, then you need to surrender to Jesus. Go off where you won't be interrupted for awhile, and pray until He saves you. Take a bible too!
Your sins ARE the reason Jesus was crucified. But they are paid for and it is finished. You will always sin... God knows that, and God says it no longer can get between you and God because Jesus paid for them. It is finished. Like Tom said above, read Romans. Basically, what it says is, when you focus on sinning or not sinning, you are under the law of sin. But when you focus on God, you are not under the law of sin, but instead under a law of love, the way God wants it to be. I can't stress enough how Romans will help reveal this to you.
Every human sins. This might help (it helps me)
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.a]'>[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful natureb]'>[b] a slave to the law of sin.
Keep praying, keep fighting. I'm the same way, and it doesn't help when you try to tell other Christians about it (in church or wherever) and they either shrug it off or tell you just to stop sinning. As though it were easy. I think that the fact that you're struggling in the first place says a lot...you could easily do whatever you like and find ways of justifying it all to yourself, even to the point where your life will no longer reflect the love of God that you have in you now. I really do think you love God and that you want to please Him. I agree about the verses from Romans...if you can, discuss them with your pastor or your friends to help you understand them better, and keep on praying. We're all in the same boat, remember, and no matter how righteous someone seems to you, they're in need of God's forgiveness as much as you or anyone. Life here is a constant struggle against our own natures and the nature of the world, and God knows this. He won't leave you to fight on your own.
What is a sin? More importantly, why does the definition of sin change from culture to culture? Why was it a sin for a man to wear a garment appropriate for a woman or a woman a garment appropriate for a man in a previous culture, but it means nothing to us? Same god, isn't it? Same guy we're affronting, right? Why would he make one law for them, then change his mind for us?
If god has a master plan, as we're constantly told, then how can your behavior possibly ruin that? Who are you that you can thwart the will of the creator of all? Who are you to dare say that you can hurt god?
Sin is good. Cleans the soul. The White House is full of sinners. You could be president one day.
@Jal_Phoenix@xanga - for the sake of debate... i would argue that sin is an act committed against God's law. What is God's law? The Old Testament of the Bible lists all sorts of laws but many would argue that once Jesus Christ came and died on the cross we were no longer bound by the same Old Testament law. Since that time man has sincerely, and insincerely, tried to define sin as contrary to the nature of God as we understand him. People are people. A lot of times we let our own thoughts, emotions, beliefs, customs get in the way. If we follow Jesus' commandment to us, Love the Lord God with all your heart. And love you neighbor as yourself. Then everything else will fall into place.
As far as your other questions... i don't think any of us are in a position to comprehend what it means to be omniscient. So honestly, none of us really can fathom how it all works.
i'm not sure why people get a kick out of trying to use "logic" to take down Christians. Smarter men than you have tried and have failed. Because at the end of the day there are many many questions none of us can answer. From what I have seen and experienced I choose to believe in a Creator, the God of the Bible. You choose to reject this. One day we'll both know the truth.
@doctorj0085@xanga - Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking your belief, as you seem to be one who understands the true message of Christ. I'd just like to remind you that it's okay to be human. If there is a god and he is as loving as Jesus said he is, then he's not going to be bothered by your "sins". He made you, remember? He's not going to damn you to eternal hellfire for dancing.
In your own words, we cannot comprehend omniscience. That makes my argument just as valid as yours, or any other. Think about it. You cannot hurt god.
Humans aren't perfect, and God knows that. He knows that we are going to sin. This is why Jesus died for our sins. God will always forgive us...all we gotta do is ask. Remember that even though we may sin, God also knows our hearts.
@Jal_Phoenix@xanga - I agree with @doctorj0085@xanga. Remember that God also knows our hearts & intentions.
As far as "God's master plan," sin can actually hinder this b/c God gives us free will. For example, the criminals and murderers in the world chose to sin and disobey God. God had an amazing master plan for these people, but they chose not to follow it.
I don't understand why people who aren't Christians try to criticize believers like us. Why not try having respect & tolerance for other people's beliefs instead of belittling them?
@Jal_Phoenix@xanga - I agree that people aren't perfect. But it's also important to ask for forgiveness when you mess up. I don't think that God would be ok for choosing to live a selfish, hateful life. According to your logic by saying it's ok to sin, you're also saying it's ok to go rob a bank or murder someone. Remember that these are sins too...
@lostinthought86@xanga - I'm not saying it's okay to sin. I'm saying don't spend more time kicking yourself in the ass over it than the time you spent actually sinning. You made a mistake and you acknowledge it, so learn from it and get on with life. I'm not so sure god wants you to spend your time groveling for forgiveness instead of living the life he gave you.
@Jal_Phoenix@xanga - I agree with this as well. poetically_truthful@xanga mention this in a post earlier tonight. God doesn't want us to live in fear or negativity...he wants us to be full of love and compassion! Love and forgiveness are some of the most important parts of Christianity. However, in Christianity, to acknowledge that you were wrong & are willing to learn from your mistakes, asking God for forgiveness frees you. Love & forgiveness can also be applied to human relationships, which is why Christianity can be such a beautiful thing.
if you sin then you are going to hell, don't waste ur time thinking about it.. just go to hell
@saelee2008@xanga -Why are you being so negative? Try to show some respect and tolerance for the original poster's Christian beliefs instead of expressing arrogance & judgment.
There are a lot of things in the Bible that I don't understand, but some I do understand. And while my understanding may not be 100% accurate, I think God meant for us to take the Bible literally (quit trying to change it to fit us or say what we want it to say).
Sure we can't understand God completely and I think that is a good thing. From the beginning God has given us a free will to chose and make our own decisions. It started with the tree. God didn't force Adam to eat of the tree and He didn't want him too. However, God must have known Adam was going to eat of the tree. I believe the message here is deep. God wants a two way relationship with us; He wants us to love Him not because we have to but because we want to. So sure it hurts Him when we sin, but as Jal_Phoenix@xanga said we don't have to let sin defeat us. As we seek Him, He promises that we will find Him "when you search for me with all your heart" I think forgiveness is somewhere in that relationship. It must be in that intimacy that we will have the strength to defy temptation. God does love us! And He does hate sin, but He does not hate the sinner. He created you and loves you and payed the ultimate price so that you could have victory.
I'm only 22 and I don't know that much but these are just some thoughts. I also struggle with sin and am still asking the same question " why sin even now, why do I so blatantly sin in private or away from my Christian friends"
James Chapter One"Every man is tempted when he is drawn away from his own lust and inticed. Then when lust has conceived it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death."
@lostinthought86@xanga - why don't u stfu and go to hell too
Everyone sins. There is no way around that. However, I have a hint that from your post, this is something that you are struggling heavily with. I've been there. I was in a sinful immoral relationship with my boyfriend of 3 years, and no matter how many times I prayed to God to help me resist temptation...I failed because I was misguided. My non-believer boyfriend was too much temptation in my life so God called me to end things with him. The first step for me was to get right with God, and that meant ending that relationship.
Whatever you're struggling with, just ask the Lord to show you the will for your life and help you take steps to overcome your struggling and pain. Ask God to live through you and help you stop any bad habits that may be hard to stop. Perhaps it's an addiction that you're going through, but whatever it is, with the Lord's help, you can get through it.
You will never stop sinning completely, but God does call us to stop all sinful behaviors that may hinder us, such as sexual immorality, alcoholism, and drug abuse. These are sins against your own body, which are ultimately the worst because you're destroying God's temple. (Reference 2 Timothy 2:22 and 1 Corinthians 3:16)
I will pray for you that God shows his Way to you. I have no doubt that you indeed have Christ living within you because if you didn't, you would not be asking these questions.
Don't let Satan deceive you with this, "You're not saved" mumbo jumbo. He will do anything to tear you down. If you seek the will of God and what is right in His eyes, you are INDEED SAVED AND NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT FROM YOU.
May God Bless you,
Jessica
@djlalone@xanga - Beautiful response.
@saelee2008@xanga- That's a very atrocious & demeaning thing to say, especially on a Christian blog.
@MagisterTom@xanga - I don't believe Romans 7 describes the life of the believer, I believe it describes the hopeless situation of the one trying to be justified apart from Christ. That's why it leads up to the praise at the end. It's not, "Thank God that I can be saved through Christ even though I'm stuck in this awful cycle," but rather, "Thank God that through Christ we have escaped this cycle."
I know that's not the majority interpretation (it's mainly a Wesleyan reading, I believe), but I think it fits much better than the other.
Right there with you, buddy.
You are not alone in your struggles. I struggle too, but remember that if we could instantly stop sinning, Jesus did not need to die for us. God help us, because we all need Him.
@MagisterTom@xanga - If it were that simple, how would you explain 1 John 3:4-10
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
"How do I get saved, and feel like I did those first few church-going weeks?"
Jesus comes to us to lead us to the Father. After the initial feeling of closeness, we may come to feel that our God has abandoned us, but that is not the case. Our faith is not built on feelings alone.
I think it was a saint who once said something like this: when you no longer feel that Jesus is close, it is because He has gone to prepare you a room in Heaven.
As long as we are alive, we are technically capable of sin, and we are for sure tempted by the devil; it is a miracle that we avoid the snares.
@frostbitpanda@xanga - *falls over laughing* Yeah, I second that.
Seek Christ.