Does God judge our potential to sin?

[Robert_Sock]

Imagine substance ‘A’ being evil. God eliminates it due to its evil affects but I would still use substance ‘A’ if it was freely available. Is my potential for sin counted against me?

 

[Trishie]

No, Robert, your “potential to sin” is not held against you.
Most of us are capable of any sin. Even great saints had potential to sin, and sometimes, serious temptations.
It is your choices and actions that are sinful or not.
God bless you.

“As regards to the saints who struggled against blasphemous thoughts, St. Therese of Lisieux describes such struggles in her autobiography. St. Anthony Mary Claret had such struggles too. St. Ignatius of Loyola describes how in times of spiritual desolation thoughts against Jesus or the other Persons of the Blessed Trinity assailed him. Detailed descriptions of these kinds of interior struggles are offered by the desert fathers, like St. Moses the Black and St. Anthony of the Desert.”

rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/10/01/which-saints-suffered-from-temptations-and-evil-thoughts

 

[Robert_Sock]

No, Robert, your “potential to sin” is not held against you.
Most of us are capable of any sin. Even great saints had potential to sin, and sometimes, serious temptations.
It is your choices and actions that are sinful or not.
God bless you.

“As regards to the saints who struggled against blasphemous thoughts, St. Therese of Lisieux describes such struggles in her autobiography. St. Anthony Mary Claret had such struggles too. St. Ignatius of Loyola describes how in times of spiritual desolation thoughts against Jesus or the other Persons of the Blessed Trinity assailed him. Detailed descriptions of these kinds of interior struggles are offered by the desert fathers, like St. Moses the Black and St. Anthony of the Desert.”

rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/10/01/which-saints-suffered-from-temptations-and-evil-thoughts

I would think that the temptation to sin is still there, and thus, we are still sinners. I believe that God want us to uproot the sin, even if it means ‘walking through the latrine.’

CHAPTER 13 – On Resisting Temptations [The Imitation of Christ] excerpt.

The man who only avoids the outward occasions of evil, but fails to uproot it in himself, will gain little advantage. Indeed, temptations will return upon him the sooner, and he will find himself in a worse state than before. Little by little and by patient endurance you will overcome them by God’s help, better than by your own violence and importunity. Seek regular advice in temptation, and never deal harshly with those who are tempted, but give them such encouragement as you would value yourself.

 

[Windmill]

Is this a hypothetical? How does God “eliminate” the “substance”? In a practical setting, how is this played out?

 

[polytropos]

By God removing the substance, do you mean that the substance cannot exist? As in, God constructed the universe in such a way that the substance cannot come into being? I would think, then, that the substance would have no form, so you would not be able to sin with respect to it. You can’t have the potential to sin by something which has no potentiality.

 

[Robert_Sock]

By God removing the substance, do you mean that the substance cannot exist? As in, God constructed the universe in such a way that the substance cannot come into being? I would think, then, that the substance would have no form, so you would not be able to sin with respect to it. You can’t have the potential to sin by something which has no potentiality.

You’re reading into it too much. Let’s just say that God removes the possibility of sinning or the target avoids sinning this time, but the potential is still there.

 

[polytropos]

Well the potential is just free will then, right? So the potential to sin always exists, but temptation and sin can only occur when one is exposed to the occasion.

 

[Robert_Sock]

Well the potential is just free will then, right? So the potential to sin always exists, but temptation and sin can only occur when one is exposed to the occasion.

No, one can take the time to uproot the sin but risk sinning as a result.

Uprooting just one sin a year would make most people an eventual saint.

 

[polytropos]

No, one can take the time to uproot the sin but risk sinning as a result.

Uprooting just one sin a year would make most people an eventual saint.

I am not entirely sure what is meant by “uproot.”

An example to clarify: Someone has a desire to watch porn. They manage to avoid porn (say, through a self-imposed internet filter) but still have the desire, and if given the chance, would likely revert to watching porn. Is this the type of situation you are referring to?

 

[Robert_Sock]

I am not entirely sure what is meant by “uproot.”

An example to clarify: Someone has a desire to watch porn. They manage to avoid porn (say, through a self-imposed internet filter) but still have the desire, and if given the chance, would likely revert to watching porn. Is this the type of situation you are referring to?

Uproot so it has no more power over you.

 

[polytropos]

In that case, it would not be counted against you if you were trying to uproot it and reach a state where it would not cause temptation. Inevitably there would still be temptation in the occasion, but conscious effort to resist temptation is all anyone can manage.

 

[JRKH]

You’re reading into it too much. Let’s just say that God removes the possibility of sinning or the target avoids sinning this time, but the potential is still there.

I think what you are describing might be what is called “affection for sin”.
Affection for sin CAN become sin if one actively and unrepentantly entertains the desire.
An example would be fantasizing about harming someone even though you choose not to act on the fantasy.
Affection for sin that is fought however is a different matter. Eliminating the affection for a given sin is often gradual - but the effort is noted by God and counted as righteousness.

My :twocents:

Peace
James

 

[Robert_Sock]

I think what you are describing might be what is called “affection for sin”.
Affection for sin CAN become sin if one actively and unrepentantly entertains the desire.
An example would be fantasizing about harming someone even though you choose not to act on the fantasy.
Affection for sin that is fought however is a different matter. Eliminating the affection for a given sin is often gradual - but the effort is noted by God and counted as righteousness.

My :twocents:

Peace
James

Yes! Even if one falls into sin, the risk to uproot it is more commendable than simply avoiding the sin, without uprooting it.