Question on Sin, Works and God's Love

[Mr_Kooper_513]

My wife and I heard our protestant pastor give a sermon about the love of God the other day. The essence of the sermon was that God’s love for us is not based on our obedience to Him. When my wife and I discussed it I told her that I agree but that I think sin is an indication of our love for God and that we should constantly repent as we become aware of sin. She told me that she used to live like this “getting saved” every week in her pentecostal church as a child because she had sinned throughout the week. She said that that life is a life of torment and she doesn’t want this for me. We eventually agreed that we should constantly repent as we become aware of sin, but that we should not be so focused on ourselves as much as we should be focused on Jesus and in turn he will conform us to His image. As I become more drawn to Catholicism I am afraid that it could turn into this “works based treadmill” that I’ve been on in the past that I am so afraid of sinning that my focus is selfish. Can anyone share how this works from a Catholic perspective? Specifically, how do you acknowledge your sin and still live an abundant life that is not focused on your performance as a Christian?

 

[MichaelHowling]

We know were going to keep screwing up over and over…as it says in scripture “even the just man sins 7 times a day”.

it’s a given!

How we catholics deal with this is we allow ourselves to be completley dependant on God …as it says: “without me you can do nothing”. We have our sacraments to help us grow deeper and deeper into God’s own life.

Our weakness causes us to cling to the side of our Lord.

Keep in mind the real winners the Lord chose for his ministry…Peter…who even said “depart from me Lord…for I am a sinful man” . and all the rest of them. God can work the with weak…He prefers to. Look at all the big players in scripture :

Moses: who said that he couldint speak well…GOd sends them to talk to the Ruler of Egypt.

Weak small david kills Giant Goliath…etc etc et

 

[fbl9]

My wife and I heard our protestant pastor give a sermon about the love of God the other day. The essence of the sermon was that God’s love for us is not based on our obedience to Him. When my wife and I discussed it I told her that I agree but that I think sin is an indication of our love for God and that we should constantly repent as we become aware of sin. She told me that she used to live like this “getting saved” every week in her pentecostal church as a child because she had sinned throughout the week. She said that that life is a life of torment and she doesn’t want this for me. We eventually agreed that we should constantly repent as we become aware of sin, but that we should not be so focused on ourselves as much as we should be focused on Jesus and in turn he will conform us to His image. As I become more drawn to Catholicism I am afraid that it could turn into this “works based treadmill” that I’ve been on in the past that I am so afraid of sinning that my focus is selfish. Can anyone share how this works from a Catholic perspective? Specifically, how do you acknowledge your sin and still live an abundant life that is not focused on your performance as a Christian?

God’s love for us is unconditional. Evident by Christ’s wilfull sacrifice.
Our salvation is conditional. It is written" no unclean thing shall enter heaven"
Now the works we do are as opportunity arises, live life do what you do for God. Live humbly Do what you do unto others out of love for God. .

 

[pablope]

My

We eventually agreed that we should constantly repent as we become aware of sin, but that we should not be so focused on ourselves as much as we should be focused on Jesus and in turn he will conform us to His image. As I become more drawn to Catholicism I am afraid that it could turn into this “works based treadmill” that I’ve been on in the past that I am so afraid of sinning that my focus is selfish. Can anyone share how this works from a Catholic perspective? Specifically, how do you acknowledge your sin and still live an abundant life that is not focused on your performance as a Christian?

Jesus gave us the sacraments…as channels of His grace…to live fruitful lives.

Confession…one of the greatest gifts to allow us to heal ourselves.

I would recommend this book…Lord Have Mercy by Scott Hahn.

As to how to live an abundand life…the only thing I could think of is to learn the lives of the Saints…read their lives and how they lived. There are a great many sinners among them who turned their lives around.

St. Augustine is an example here…he was a constant sinner and his mother prayed for him for 16 years to turn his life around…and he became a doctor of the Church.

Another saint/s I would recommend is St. Francis of Assissi, Teresa of Avila, Catherine of Sienna.

 

[po18guy]

Welcome! Just as the love is entirely God’s, so also is the forgiveness. Yet, we must cooperate with God’s grace, correct? He does not force us to love Him, but our love is a response to His grace. Our state of forgiveness is all God’s doing, but requires that we repent - a work if you want to see it that way - as our cooperation with His grace.

I believe that you would greatly benefit from a copy of Catholicism for Dummies, which is an excellent, easily read and understood explanation of the beliefs and practices of the Catholic faith. I recommend it unreservedly. I learn something each time I open my copy.

 

[Regina_Love]

Specifically, how do you acknowledge your sin and still live an abundant life that is not focused on your performance as a Christian?

We make an act of contrition every night asking for forgiveness of our sins of that day. The point is to acknowledge the sin so we may detach from it, and move on with our lives. It helps you sleep well, and opens you up to God’s graces for the next day. For big sins (mortal sins) we go to Confession, and experience a wonderful healing, and cleansing. I think God is more interested in our capacity to love than in keeping track of each little sin. I think God loves us with abandon! He wants us to stop sinning because it hurts us, and those around us. We are his family, and He wants to show us how to love each other, and help each other.

Each morning we pray a morning offering, where we offer God all our prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day! We give it all to God to bless. Honestly there is sooo much to learn in the Catholic Church. There is always something new to discover. 2000 years of wisdom accumulated for us to study. This is the Church that wrote the New Testament, and gave the Bible to the world. Jesus Christ founded this Church. It is your inheritance! Please come & join the family! We are incomplete with out you!

May God bless your journey

 

[steve_b]

My wife and I heard our protestant pastor give a sermon about the love of God the other day. The essence of the sermon was that God’s love for us is not based on our obedience to Him. When my wife and I discussed it I told her that I agree but that I think sin is an indication of our love for God and that we should constantly repent as we become aware of sin.

You’re correct. As Jesus said “If you love me keep my commandments”. As scripture says, nothing can seperate us from the love of God. It doesn’t say nothing can seperate us from God. God still loves souls in hell. But they are clearly seperated from God.
MK:

She told me that she used to live like this “getting saved” every week in her pentecostal church as a child because she had sinned throughout the week. She said that that life is a life of torment and she doesn’t want this for me. We eventually agreed that we should constantly repent as we become aware of sin, but that we should not be so focused on ourselves as much as we should be focused on Jesus and in turn he will conform us to His image. As I become more drawn to Catholicism I am afraid that it could turn into this* “works based treadmill”* that I’ve been on in the past that I am so afraid of sinning that my focus is selfish. Can anyone share how this works from a Catholic perspective? Specifically, how do you acknowledge your sin and still live an abundant life that is not focused on your performance as a Christian?

We aren’t saved by works. But we aren’t saved apart from our works.

Eph 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

 

[Nita]

…As I become more drawn to Catholicism I am afraid that it could turn into this “works based treadmill” that I’ve been on in the past that I am so afraid of sinning that my focus is selfish. Can anyone share how this works from a Catholic perspective? Specifically, how do you acknowledge your sin and still live an abundant life that is not focused on your performance as a Christian?

For me, the key is to love God. When are hearts and minds are absorbed in that, then we just desire to do what will please Him - because it pleases Him. We’re motivated by love of God (God centered), not fear of being punished or trying to be spiritually superior (self centered).

We know from Scripture and Church teaching that we can lose our salvation if we seriously sin and then refuse to repent. But, it’s hard for me to even conceive that someone who loves Our Lord would obstinately refuse to go to Him in sorrow for having offended Him; to refuse to ask His forgiveness etc.

 

[Actaeon]

My wife and I heard our protestant pastor give a sermon about the love of God the other day. The essence of the sermon was that God’s love for us is not based on our obedience to Him. When my wife and I discussed it I told her that I agree but that I think sin is an indication of our love for God and that we should constantly repent as we become aware of sin. She told me that she used to live like this “getting saved” every week in her pentecostal church as a child because she had sinned throughout the week. She said that that life is a life of torment and she doesn’t want this for me. We eventually agreed that we should constantly repent as we become aware of sin, but that we should not be so focused on ourselves as much as we should be focused on Jesus and in turn he will conform us to His image. As I become more drawn to Catholicism I am afraid that it could turn into this “works based treadmill” that I’ve been on in the past that I am so afraid of sinning that my focus is selfish. Can anyone share how this works from a Catholic perspective? Specifically, how do you acknowledge your sin and still live an abundant life that is not focused on your performance as a Christian?

Mr. Kooper,

You need not worry because what you have just stated is exactly what the church teaches: we should repent of our sins because they hurt God, and we should confess them as soon as we are aware of them… but at the same time, Confession blots out sin in our lives. We need to strive to purify ourselves of sinfulness, true, but at the same time we do so only through the active Grace of Christ in our lives!

This may be a little preemptive, but I am confident that as you continue your research you will find that the Church is all that she claims she is (the pillar and bullwark of God’s truth) and will become Catholic… so let me gladly say “Welcome home!”