Sola Fide Contradiction

[SteveGC]

So…Seeking, my friend…

All this “overpowering of God’s will onto ours…such that the only will you have remaining is the will to sin”. How is it that you still have the will to sin, if in your theology, you can’t “help” but do the will of God? I mean, you are claiming simultaneously the capacity to sin, and the incapacity to sin when you receive the indwelling of the Spirit. I’m confused. When is it that you have this capacity to use your will to sin?

On another note…would I be correct in saying that you believe all this amazing overpowering indwelling of the Spirit, which in effect, takes total command of your free will, to only do His will…all this happens during an authentic ‘sinners prayer’? Authentic meaning, as I know you like to say, possessed in the heart? That’s when this amazing transformation (takeover of the human will) commences?

If so…all I can say is…

wow. that’s an amazing theology, Seeking. I’m just really not seeing how anyone can come up with that sort of stuff, even from Scripture. Who taught you this?

 

[Dchsknight]

Philthy;4906407:

Did God create vessels for honor and others for wrath? Why? Is God glorified in showing His mercy? What about His wrath?

Our response to the gospel does matter, but no one would respond toward the gospel if God did not first do the work on the heart of that person. That is why I say we have free will, but God’s will will always trump man’s will. This is a difficult thing for the human fallen mind to understand; maybe impossible in all of its implications, but God has figured it out so we walk by faith and not by sight.

Seeking, What about Pharaoh, what about Judas, They both CHOOSE to do evil. No one forced it on them.

 

[Seeking12]

So…Seeking, my friend…

All this “overpowering of God’s will onto ours…such that the only will you have remaining is the will to sin”. How is it that you still have the will to sin, if in your theology, you can’t “help” but do the will of God? I mean, you are claiming simultaneously the capacity to sin, and the incapacity to sin when you receive the indwelling of the Spirit. I’m confused. When is it that you have this capacity to use your will to sin? That is the reality of it; we grieve the Holy Spirit even as believers, when we do this we will be outside of His will, but that won’t last; He will convict us in our conscience, chasten us or bring us home.

On another note…would I be correct in saying that you believe all this amazing overpowering indwelling of the Spirit, which in effect, takes total command of your free will, to only do His will…all this happens during an authentic ‘sinners prayer’? Authentic meaning, as I know you like to say, possessed in the heart? That’s when this amazing transformation (takeover of the human will) commences? Maybe I should back up few steps and clarify. The Bible say “Who can resist His will?” The answer is no one; this in effect will bring a sinner into saving grace by turning our heart toward Him. In the lifelong sanctification process will do make choice, both right and wrong; when we chose the wrong and step outside of His will for us; He will convict us, chasten us or bring us home. At the end of the day; His will be done.

If so…all I can say is…

wow. that’s an amazing theology, Seeking. I’m just really not seeing how anyone can come up with that sort of stuff, even from Scripture. Who taught you this?

 

[Seeking12]

Seeking12;4906481:

Seeking, What about Pharaoh, what about Judas, They both CHOOSE to do evil. No one forced it on them.

God said He hardened Pharaoh and Judas was the son of perdition; all part of God’s plan. I would not say that God forced them into evil; that is our natural state.

 

[Dchsknight]

Dchsknight;4907455:

God said He hardened Pharaoh and Judas was the son of perdition; all part of God’s plan. I would not say that God forced them into evil; that is our natural state.

Ok then here is a Harder one. What about Samson, David, Abraham? All liars and murderers. What about them?

 

[Philthy]

Awesome analogy, Phil. You came up with that?
God Bless

Thank you! Yea, I came up with it…it’s not patented though!

 

[Seeking12]

Seeking12;4907549:

Ok then here is a Harder one. What about Samson, David, Abraham? All liars and murderers. What about them?

What about them? The Son of Sam murdered many many people and came to a saving knowledge of Christ and accepted the free gift of salvation. Paul was the worst of sinners before His conversion and look how God used him.

 

[Nicene]

**Mike, just because you do not understand the truth does not change the truth; you just need to do more homework to get it right.
Saving faith will always result in good works; it is not the means, which is another gospel and what you have been lead to understand.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through R91 faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Thank God this passage is so crystal clear that my child can understand it plainly.**

I suggest reading the bible a little more:

Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God –
9 not because of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Catholics don’t skip v10 because we know it exists. Paul never believed in faith alone (regarding an prior post of yours):

Rom 2:1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, whoever you are, when you judge another; for in passing judgment upon him you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.
Rom 2:2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who do such things.
3 Do you suppose, O man, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgment of God?
4 Or do you presume upon the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not know that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
5 But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
6 For he will render to every man according to his works:
7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;
8 but for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury.

and:

Rom 2:11 For God shows no partiality.
12 All who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.
13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.
14 When Gentiles who have not the law do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.
15 They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them
16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

And for good measure:

Phil:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
13 for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Cont nest post:

Peace and God Bless
Nicene

 

[Nicene]

:Regarding the whole error of “you will want to do works” Paul gives an spiritual exegesis on the interior conflict every person daily faces:

Rom 7:14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good.
17 So then it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me.
18 For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it.
19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.
20]Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me.
21So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.
22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inmost self,
23 but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin which dwells in my members.
24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I of myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

James and Paul are obviously not at odds. Paul first speaks about conversion, there is nothing, no work we can do to merit justification from the cross. James speaks of a future justification for works, so does Paul in Rom 2:13 (bolded above post) They aren’t at odds at all. Faith alone and “you’ll want to do works” are two errors not found in sacred scripture. Either way, Paul and James agree with justification through works after initial conversion as shown above. It is only those who wish to ignore this fact who stick with the “faith alone” dogma.

We progress in faith, we grow in faith, just as we grow from children to adults. We want to rebel but it is through the discipline of practice of virtues that we grow in virtues until they become habit practice of virtues that we. The converse is true as well, as one practices bad things those grow until they become a natural habit instead.

Heb 12:10 For they disciplined us for a short time at their pleasure, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.
11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,
13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.
14]Strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
15 See to it that no one fail to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” spring up and cause trouble, and by it the many become defiled;
16 that no one be immoral or irreligious like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.
17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

You’ll also find putting on the breastplate of salvation in Ephesians for example, As well as “faith working through love” in Galatians, and Further chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians

1Cor13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

It takes discipline to love your enemies and that comes through practice until you actually come to the realization that:

Mt 6:14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you;
15 but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

This takes practice and habit because the initial reaction of concupiscence is to hold a grudge and to think evil about the other person without self examination of “Is this what Christ wants me to do?”

I haven’t even included Mt 24 and 25 (entire chapters)

Peace and God Bless
Nicene

 

[Seeking12]

I suggest reading the bible a little more:

Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God –
9 not because of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Catholics don’t skip v10 because we know it exists. Paul never believed in faith alone (regarding an prior post of yours):

Rom 2:1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, whoever you are, when you judge another; for in passing judgment upon him you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.
Rom 2:2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who do such things.
3 Do you suppose, O man, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgment of God?
4 Or do you presume upon the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not know that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
5 But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
6 For he will render to every man according to his works:
7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;
8 but for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury.

and:

Rom 2:11 For God shows no partiality.
12 All who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.
13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.
14 When Gentiles who have not the law do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.
15 They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them
16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

And for good measure:

Phil:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
13 for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Cont nest post:

Peace and God Bless
Nicene

Thanks you just proved the point. "for God is at work in you, , both to will and to work for his good pleasure. As I said before works are the result not the means. If you believe your works are part of the means, then you may have another gospel.

 

[Seeking12]

:Regarding the whole error of “you will want to do works” Paul gives an spiritual exegesis on the interior conflict every person daily faces:

Rom 7:14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good.
17 So then it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me.
18 For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it.
19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.
20]Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me.
21So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.
22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inmost self,
23 but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin which dwells in my members.
24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I of myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

James and Paul are obviously not at odds. Paul first speaks about conversion, there is nothing, no work we can do to merit justification from the cross. James speaks of a future justification for works, so does Paul in Rom 2:13 (bolded above post) They aren’t at odds at all. Faith alone and “you’ll want to do works” are two errors not found in sacred scripture. Either way, Paul and James agree with justification through works after initial conversion as shown above. It is only those who wish to ignore this fact who stick with the “faith alone” dogma.

We progress in faith, we grow in faith, just as we grow from children to adults. We want to rebel but it is through the discipline of practice of virtues that we grow in virtues until they become habit practice of virtues that we. The converse is true as well, as one practices bad things those grow until they become a natural habit instead.

Heb 12:10 For they disciplined us for a short time at their pleasure, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.
11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,
13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.
14]Strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
15 See to it that no one fail to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” spring up and cause trouble, and by it the many become defiled;
16 that no one be immoral or irreligious like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.
17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

You’ll also find putting on the breastplate of salvation in Ephesians for example, As well as “faith working through love” in Galatians, and Further chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians

1Cor13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

It takes discipline to love your enemies and that comes through practice until you actually come to the realization that:

Mt 6:14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you;
15 but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

This takes practice and habit because the initial reaction of concupiscence is to hold a grudge and to think evil about the other person without self examination of “Is this what Christ wants me to do?”

I haven’t even included Mt 24 and 25 (entire chapters)

Peace and God Bless
Nicene

**2 Corinthians 5:16-21
16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know {Him} {in this way} no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, {he is} a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all {these} things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin {to be} sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

I do agree that it takes discipline, but that discipline is borne out of the love for God.**

 

[Nicene]

See unfortunately for the non catholic, as you just pointed out, the bible contradicts itself. Not so for the catholic, the Apostles, read in context were given the ministry of reconciliation:

Jn 20:21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.”
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

And we can also see this same ministry in the sacrament of Unction:

Jam 5:13 Is any one among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise.
14 Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
15 and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

Not only does the above negate OSAS by it’s very nature. Notice who is called to perform this duty? The elders of the church.

However Now that we have put this back into perpective. Lets get back to the initial problem you are still facing with faith alone and which appears to be diverting from, and that is Paul saying in Romans 2:13:

Rom 2:13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

exactly what James says in:

Jam 2:24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith
alone.

You’ll also notice that the only time faith alone is used in the bible is right above. Until non catholics can come to grips with Paul and James (as well as Christ in the gospels Mt) the error of faith alone will remain.

Neither Paul nor James contradict one another when placed in context. It is only non catholics who have difficulty reconciling the two.

One of the more amusing ones I read (on this board) was that James was included in the bible by God to show us James error in teaching. That made me laugh.

The real question is can one be intellectually honest and admit that Paul and James are not saying anything different at all. The first instance Paul is speaking about in Romans is prior to baptism in which no one can merit anything to save himself. God is the one who saves in baptism. After that, as both Paul and James state, we will be justified by works.

We weren’t given the Holy Spirit, the very spirit of God, as an afterthought, nor to sit around saying “I have the Holy Spirit”. Bottom line is, it is the idea that we have no use for the Holy Spirit at all. Christ did not die on the cross for this. We have been given the Holy Spirit for a reason, an essential reason. Of course people can always outrage the spirit of grace. God doesn’t steal your free will.

Like I said, catholics don’t have a problem with James and Paul being in sync. Neither one is a proponent of faith alone, as is obvious in the two verses above. It is non catholics who have to justify their doctrine, and go to great lengths to do so, not us.

Rom 2:13 isn’t going away any time soon.

You do have it in your bibles don’t you? It wasn’t removed was it?

Peace and God Bless
Nicene

 

[LutheranDK]

And this is also Catholic teaching on faith and works. Our good works are not possible without true faith, and neither (faith nor works) are possible without God’s Grace. The gift of faith involves both grace (the source of it) and the ascent of our will to cooperate with that free unmerited grace. Our ascent allows us then to see the good works God has prepared for us, to which we again cooperate with. This is far from a “works-based salvation” or “earn your way into heaven” theology that non-Catholics accuse The Church of teaching. The bottom line is that Catholic and Protestant (or non-Catholic if you prefer) theologies regarding this doctrine are so incredibly similar, it’s a wonder we debate it still…we do because of anti-Catholic rhetoric which still plagues many sectors of non-Catholic circles. The only problem with most, not all, non-Catholic teaching on this doctrine, is that they DON’T teach this to their faithful. If you ask some of them personally about it, you get the proper theology…but in their church, many pastors limit the theology (atleast in words) to a “just believe” requirement. They don’t expand upon what (true) faith actually is, how we are to cooperate, etc. Consequently, you get many non-Catholics spreading around the “Faith Alone” battle-cry, without knowing that there’s more to it (like obedience).

God Bless

I’ve been having the same kind of thoughts - that our positions seem to be more similar than we think. However, BOTH sides of the fence often tend to paint an image of the other side that isn’t true - RCs and non-RCs alike!

A question, though, because if I have understood the RC position correctly, you guys think that our works DO have soteriological value? That our salvation is caused by faith AND good works, whereas I would say that salvation is by faith alone, which then RESULTS in good works?

The difference is subtle, but it’s there, and it’s actually a fundamental one.

God bless you too

 

[SteveGC]

I’ve been having the same kind of thoughts - that our positions seem to be more similar than we think. However, BOTH sides of the fence often tend to paint an image of the other side that isn’t true - RCs and non-RCs alike!

A question, though, because if I have understood the RC position correctly, you guys think that our works DO have soteriological value? That our salvation is caused by faith AND good works, whereas I would say that salvation is by faith alone, which then RESULTS in good works?

The difference is subtle, but it’s there, and it’s actually a fundamental one.

God bless you too

Yes, it’s incredibly subtle. The subtle difference is in the phrase, “RESULTS IN”. You see, “results in” infers automation…as if we’ll have no choice but to do good works, so long as our faith is true…as if faith is authenicated retrospectively (you did good works, your faith must have been true). Whereas, in Catholic teaching, it is more cooperative, and yes even obligatory, but still nonetheless prepared by grace. It involves on-going ascent of the will from the believer…but the “work” which God has prepared for them, and to which they are ascenting, would not be made known to them, save for grace. In this way, faith is authenticated presently…sacramentally. I don’t even understand it fully. Perhaps someone else can explain. The two sides are incredibly similar on this issue. I think the “results in” good works camp can lead one to “easy believism” in a sense that there is an over-confidence that their deeds are good because they “feel” like their faith is true. For the devout Catholic, we “see” the good work laid out before us (thanks to grace/sacraments), but we must make the decision to do it.

Hope that helps.

 

[Philthy]

Seeking12;:

I think you may be looking at God from a fallen perspective; we all do.

** This is a pointless statement that contributes nothing to the issue at hand nor the general dialogue. If we all view God from a fallen perspective then do we simply all ignore one another? Pointless. For you to lead your rebuttal with this comment leads me to believe that you dont have much in the way of a concrete response. We shall see…
**

It is all of God; He predestined before time who would be saved; therefore it is His plan 100%.

We have already covered this ground and you recanted - remember? Salvation has conditions and repentance is one of them. Lets not back track. We are heading exactly where I expected with your introductory sentence that means nothing and leads no where.
If you truly believe this then why are you here? Why not just go away knowing that whatever God has planned will come about. Come to think of it, if you believe this and have 100% assurance that you are saved, why not just kill yourself and enter immediately into heavenly glory?

Believers are the object of that predestination

And non-believers arent??? Will you please take some time to organize your thoughts?

; the Bible asks the question: “who can resist His will”? Answer, no one.

Correct, which is why both believers and unbelievers would be subject to his predestination - believers to eternal life, non-believers to Hell. But what you have forgotten to consider is that his Will includes us having REAL CHOICES with REAL CONSEQUENCES.

He changes our will; if you ask me the only real free will we have is humans is to chose which sin we will do; because it is our nature.

I see, is our nature his Will as well? And his Will is that we sin? This is one of the problems with the “its all God” mind set: God becomes responsible for our sin - Adam and Eves as well. Honestly, take some time and think about it. Why would the bible be filled with admonitions regarding behavior if we had no control over our behavior?

All the things you sated that there would be no need for, baptism, faith, forgiveness etc are the paths God has chosen for His redeemed to take. Although we have a new life in Jesus, we still chose to sin like the “old man”; that is why when it comes to free will; I believe are actual free will is tied to our nature, which is sinful.

I have no idea what you mean by this and how the redeemed will behave any differently than the non-redeemed. You just got through saying that “the only real free will we have as humans is to choose which sin we will do;…free will is tied to our nature which is sinful” You make us out to be robots and in doing so pass all the responsibility for sin onto God. Blasphemy if you ask me, though I know you dont fully understand the implications of your theology.

Philippians 1:6 {For I am} confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Do you really want to get into a “Scripture battle” where we pick and choose verses to support our ideas? Trust me you will get buried with verses where Christ and his Apostles appeal to believers and non-believers to alter their behavior, their hearts, theirs minds and their souls. Why would they do this if they believed that no one actually had control over their conduct? They wouldnt. Your position makes no sense. Even the verse you quoted suggests that Paul is merely CONFIDENT that it will happen, not that it is CERTAINLY going to happen. Here’s a few more to think about. For each verse you must ask yourself, "Why is this in Scripture if we have no control over our sinful nature?

Christ: Luke 9:23

Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } →

James: 1:12But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
Christ: Luke 9:23

Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } →

Peter: 1Peter 2: 11
Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners to keep away from worldly desires which wage war against the soul.
Paul: Rom: 12: 1-2

I urge you…to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to God…Do not conform yourself to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.
But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.

You really should take some time to prayerfully consider these issues. Your choices do matter and you know it. You seem reasonably intelligent and well intended. Read a few books or even some of the material from the library section or the Catechism. There is much to consider…