Sorrowful vs Repentance

[whichwaytogo47]

How do you know if you changed your behavior or are just sorrowful for what you have done?

Also if you have committed a grave sin, how do you know you have sufficient free-will and sufficient knowledge to make a mortal sin? It would seem to me that one’s conscience is likely a lack of knowledge vs one’s disobedience which is someone’s choice to not follow their knowledge. How can you tell the difference between disobedience and a true lack of understanding? Free-will seems to not be under compulsion but how addictive much something be before one has lost their free-will? And whether a person is presumptuous or legalistic, how does one remain in balance?

Can someone WANT to go to heaven and love God but thru ignorance choose Hell because of choosing to engage in grave sin with full knowledge and free-will? It is said that someone chooses Hell so how can we be sure that we have not made that choice? Our savior died for our sins so how do we honor his sacrifice? It seems that making regular and good confessions is one tool as can knowing how to make a good perfect act of contrition as soon as you are aware of grave sin.

Would you be choosing Hell because you love the sin more than God itself? How do you acknowledge/discern this so that you change course? And how can you truly discern that you love God above all things so as to not voluntarily choose hell? In other words, to make sure you at least choose purgatory? How can you know you are truly repentant and not just sorrowful? How can you be sure you turned a new leaf vs staying in sin? Isn’t the most important aspect is to trust in God’s mercy rather than despair in one’s sin? But how does one know when they presumed on God’s mercy rather than trusting in God’s mercy? How does one know they’re humble or when they’re in despair?

 

[kapp19]

Wow, many questions. Won’t try to answer all, but will just recommend a very close study of the differences between Peter and Judas… and the similarities.

 

[whichwaytogo47]

Thanks for all the replies. I was just trying to see when one had full knowledge and one had free-will that turned a grave sin into a mortal sin.

Thanks.

 

[whichwaytogo47]

Thanks for everyone’s replies. I guess what I was trying to do was understand when one had full knowledge vs when one lacked knowledge or when one had free-will vs when one lacked free-will.

I really don’t understand what knowledge means because is it a lack of knowledge or is it disobedience? I guess I don’t understand when one has sufficient free-will or when it is compulsion?

So my post was trying to discern whether something that was of grave matter became a mortal sin that needed to be confessed to a priest or remained a venial one. I was looking to try to understand in general, not in this specific instance.

 

[Vico]

…

Part I

Q1. How do you know if you changed your behavior or are just sorrowful for what you have done? How can you know you are truly repentant and not just sorrowful? How can you be sure you turned a new leaf vs staying in sin?
A1. By observation.

Q2. … how do you know you have sufficient free-will and sufficient knowledge to make a mortal sin?
A2. When the act or omission is known to be immoral because the Church has taught that, or by conscience. All sin is voluntary, yet when it is only partly voluntary, then it would be venial or no sin.

Q3. How can you tell the difference between disobedience and a true lack of understanding?
A3. Disobedience is failure or refusal to obey, a metter of will, whereas understanding is comprehension, a matter of knowledge.

Q4. Free-will seems to not be under compulsion but how addictive mu[st] something be before one has lost their free-will?
A4. Habit of sin is overcome with grace and willfully opposing it. It may take time to overcome a habit, however, by opossing it, there is no sin.

Q5. And whether a person is presumptuous or legalistic, how does one remain in balance?
A5. Legalistic is “adhering excessively to law or formula” whereas presumptuous is “failing to observe the limits”. One should never be presumptuous, however, should follow the moral law.

Q6. Can someone WANT to go to heaven and love God but thru ignorance choose Hell because of choosing to engage in grave sin with full knowledge and free-will?
A6. No, full knowledge is contradictory to ignorance.

Q7. It is said that someone chooses Hell so how can we be sure that we have not made that choice?
A7. There is no absolute certainty without a divine revelation. It is likely if you have honestly repented and confessed and done penance.

Q8. Our savior died for our sins so how do we honor his sacrifice?
A8. Honor is reverence shown to a person in witness of his excellence. Be reverent.

You wrote: “It seems that making regular and good confessions is one tool as can knowing how to make a good perfect act of contrition as soon as you are aware of grave sin.”
Yes, key is that confession is made “after diligent examination of conscience”.

 

[Vico]

…

Part II

Q9. Would you be choosing Hell because you love the sin more than God itself?
A9. No, but because of willfully choosing the sin. There may be attachment to sin but fear of hell.

Q10. How do you acknowledge/discern this so that you change course?
A10. Change is an act of will. Acknowledment is honesty with self. Discernment is a lifetime task, but there are helps in writings of the Saints.

Q11. And how can you truly discern that you love God above all things so as to not voluntarily choose hell? In other words, to make sure you at least choose purgatory?
A11. Leave this life in a state of sanctifying grace. It is possible by always cooperating with grace.

Q12. Isn’t the most important aspect is to trust in God’s mercy rather than despair in one’s sin? But how does one know when they presumed on God’s mercy rather than trusting in God’s mercy? How does one know they’re humble or when they’re in despair?
A12. With despair any hope for his personal salvation from God or for help in attaining it or for the forgiveness of his sins is not present. So it seems that in despair there is no trust in God. Humility is submission and trust.

 

[Dovekin]

I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.
Luke 7:47

If you know great love, you have been forgiven.