Why fear?

[Phalanx]

Its obviously common knowledge that we are all sinners. And will always be sinners.
Even the Ghandi-types of Christianity are sinners. This we know and have accepted.
Then why is everyone so afraid of sin?

Sin separetes us from our faith, but as long as some effort is made to keep oneself
morally decent it doesn’t seem to affect any believer that i know of. If you trust in Jesus
but still choose to commit a sin or two to make life worth living, why is this a bad thing?

I accept the sins i’ve made and will gladly pay for them in purgatory. But I also love Jesus. And there is no way he will let me be damned, I can feel it…

But still I see some people that go crazy with anxiety and fear of being thrown to hell when they for example steal something they really wanted but are to poor to buy, or have sexual thoughts etc.

Why is this such a big deal for some people?

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[godisgood77]

Great question… the answer is simple. We should not fear. In fact, do not fear is the one command given more than any other in the bible. Fear comes from lack of faith.

 

[ClearWater]

Its obviously common knowledge that we are all sinners. And will always be sinners.
Even the Ghandi-types of Christianity are sinners. This we know and have accepted.
Then why is everyone so afraid of sin?

Sin separetes us from our faith, but as long as some effort is made to keep oneself
morally decent it doesn’t seem to affect any believer that i know of. If you trust in Jesus
but still choose to commit a sin or two to make life worth living, why is this a bad thing?

I accept the sins i’ve made and will gladly pay for them in purgatory. But I also love Jesus. And there is no way he will let me be damned, I can feel it…

But still I see some people that go crazy with anxiety and fear of being thrown to hell when they for example steal something they really wanted but are to poor to buy, or have sexual thoughts etc.

Why is this such a big deal for some people?

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**You say you would be glad to pay for your sins in purgatory. Do you realize what even purgatory is like?! ** catholicmessage.blogspot.mx/2007/03/what-is-purgatory-like.html

mysticsofthechurch.com/2012/04/amazing-stories-from-purgatory-and.html

Further, be very careful not to sin in presumption.

 

[ClearWater]

If you trust in Jesus
but still choose to commit a sin or two to make life worth living, why is this a bad thing?

But still I see some people that go crazy with anxiety and fear of being thrown to hell when they for example steal something they really wanted but are to poor to buy, or have sexual thoughts etc.

Why is this such a big deal for some people?

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romancatholicism.org/jansenism/fathers-fewness.htm

Further, if you are choosing to commit a sin or two, you are obviously not terribly repentant.

 

[Phalanx]

**You say you would be glad to pay for your sins in purgatory. Do you realize what even purgatory is like?! **

Further, be very careful not to sin in presumption.

For the sake of argument lets call our time spent in purgatory “sentence”.

Just hypothetically. If I get to spend 2000 more sentences in purgatory than you for example. Will that not make my reunion with our lord that more sweet for my soul?
And what is 2000 sentances in purgatory compared to an eternity in the love of our lord in heaven?

I know that i am a sinner, and Jesus has saved me so I can live however i want on this earth, to some regard… Why should the tiny(in comparison to eternity) instance that will occur before I will be in the presence of our lord be something that im supposed to think about and fear while I am alive?

 

[fred_conty]

Its obviously common knowledge that we are all sinners. And will always be sinners.
Even the Ghandi-types of Christianity are sinners. This we know and have accepted.
Then why is everyone so afraid of sin?

Sin separetes us from our faith, but as long as some effort is made to keep oneself
morally decent it doesn’t seem to affect any believer that i know of. If you trust in Jesus
but still choose to commit a sin or two to make life worth living, why is this a bad thing?

I accept the sins i’ve made and will gladly pay for them in purgatory. But I also love Jesus. And there is no way he will let me be damned, I can feel it…

But still I see some people that go crazy with anxiety and fear of being thrown to hell when they for example steal something they really wanted but are to poor to buy, or have sexual thoughts etc.

Why is this such a big deal for some people?

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This is really a question about the damage venial sins do to our current spiritual life.

Besides the fact that Jesus died for every sin, venial or other, venial sins interfere with the working of the Holy Spirit in us. We cannot be listening to temptations and listening to God.

The other damage it does is to weaken our will to resist sin. So that when we need to say no to something serious, we have less strength to do so because we have not said no to the smaller temptations. So the smaller leads to the bigger. This quickly leads to mediocrity and indifference, as well as blunting the conscience.

In the Our Father it says, “thy will be done”. But venial sins say “my will be done”.

In anything we take serious and worthwhile, we cannot afford to be sloppy and uncaring. Any music teacher knows to teach the pupil to be careful and play each note just the way it is written. And if the student dosen’t practise, he will not be accomplished. It is the same with sports or any other endevor that is worthwhile.

May God bless and keep you. May God’s face shine on you. May God be kind to you and give you peace.

 

[bzkoss236]

If you trust in Jesus but still choose to commit a sin or two to make life worth living, why is this a bad thing?

It’s a bad thing because sin hurts our relationship with God. Mortal sin brings us out of communion with God, so for someone who dies with mortal sin that is unforgiven and they are unrepentant for that sin, they will go to hell. What you said makes it sound like you think its okay to disobey God, when it’s not. “but still choose to commit a sin or two to make life worth living”, this doesn’t sound like sin that one is repentant of. It sounds like you were glad you sinned. This poses a problem. You won’t make it to heaven, or even purgatory for that matter, if you willfully sin and are not truly sorry for it. We should not fear sin, but we should avoid it. If we do happen to sin, and we are contrite, God will forgive us. If we are not contrite for having offended God, he will not forgive us.

 

[Lasting_faith]

As Sir Winston Churchill did say: “the only thing we need to fear is fear it self” and I think that is spot on. However, we do fear many things, and it is good we fear sin because sin will part of from God. Alas, fear is a normal reaction, and I think we all fear something and don’t really understand that we might not need to fear. A life is to walk with God, and if we have faith we have little to fear, but God also know our limitations, and understand. To fear sin is what keep us on the right path, and a very important fear, so let us fear sin and let us fear fear.

 

[Avila123]

Maybe it is for the same reasons that the Bible is full of do be afraid’s and fear not’s.

If we love God and want to be near him, sin should scare us because it separates us from Him. Maybe we should be afraid of our weaknesses and failings as they open a door for satan to slide us away from God? Maybe we should be scared that our actions or words could have moved someone else away from God? Maybe we should be scared because Jesus will ask us why we didn’t feed Him when he was hungry etc?

Would a lack of fear make us arrogant and insensitive? Or would a healthy dollop of fear, in the right context, keep us on track?

I have a lot to be scared about including being stuck in a place of fear, unable to move forward, too sacred to listen to God. For me, every “Do not be afraid” is a necessary reassurance from God and every moment of fear leads to prayer, repentance, thanksgiving, peace and joy. We all have our journey’s, and for some of us a certain amount (or moments of) fear is necessary for deepening our faith.

 

[Michael57]

Seems to be at odds with what Paul wrote in Romans.

From the D-R:

The Christian must die to sin and live to God.

[1] What shall we say, then? shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? [2] God forbid. For we that are dead to sin, how shall we live any longer therein? [3] Know you not that all we, who are baptized in Christ Jesus, are baptized in his death? [4] For we are buried together with him by baptism into death; that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life. [5] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.

[6] Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin may be destroyed, to the end that we may serve sin no longer. [7] For he that is dead is justified from sin. [8] Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall live also together with Christ: [9] Knowing that Christ rising again from the dead, dieth now no more, death shall no more have dominion over him. [10] For in that he died to sin, he died once; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God:

[note 6] Our old man: Our corrupt state, subject to sin and concupiscence, coming to us from Adam, is called our old man, as our state, reformed in and by Christ, is called the new man.

[note 6] Body of sin: The vices and sins, which then ruled in us, are named the body of sin.

[11] So do you also reckon, that you are dead to sin, but alive unto God, in Christ Jesus our Lord. [12] Let no sin therefore reign in your mortal body, so as to obey the lusts thereof. [13] Neither yield ye your members as instruments of iniquity unto sin; but present yourselves to God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of justice unto God. [14] For sin shall not have dominion over you; for you are not under the law, but under grace. [15] What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

[16] Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are whom you obey, whether it be of sin unto death, or of obedience unto justice. [17] But thanks be to God, that you were the servants of sin, but have obeyed from the heart, unto that form of doctrine, into which you have been delivered. [18] Being then freed from sin, we have been made servants of justice. [19] I speak an human thing, because of the infirmity of your flesh. For as you have yielded your members to serve uncleanness and iniquity, unto iniquity; so now yield your members to serve justice, unto sanctification. [20] For when you were the servants of sin, you were free men to justice.

[21] What fruit therefore had you then in those things, of which you are now ashamed? For the end of them is death. [22] But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end life everlasting. [23] For the wages of sin is death. But the grace of God, life everlasting, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Link

 

[SentinelofTruth]

Phalanx:

I know that i am a sinner, and Jesus has saved me so I can live however i want on this earth, to some regard… Why should the tiny(in comparison to eternity) instance that will occur before I will be in the presence of our lord be something that im supposed to think about and fear while I am alive?

You cannot live however you want (and still go to heaven). If you live thinking that a few sins aren’t enough to condemn you, they will be. While Jesus certainly saves you, he won’t force salvation on you. Sin is a refusal of this salvation, and so if you do it (and don’t repent) then you will go to hell, no matter how much Jesus loves you, because you told him you didn’t want to be saved. Mediocrity is not enough. Christians must dedicate their lives to the service of God. That is what it means to be a real servant of God. If you are “just okay” by the standards of the world, then you will be “a horrendously sinful monster” by the standards of heaven. If you are “okay” in God’s eyes, you will be “incredibly magnanimous” by the standards of the world.

 

[SentinelofTruth]

Avila123:

Maybe it is for the same reasons that the Bible is full of do be afraid’s and fear not’s.

If we love God and want to be near him, sin should scare us because it separates us from Him. Maybe we should be afraid of our weaknesses and failings as they open a door for satan to slide us away from God? Maybe we should be scared that our actions or words could have moved someone else away from God? Maybe we should be scared because Jesus will ask us why we didn’t feed Him when he was hungry etc?

Would a lack of fear make us arrogant and insensitive? Or would a healthy dollop of fear, in the right context, keep us on track?

I have a lot to be scared about including being stuck in a place of fear, unable to move forward, too sacred to listen to God. For me, every “Do not be afraid” is a necessary reassurance from God and every moment of fear leads to prayer, repentance, thanksgiving, peace and joy. We all have our journey’s, and for some of us a certain amount (or moments of) fear is necessary for deepening our faith.

It is commendable that you care about this to the point of fear, but keep in mind that since you have free will, moving toward or away from God is always completely your choice, so you can’t be “unable” to move forward. The devil can’t make you sin. You are the only one with any direct power whatsoever over your spiritual growth. We have divine assurance that as long as we don’t choose hell, we can have heaven. Fear is ridiculous. We have a completely free choice between heaven and hell, and there’s nothing stopping us from choosing heaven. Thus, I don’t think a lack of fear would make us arrogant.

 

[nuntym]

• JMJ +

Its obviously common knowledge that we are all sinners. And will always be sinners.
Even the Ghandi-types of Christianity are sinners. This we know and have accepted.
Then why is everyone so afraid of sin?

Sin separetes us from our faith, but as long as some effort is made to keep oneself
morally decent it doesn’t seem to affect any believer that i know of. If you trust in Jesus
but still choose to commit a sin or two to make life worth living, why is this a bad thing?

I accept the sins i’ve made and will gladly pay for them in purgatory. But I also love Jesus. And there is no way he will let me be damned, I can feel it…

But still I see some people that go crazy with anxiety and fear of being thrown to hell when they for example steal something they really wanted but are to poor to buy, or have sexual thoughts etc.

Why is this such a big deal for some people?

Opinions or Viewpoints? Share
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There is fear, and then there is fear.

There is fear of punishment, and then there is fear of hurting the One you love.