If I was tempted to sin and started, but did not go through it completely does it still count as a sin?
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Asked December 10 2013
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Darius Seals
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Seth Freeman
I think most sin originates in your heart. So probably, but who can say with such a vague question? But just as word of encouragement, you're going to sin every single day. The wrong thing is for you to focus on your sin, the right thing is for you to focus on Christ. The more you seek Christ, the more you become like Him every day, the less you will sin. Sinning less is a byproduct of a deepening relationship with Christ. Don't focus on sin, focus on living in the Truth and freedom that comes with knowing Christ.
JD Abshire
Psalms 51:5, 58:3, Jeremiah 17:9 teach it is the nature, the heart of man that is inherrently sinful. Matthew 5:28 states " But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart". James 1:13-15 " Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." If it was conceived/played out in the mind as if participating or plotting to do so, it is sin. Thank God there is a fix! 1 John 1:9 " If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 2:1 " My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:"
Walrus theCat
Darius, this made me laugh -- not that I trivialize your struggle, but the concept of "counting". Check this out. Did you know that spacetime is divided up into divisible units? Yep, you can't get less than 10^-43 seconds. Time is meted out to us in these units. During this time we express volition. Let's pretend that during each of these units, we are either completely filled with faith (for whatever is not done of faith is sin per Romans 14:23) or we are not, and therefore "disconnected from the life of God due to the hardness of our heart" (Ephesians 4:18). Now, for the Planck times (units of 10^-43 seconds) that you were filled with faith, those were getting "counted" as sin, and for the time when you were turning from sin to God in faith, that wasn't. But wait -- let's zoom in. Let's pretend for each Planck time, you aren't 100% faithful, you're some amount faithful in between 0 and 100%. Well, we'd have to add in a multiplier, and your Planck times would "count" as X% sin and Y% faith. Now this is closer to the truth. As Christians, we have two different lives. One was born in Adam, and one is born of God in Christ. The idea is to jump ship, to commit ourselves fully to Him, and to eschew anything that is dead and defiled and not of Him (that's our old man!) God isn't trying to see what your old man can do, he's waiting for you to live through the new man in Christ. Just display faith toward Him, love Him, if you do something that contradicts your conscience, of which you are doubtful (Romans 14:23), or that contradicts the Word of God (sound doctrine -- 1 Timothy 1:10), confess it, and it is cleansed away (1 John 1:9). You then have the privilege of living with an open heart toward Him, not a cloud in the sky (1 John 3:21).
Vincent Mercado
Supporter
Temptation is not a sin. The sin comes when the person gives into the temptation. If you are tempted but you didn't give in, it is not a sin. However, you gave in, therefore, it is already a sin. Say, you are tempted to steal $100 from your mom's wallet. You already took $50 and stopped. It still counts as sin.
Yolanda Marshall
To question if something is sin, prior to the act typically can attest to it be of a such. If you begin to allow your "inner lawyer" as I say to begin to find ways to justify, RUN don't walk away, in prayer! The Holy Spirit, by way of Paul, says in Rom 14:22-23, "anything NOT done in faith, is sin."
Dan Rivers
The answer is NO...because we are not under the law. And as such sins are no longer charged against us...
Rom 5:13 NIV - {13} To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is NOT charged against anyone's account where there is no law.
If sin could be charged to believers, then they would not be righteous in the eyes of God and Christ would have to die again and again...Heb 10:10-12. As they did in OT where animal sacrifices were made continually but in reality they couldn't take away sins.
There is a difference in the type of "sin" (greek= harmartia= missing the mark) that condemns us and the type of "trespass" (greek=paraptoma=a lapse or deviation from truth and uprightness)
In Gal 6:1 NKJV - {1} Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any TRESPASS (paraptoma), you who [are] spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
In the NIV instead of "trespass" it reads "sin" but it isn't the sin that is defined as "harmartia" it is just a "trespass"
That may be the reason John wrote anyone born again/of God DOES NOT and CANNOT sin (harmartia). But we can commit a trespass (paraptoma) that does not count against us and does not condemn us...
1Jo 3:9 NKJV - {9} Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
If we have even ONE sin on our account then we are NOT righteous and not acceptable to God.
Jesus' sacrifice atoned for ALL our sins past, present and future...1 John 2:2
All Glory and Praise to God!
Tom howard
If I was tempted to sin and started, but did not go through it completely does it still count as a sin? Let’s go to the word and find out. James 1:14,15 ”But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin:…” So, it’s a progression "First it draws away, then entices. The word here rendered ‘drawn away’ signifies a being forcibly compelled. The word translated ‘enticed’ signifies being beguiled by allurements and deceitful representations of things." Mathew Henry commentary on James 1. "As holiness consists of two parts-forsaking that which is evil and cleaving to that which is good, so these two things,’ reversed’, are the two parts of sin. The heart is carried from that which is good, and enticed to cleave to that which is evil. It is first by corrupt inclinations, or by lusting after and coveting some sensual or worldly thing, and then by degrees fixed in a course of sin." Mathew Henry commentary on James 1.. "So, if we allow it to excite desires in us, it will soon ripen those desires into consent, and then it is said to have conceived. The sin truly exists, though it be but in embryo. And, when it has grown to its full size in the mind, it is then brought forth in actual execution". Mathew Henry commentary on James 1. Stopping the progression at any point along the way would be wise, but the best way is to not allow it to start in the first place. The saying “nip it in the bud” would be appropriate here. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”. Galatians 5:25. This is how we keep from lust, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16.
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