The Trouble with Sin

[elijah23]

The trouble with sin is that it makes us feel miserable inside when we sin. People who sin all the time don’t know what it means to feel good. People who have repented of sin, at some point in their lives, know how good it is to be free of sin and don’t want to lose that feeling. That is why Paul said this:

[17] But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed,
[18] and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. Rom 6:17-18 RSV

 

[WIP]

The trouble with sin is that it makes us feel miserable inside when we sin. People who sin all the time don’t know what it means to feel good.

<O:p</O:p
Does sin really always make one feel miserable inside? What about someone that doesn’t realize or recognize their sin? I’ve often thought that this was part of the reason God printed the Ten Commandments; to show the Israelites and us how sinful we really are. In Romans, chapter 7, Paul talks about how he didn’t know sin until the law made it clear. Making a reference to lust as an example he wrote, “For I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.â€
<O:p</O:p
If I didn’t believe premarital sexual activity was wrong I would feel rather good, even proud of myself, after engaging in such activity. I know this is true because I experienced this at a time before I understood the moral and Godly implications of my actions.
<O:p</O:p
There is also a time in my past when I engaged in shoplifting. I knew that stealing was wrong legally but in the moral sense I didn’t accept it. In my heart I didn’t care and so I never really felt bad about doing it. I actually felt a sense of success and pride at getting away with it. Today, things are quite different.
<O:p</O:p
I won’t intentionally take advantage of our tax code. For example, I use my computer and my ATV in the operation of my farm business. Most people that I know, well actually every person I know, would claim the cost for both of these as a business expense and could easily get away with it. I directed my tax preparer to only claim a portion of the cost as an expense because I also use both for personal use. It just wouldn’t feel right doing it any other way.
<O:p</O:p
My farm business office is the corner in a room in my house. While others would claim that room and associated portion of the home heating bill, electrical bill, etc. as a business expense, I don’t because the law states that I can’t use that room for any other purpose. People are always telling me that I am a fool for not making these tax claims but I just brush it off.
<O:p</O:p
It goes without saying that I am not perfect and anyone could easily look into my life and find plenty of faults in other areas. I have many weaknesses and I do in fact feel miserable after the fact, which brings up another point but I will start a new thread to discuss that. I’ll call it Repentance Revisited.

 

[elijah23]

Does sin really always make one feel miserable inside?

The immediate gratification of sin lasts only a short time, and then the misery sets in.

 

[elijah23]

The only escape from the misery of sin is repentance.

 

[WIP]

I honestly don't recall ever feeling bad about the examples I mentioned. Well, not until I realized the gravity of the sin and that didn't happen until I accepted Jesus.

 

[elijah23]

I honestly don't recall ever feeling bad about the examples I mentioned. Well, not until I realized the gravity of the sin and that didn't happen until I accepted Jesus.

If a person is never happy, then he doesn’t realize he is unhappy.

Once you discover the beauty of righteousness, you don’t want go back to the pain caused by guilt.

 

[WIP]

One can only be miserable if one has a happy reference to compare to. Likewise, one can only be happy if one has an unhappy reference to compare to. Therefore it is possible for someone to grow up knowing Christ (faith of a child starts early) and never feeling happy.

Edit: that is, in the spiritual sense.

 

[elijah23]

One can only be miserable if one has a happy reference to compare to. Likewise, one can only be happy if one has an unhappy reference to compare to. Therefore it is possible for someone to grow up knowing Christ (faith of a child starts early) and never feeling happy.

Edit: that is, in the spiritual sense.

People can be miserable and not know it.

Right?

 

[WIP]

What does it matter if one doesn't know it?

When I think back on my past, I see shame in the knowledge of what I was but not misery. I wonder if misery is something you can only feel at the moment but not later such as in my case when the things I've mentioned happened decades ago.

If those memory are a source of misery, how could I ever be happy, especially now that I know I have been forgiven? It's because if this knowledge that I recognize the error of my ways and that is what brings the misery.

Here's the part that gives me rest. I know that I am forgiven because I have repented and when God forgives, he also remembers no more and so I can also forgive myself, which I have done, and now I no longer feel misery or guilt for my past. Unfortunately, I cannot forget like God can but that's only my problem and not God's, right?

 

[elijah23]

What does it matter if one doesn't know it?

If you are miserable when you could be happy, even if you don’t know it, it matters.

 

[WIP]

Now, I'll ask the reverse question. What does it matter to be happy if one doesn't know it?

 

[Pizzaguy]

People who sin all the time don’t know what it means to feel good.

Those who sin continually probably do, in some ways, feel VERY good at times! One of the real problems with reaching people would be trying to reach those who are affluent, and rather happy, but in real sin.

A person who has never repented has no reference to guide themselves by. Sure, some trapped in sin are unhappy, alcohol and drugs may be bringing them down and they are often easy to reach. But find me an affluent, healthy, self-centered godless person and I'll show you a person who is humanly impossible to reach.

The trouble with sin is that is fools many into happiness. This is why I often pray for a "crisis" in the life of a friend to bring them to the Lord.


Now, once saved, sin is not as sweet. It does cost us our fellowship with Him and that leads to unhappyness.

 

[elijah23]

Now, I'll ask the reverse question. What does it matter to be happy if one doesn't know it?

If you’re happy, you’re happy.

And we get that way by repenting of our sin.

 

[elijah23]

Those who sin continually probably do, in some ways, feel VERY good at times! One of the real problems with reaching people would be trying to reach those who are affluent, and rather happy, but in real sin.

Affluent people whose God is money likely would be under the impression that they are well off, but I doubt if they are happy. It might be difficult to convince them of that, as you have stated.

 

[Pizzaguy]

Affluent people whose God is money likely would be under the impression that they are well off, but I doubt if they are happy. It might be difficult to convince them of that, as you have stated.

I know what you are getting at, but there ARE happy people who are lost! Maybe not "happy" or "unhappy", maybe "empty" would be the way to describe them.

 

[elijah23]

A person who has never repented has no reference to guide themselves by. Sure, some trapped in sin are unhappy, alcohol and drugs may be bringing them down and they are often easy to reach. But find me an affluent, healthy, self-centered godless person and I'll show you a person who is humanly impossible to reach.

The trouble with sin is that is fools many into happiness. This is why I often pray for a "crisis" in the life of a friend to bring them to the Lord.


Now, once saved, sin is not as sweet. It does cost us our fellowship with Him and that leads to unhappyness.

People addicted to this sin or that sin are only happy when their addictions are fed, and as time goes on, it becomes harder and harder to satisfy those cravings.

People with material wealth might think they are happy, since they might be of the opinion that material things are all that life has to offer, and it might be hard to convince them otherwise. They just get emptier and emptier as time goes on.

But those that have experienced the joy of righteousness have discovered a happiness that far exceeds anything else.

 

[Pizzaguy]

People with material wealth might think they are happy, since they might be of the opinion that material things are all that life has to offer, and it might be hard to convince them otherwise. They just get emptier and emptier as time goes on.

But those that have experienced the joy of righteousness have discovered a happiness that far exceeds anything else.

I have a good friend who went to her eternity without Christ. She had all the money she needed, even left a LOT for her family to argue about.

I could never reach her. She was a self-made business woman who needed no one, never needed help - and when she got old and DID need help, she had the money to pay for the care she needed.

She was, actually, a quite happy person to some degree - but never content or "settled" (not sure of the right word). She was a tremendously good friend to me and my boys, helped us out at times. She even treated my boys like they were hers.

But I could never reach her. I think her money and accomplishments worked against her.

 

[elijah23]

I have a good friend who went to her eternity without Christ. She had all the money she needed, even left a LOT for her family to argue about.

I could never reach her. She was a self-made business woman who needed no one, never needed help - and when she got old and DID need help, she had the money to pay for the care she needed.

She was, actually, a quite happy person to some degree - but never content or "settled" (not sure of the right word). She was a tremendously good friend to me and my boys, helped us out at times. She even treated my boys like they were hers.

But I could never reach her. I think her money and accomplishments worked against her.

Some people are very proud and therefore unwilling to listen, or at least, they pretend not to listen. They put on a happy face but are empty.

I’m guessing she and Jesus came to an understanding before it was too late.

 

[WIP]

Even after experiencing the peace that comes with righteousness, our sinfulness continues to hold us back from true happiness. It won't be until we are experiencing the pure joy of heaven before we truly become happy.

 

[elijah23]

Even after experiencing the peace that comes with righteousness, our sinfulness continues to hold us back from true happiness. It won't be until we are experiencing the pure joy of heaven before we truly become happy.

Heaven, I think, is what we have after the guilt disappears from our sin.