Who knows our sin?

OSV.com ^ | 03-27-16 | Msgr. Charles Pope

[Salvation]

Who knows our sin? While Scripture could be taken to mean saints in heaven are aware of details of our sin, it is unlikely

Msgr. Charles Pope
March 27, 2016

Question: Do the souls in heaven know our sins, or is that knowledge reserved to God alone?— Peter Tate, Long Beach, California

Answer: We are in the realm of speculative theology when it comes to answering questions like this. However, it does not seem to pertain to God’s justice that he would reveal our sins to others (even the saints in heaven), especially our more hidden sins. We are not to reveal to others the sins of people we might know, except in certain rare situations. Only those who really need to know for a just reason should be informed. So in justice, it seems unlikely that God would reveal the details of our sins, even to the saints in heaven, since they do not need to know such things.

Some will refer to Hebrews 12:1, which refers to the saints in heaven as a “great cloud of witnesses.” But the context there is that they are witnesses to us of their life and the power of faith to transform, not that they are watching us like spectators.

There is another text that says, “For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light” (Lk 8:17). But here, the context is not our hidden deeds but the truth of the Gospel that comes out of the darkness to dawn on the minds of believers.

There are other verses that seek to console us in our oppression. For example, “Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known” (Mt 10:26). But here, the context is that unrepented sins will one day be revealed, not that a camera is running and the saints in heaven are seeing it as it happens now. Saints know our expressed needs and intercede for us (Rv 5:8; 8:3-4) but that does not mean detailed knowledge of our immediate actions.

If there is to be a detailed revealing of sins committed, that would seem to wait for the Last Judgment. St. Paul says, “do not make any judgment before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness” (1 Cor 4:5). How detailed this revelation will be is not certain, but the distinction between the just and the unjust will be clear. The Lord implies that significant detail will be reveled at the last judgment: “Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light” (Lk 12:3).

[Salvation]

Interesting topic for all

[Salvation]

Monsignor Pope OSV column Ping!

[Jim from C-Town]

If you are homosexual, bi-sexual, or transexual everyone will know your sin because you won’t shut up about it. You will also be required not only accept their sin but champion it!

[tired&retired]

Just as Jesus knew our sins, it is possible for us to know the sins of others.

However, the ability to know the sins of others is limited to those individuals who have raised their consciousness to a level where they do not judge others for their sins. You must be able to Love the sinner even though they sinned.

I’ve often had other people tell me to stop reading their thoughts. My response is that if they don’t want me to read their thoughts, don’t put them out there like billboards. All thoughts, including memories of past experiences since conception are right out in public view for anyone who has the ability to perceive them.

All the scientists who state that religion, spirituality and the human soul are not material just have not learned how to tune their consciousness to a level where thoughts become physical tangible objects.

You can blindfold a person and have them stand fifteen feet from me. When I touch a sin in their soul it knocks the person off their feet. (I define sin as any event that creates an obstacle to Love in a person’s soul.)

The pure soul always knows what is a sin. It doesn’t matter that a woman may be a pro abortion activist, when I touch the memory of any past abortions the wound is there in their soul.

Often sins are intergenerationally transferred. Recently I was working with a woman and when I touched the outer perimeter of her soul it knocked her over. I explained that when her mother was pregnant with her, her mother was very angry with her father. I further explained how this wound in her soul was created as a child in the mother’s womb cannot differentiate between their own experiences or their mother’s. And, that this anger toward her father caused difficulty her entire life in her relationships with men.

She responded, “I’m 65 years old and never married. Now I know why.”

I then moved toward her and it knocked her over backwards as I ran into her next sin. This I explained was a memory of her mother rejecting her shortly after birth. Her reply, “My mother put me up for adoption after I was born.”

Whether we commit sin, or sin is committed toward us, the inability to forgive others or ourselves allows sin to exist.

I am barely scratching the surface in this explanation.

Bottom line, sins are material physical tangible objects in our souls. I’m not God, but I perceive sins. If you consider the Holy Spirit as God’s Spirit, then it is the Holy Spirit working through me that allows me to perceive sins.

By the way, the eyes are truly the windows to the soul and often you can see a person’s sin merely by looking into their eyes.

[tired&retired]

Incidently, every event your soul ever experienced is right there with you at all times, where ever you go. This is why sin is the cause of death.

When a person dies and their life flashes before their eyes, that is merely the conscious awareness of the person letting go of the physical body and expanding outward through the stored memories in their soul. Sin fills up the soul and makes it very difficult to function and support life in the physical body.

In order to know thy Father, you must be like a child. Usually, the soul of a child is pure and clean. We must avoid sin in order to keep our soul clean, and if we have sinned, we must pray and seek forgiveness to cleanse our soul. This is why, if your brother has anything against you, it is best to go and resolve it before you worship. This is because sin has the affect of being an anchor or ballast to the soul and it inhibits the ability to project prayers upward.

[ealgeone]

To follow catholic logic...if the departed saints can hear our prayers they are aware of our sins.

The msgr says no.

Some will refer to Hebrews 12:1, which refers to the saints in heaven as a “great cloud of witnesses.” But the context there is that they are witnesses to us of their life and the power of faith to transform, not that they are watching us like spectators.

This statement completely takes away the argument of the catholic that the departed saints are always watching us. Hence they would be able to hear our prayers. If they can hear our prayers they are aware of our sins.

Salvation, keep on posting. You're proving with these posts what we've been saying about the false teaching of Rome regarding the notion of praying to the departed saints.....they cannot hear us!

[spintreebob]

First of all, sins of a person who has accepted forgiveness are not the same as sins of a person who has not accepted forgiveness.

Forgiven sins are not visible to Saints... or to God. They are forgiven.

[ealgeone]

Excellent point. Does not Colossians 2:13-14 tell us He’s blotted out our sins?!

[fatima]

Actually it proves her point.If we join with a Saint in prayer to the Father Our Father see’s the union of prayers.As I look at it a Saint is someone who excelled in a virtue,not all,to perfection.No-one knows our failings but God.The Saints had failings too.We are asking Someone we admire to pray with us.I might have a story on this in a few days:)If anyone wants to hear it.

[ealgeone]

A saint in the Bible is a believer in Christ. If you mean by joining your prayer with a believer here on Earth, I agree it would be a union of prayers.

But those saints who've gone on to Heaven can not hear or see us.

[fatima]

I agree with first point.I disagree with 2nd point.

[ealgeone]

Based on the msgr they cannot hear us.

[fatima]

What Msgr?

[af_vet_1981]

Abraham, who is a saint, knew all about Lazarus and the rich man whose name we do not (yet) have.

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Luke, Catholic chapter sixteen, Protestant verses nineteen to thirty one,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James<
boldness mine

[fatima]

But God gave him knowledge of that.

[af_vet_1981]

But God gave him knowledge of that.

Is that what you see that in that text ? Do you see it here ?

And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

Luke, Catholic chapter twenty, Protestant verses thirty four to thirty eight,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James

[fatima]

No,where do you see it?

[Cvengr]

Spiritually, many believers are cognizant of the sins of others. Sin, being an act of volition which is not in accordance with the Plan of God, is many times perceived spiritually by a believer.

OTOH, we don’t have to know all the details of the sins of others to remain in fellowship with God ourselves.

Many unbelievers thinking the Christian walk is foolish, because it is a spiritual walk and they lack the human spirit to perceive spiritual things. Conversely, some believers have a spiritual gift of evangelism, which allows the believer to spiritually perceive the proper thing to say at the proper time and place to lead an unbeliever to Christ.

Many unbelievers walk into churches which are filled with the Holy Spirit, and think they can blend in by pretending to be innocent and friendly. They are like the King who wore the invisible new coat, oafishly thinking nobody sees through their charade, when they are the most exposed for all to see through their pretense.

[af_vet_1981]

I only see the saints alive in Him and aware of what transpired. The Prophet Samuel is interesting, asking why King Saul disquieted him and brought him up, but one may attribute that to the unholy and forbidden method rather than to prayer.

And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.

First Samuel, Catholic chapter twenty eight, Protestant verse fifteen,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James

[Campion]

they cannot hear us

They have whatever power God gives them to hear us, obviously.