Should you confess every little thought and every little gesture will that make a difference? If I confess that I got angry at a driver who cut me off, and then at another one who nearly hit me, and at a driver who was text-messaging while driving and weaving in and out of the lanes, is that important, or should I say that I was angry at the way people drive?
The sin in all these cases is that I don't know why they were driving the way they did, and I judged them for something I presumed (negligence, carelessness, even "stupidity"). So, yes, the intent is more important. I need to be aware that others have lives too and that they may be dealing with emergencies that take their attention away form the world, rather than judge them and call them names.
Even for major sins, such as adultery, every little detail that qualifies as a sinful act is not necessary to describe. The fact that one has committed adultery is. So, yes, the intent is more important. It is far more important not only to admit a sin but to know, believe and confess that such a sin shall never be repeated.
David committed just about all the worst sins you can imagine (adultery, killing the husband of the woman he committed adultery with), yet he was forgiven because he repented of the intent to repeat it. When any desire to repeat it has died, that's when you know that sin has been forgiven. The intent is no longer there.
Possibly, but that would all depend on what the standards of proof are that would be accepted. If I had to guess, I think you would say that there can be no proof of design and it all well could be by chance?
Random is something that is only theoretically possible. Like I said before, we know that all this exists. Why or how it came into being is a matter of human fancy, but not necessarily the truth.
Your pet(s) may have a "theory" as to why you leave the house every morning, but chances are they are completely off the mark. But for their purpose, a given "theory" does just fine even if it has nothing to do with real reasons why you leave the house every morning.
Hey, Kosta. Went on a cruise in Alaska, and while there visited a Russian Orthodox church in Sitka. Is your belief system and worship style anything like theirs? Just curious.
Exactly! Thank You for saying this,dear Brother.
Luther's devilish "sin boldly" statement makes a mockery of God and His forgiveness.
The Bible doesn't say which sins we should confess, just that we should confess sins. I take that to mean all of them. I doubt that many people actually do that, but it appears to be the command.
If I confess that I got angry at a driver who cut me off, and then at another one who nearly hit me, and at a driver who was text-messaging while driving and weaving in and out of the lanes, is that important, or should I say that I was angry at the way people drive?
I don't recall any notion of "bundling" in the scriptures. :) More confession leads to more conviction and repentance.
The sin in all these cases is that I don't know why they were driving the way they did, and I judged them for something I presumed (negligence, carelessness, even "stupidity"). So, yes, the intent is more important. I need to be aware that others have lives too and that they may be dealing with emergencies that take their attention away form the world, rather than judge them and call them names.
Sure, and when you are aware of that, then you won't become angry and there is no issue of sin. My experience in becoming upset with bad drivers is that I only ever get angry when I'm REALLY already angry about something else. :)
Even for major sins, such as adultery, every little detail that qualifies as a sinful act is not necessary to describe. The fact that one has committed adultery is. So, yes, the intent is more important.
I totally disagree. There are a hundred different ways of committing adultery. Are you telling me that the confession of a single person sleeping around should be the same as that of one who consistently lies to his wife about his whereabouts and pays to have unsafe sex with a brood of prostitutes? I don't think it should work like that at all. That is why I say content DOES matter.
David committed just about all the worst sins you can imagine (adultery, killing the husband of the woman he committed adultery with), yet he was forgiven because he repented of the intent to repeat it. When any desire to repeat it has died, that's when you know that sin has been forgiven. The intent is no longer there.
Well, I thought that your point was that the murder would be wrapped into the sin of adultery, so David would have no need to separately confess it. That's what confession is like when content doesn't matter as much as intention. The intention was to get away with adultery.