(January 8, 2018 at 2:57 am)vulcanlogician Wrote: What's up with this?
It's the first step in the ABCs of becoming a Christian (Admit, Believe, Confess) but I always saw it as a rather unhealthy way to reflect upon one's misdeeds. Personally, I think something like "I made a mistake" or "That was terrible of me to do" is a much more beneficial as it is directed toward the action itself. It doesn't make the assumption: I did a bad thing, therefore I'm a bad person.
What does it really even mean?
Admit that I'm capable of moral transgressions? Sure, I'll admit that. But that doesn't mean I am anything, does it?
Does it mean admit that I've commited moral transgressions in the past? I'll admit that too. And while you're at it, I'll probably fail in my moral responsibilities in the future too. I admit it.
Theists: Have I admitted in this post that I'm a sinner? Or is there more to it than that? If so, what's the difference?
Atheists: What do you make of all this "admit you're a sinner" stuff? What do you think motivates it? Is it a good, bad, or ugly way to reflect on moral transgressions?
Take morality out of the picture. Sin or rather the law of God transcends or goes much father than what s or is not moral. The law of God is simply that what God deems or commanded is necessary to enter into Heaven on one's own Merritt. in other words what it takes to be God via our work thoughts and deeds. Yes morality is apart of the law but not the whole or complete law of God.
Now a sin is anything not in the expressed will of God/God's law. To admit one is a sinner simply is to admit one/all falls short of the work based merrit needed to enter heaven based on word, thought and or deed. This was apart of the master plan from the beginning. As God does not want deity based members of Heaven. God wants passion based, intellectually based, people who elect to be with and serve God in Heaven.
Inorder for us to choose Heaven we must be outside of the will of God to Choose God. In other words we must start out in sin and then choose to come back Home to God. That is where Jesus Comes in. He takes away our sin (if our pride will allow us to admit it and seek attonement for it) and what is left is our choice to be with God.
Do not confuse sin and evil.
Not all sin is evil but all evil is indeed sin.
For instance the perfect law of God says it is a sin to steal. but at the same time it is not Evil to steal even from God to feed your people. (there is indeed an example of david feed his people from offering made to God) Evil is malice intention to be outside the will of God. To sin is natural for us as we are slaves (while in this form) to sin. so we will sin all of the rest of our lives no hope in changing that. But what we do have power over is the want or will to sin. To want to sin or to be maligned to sin is evil at it's core.
Most people confuse sin and evil or think they are the same. Sin will always find forgivness, but the pride in evil will always demand the sinner to be justified so he need not repent of his sin. Jst like stealing bread for your people may not be an evil act but it is still sin and be treated as such.
To admit you are a sinner is to deeply and sincerly cry out to God and earnestly admit that you have fallen short of the perfect standard he has in place (his law) to ever "EARN" your way into Heaven. That you have fallen far short of the desired goals moral or not. Then maybe list out some of your biggest most repeated sins of choice ask God to separate your conscientious self from the part of you that is enslaved to this sin so you conscinously may come to hate these sins without hating who you are. Ask for help via the Holy Spirit and acknowledge what Christ has already done to free you from this sin, and repeat when ever you feel weak or fail. which will happen alot. The idea here is change over time. God is no fool, but at the same time understand nothing happens over night. God only wants our best nothing more.
Remember we will never stop sinning, it is to the degree we sin and the inner want for sin that is what is important. Which is why repentance is so important, as it is a show or practice in a want to sperate one's self from one's sin