is doubt a sin?

[CoachPurse]

right after I accepted Christ I found myself wondering why I did that cus I started to doubt that He was real because I didn't see Him or his miricles. So, I went to my pastor and told him that I was feeling this way, not so sure.

He told me, that doubting is just an opportunity to search out the truth about God, and prove his existence. He said that as long as you dont just sit there and say ok my doubt must me true, and instead, search out to see if it is true, you are ok. Cus God is the same today as he was then and he will not change, so if you look for Him you will find Him and you will see the truth if you look for it. And for me he was right.

[Guest jckduboise]

That was all very eloquently put Jackie, but I cant help thinking that Jesus was somewhat of a concise man. I believe I'm right in thinking that apart from parables he said exactly what he meant. I believe that in this case he said, if you think it, youve done it already in your heart.

If I think to myself I dont have enough for that candy bar...boy it would be good. Does that make me a theif?

If you simply wish for a candy bar, no. If you think about stealing THAT candy bar, yes.

Exactly sir, if I think of stealing, lying, cheating, killing I am sinning. If I see an attractive man and think he is attractive I have not sinned. If a fleeting thought comes into my head about does God exist? I am not sinning..it is when I continue the thoughs and dwell on the thoughts and allow satan to use my thoughts to plant the seed of doubt in my heart....that is what I believe you have said nothing to me to convince me that I am not correct.

We are not in agreement.. if I am wrong I will have to pay the price with God. I do not believe that I am. Have a wonderful evening and God Bless..

[Guest jckduboise]

After signing off tonight and reading and praying I found that I am very bothered that this thread has turned out the way it has. I feel that there is misjudgement being made and that I need to clarify with verse and spiritual awareness.

To begin with....we do not have control over the thoughts that come into our heads...we only have control over what is done with the thought.

Now I understand that it would be easier if everything were cut and dry and we did not have to wonder about things such as doubt but it isn't.

Most of us take what we read in the bible and we put it to use in our daily physical lives but how many of us consider the spiritual? How many of us realize that when we have some horrible aweful thing come into our heads about another person for no appearant reason and we ask ourselves..where did that come from? Well the answer is it didn't come from God and I don't think like that. So who is left?

Satan.

Okay now onto scripture....Hebrews 6:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any DOUBLE-EDGED sword., it penetrates even to DIVIDING soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and the attitudes of the HEART...

So what I am understanding is that my heart has attitude and thought? The words are plainly spoken there is no separation in body part with " judges the thoughts and the attitudes of the heart"..

I take this to mean that he is not judging the foolishness that goes on in my brain he is judging what my heart thinks and acts on.........

Let's just say I am driving down the road one day and I'm listening to my favorite Christian radio station and I am listening to a minister about the greatness of God..well I'm really enjoying this it is just making me so elated to hear about my wonderful Abba..then all of a sudden some off the wall stuff pops into my head "He really thinks He's something doesn't He"..Now let me ask something who do those words belong to?

If they are not coming from me and they aren't coming from God they are coming from satan and that means I DID NOT THINK THEM SATAN SAID THEM TO ME...now if I am aware that satan tries to plant negative things in my head and am aware of the source I have the ability to keep it or rebuke it. If I decide to keep it and allow him to continue to converse with me and plant this garbage in my head before I know it (poof) I am in doubt of God..I am sinning at that time..

But if something like that happens and I rebuke satan..I have not sinned..I did not think the words they were whispered into my ear..

So God judges the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts because that is where the doubt grows and becomes the sin...not in the words whispered in my ear.

Satan loves topics like these because he gets to plant more doubt and make people worry about things like this..because he knows we have more important issues to deal with and keeping us glued to something like this prevents us from growing in Christ and have a strong spiritual relationship with the Lord.

...we are not dealing with the physical we are dealing with the spiritual..we have to move past our heads to where our spirit lives...our hearts.

God Bless you all....

[>> Hannah <<]

So is doubt a SIN or not.... ?

[Guest NewPilgrim]

I say yes. Jackie says no. Make of that what you will

If you decide that it IS a sin Hannah, it is of no matter. Sin is covered by the blood of Christ.

One thing for sure is that doubting God, sin or not, is not a positive thing (I'm sure even Jackie can agree with me on that) and as such you should continue your struggle to get to the root of the problem. Doubt is just a symptom. Endeavour to reconcile yourself to God. Pray, study, listen for answers. If you doubt that God exists, then commit yourself to him, to his word. In being truth he will reward your diligence and faithfulness. If your diligence brings no fruit at all, then perhaps you will have the answer you are looking for or at least a lack of evidence sufficient enough to abandon your hope.

[>> Hannah <<]

I say yes. Jackie says no. Make of that what you will

If you decide that it IS a sin Hannah, it is of no matter. Sin is covered by the blood of Christ.

surely here if people are unsure of whether or not it is a sin.. we could end up having unrepented sin... which is a bad thing

If you doubt that God exists, then commit yourself to him

how can i can commit myself to something im not sure of...

[Guest jckduboise]

So is doubt a SIN or not.... ?

If you are having doubtful thoughts about God and they become a reality to you in your HEART then yes you are sinning..I never said that doubt cannot become sin...the greatest sin is turning our backs on God and taking our faith in God away from Him..in other words becoming an unbeliever...that is what the doubt could do to you, should you allow it to grow into your heart as a belief...

If it is simply a thought and you seek the truth.. how can a person be sinning?..we are supposed to seek the truth..

Again..we are judged by the thoughts and attitudes of our HEARTS..he doesn't say head he says heart because that is where our sinful selves really exist...

[Rober H]

I say yes. Jackie says no. Make of that what you will

If you decide that it IS a sin Hannah, it is of no matter. Sin is covered by the blood of Christ.

surely here if people are unsure of whether or not it is a sin.. we could end up having unrepented sin... which is a bad thing

If you doubt that God exists, then commit yourself to him

how can i can commit myself to something im not sure of...

A person cannot commit themselves to a God they don't know. If a person doesn't know God the fault does not lie with the Creator.

Romans 1:19-20 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

The problem always lies in the person.

No one can convince a person of spiritual things. They cannot be discerned by the world. A person who asks all the right questions but resists all the right answers is in a state of denial.

1 Corinthians 2:13-14 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthians 1:21-23 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;