I don't want to hijack the thread on sexual behavior and Christians. But a branch of this question deserves its own thread.
The question is basically this. Why do some people feel terrible about sinning while others don't feel bad at all? (Christians included) And should our "feelings" dictate our beliefs and how we should live?
The answer is complex. We are encouraged to follow our conscience, but there has to be some kind of clarification since some people's consciences never seem to bother them, while other's never stop bothering them.
My answer begins with this. The conscience is not an exact tool. By the time we hit the age of reason, we've got all kinds of barnacles attached to it. It might be overly numb or overly sensitive. So, following it exactly is not the prescription. Some think that being a Christian magically changes this dynamic, but that's not true. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul is telling people they should feel ashamed of their conduct, perhaps because they had no shame. They lived in such an extremely permissive culture, that it seeped into the church. So, bad behavior and lack of remorse is unfortunately a historical reality from the birth of the church.
I'm convinced that nobody is born without a conscience. Rather, influences from our childhood can be so powerful one of two things can happen. In order to survive constant assault- we can disconnect to the point where we don't feel. In such a case, telling someone to use their conscience as a guide could lead to disaster.
The other extreme is an overactive coscience. In some cases parents or whomever have so overwhelmed a child with guilt, they feel shame over everything. If they overhear a song or happen to catch something out of the corner of the eye, they feel ashamed and dirty. For these, life is walking on eggshells.
In 1 John, the Apostle addresses this kind of situation, indicating that our hearts can condemn us when God does not, and that we can reassure ourselves- using our love for one another as the basis.
In this same letter, we are told that if we think we are without sin, we deceive ourselves. But if we walk in the light (love) - he is faithful and just to forgive us of unrighteousness.
False guilt is a horrible thing. No guilt is a terrible thing that always leads to damage. The good news is that a faulty conscience can be repaired or restored.
But here is a warning, if we routinely violate our conscience and think it is of no little consequence, we fool ourselves. The Bible also warns of a dangerous outcome, a seared conscience. This is in effect a process of becoming so numb to the voice of conviction, we don't feel bad when we should feel bad about doing something. In secular terms, that is the road to becoming a psychopath.
Feeling is necessary, but feelings should not rule us. Principles should.
As we mature and grow, our conscience should become more and more effective, rather than a hinderance. We should come into freedom where things that shouldn't bother us no longer do, and where we feel bad when we hurt someone or God, but not to the point of being crippled.
Becoming who we have the potential to become is actually a process that requires fine tuning. We don't always know we are doing wrong when we do it, and we must learn to actually train our minds/feelings to follow.
That may seem counterintuitive, because feelings are so strong. It seems that what we feel is really who we are. That is not so, we have a higher sense- knowing what is right and what we want to be- less judgmental and more forgiving, less harsh and more kind...etc.
Science calls this process of changing our thinking- cognitive restructuring. Paul calls it being transformed by the renewing of our minds. And he uses a phrase, "spirit of your minds"-
In order to grow, suppressing negative thoughts or inserting positive ones only helps so much and is an uphill battle. We actually have to change the "spirit" of our minds, or the way we think.
Nate
The question is basically this. Why do some people feel terrible about sinning while others don't feel bad at all? (Christians included) And should our "feelings" dictate our beliefs and how we should live?
The answer is complex. We are encouraged to follow our conscience, but there has to be some kind of clarification since some people's consciences never seem to bother them, while other's never stop bothering them.
My answer begins with this. The conscience is not an exact tool. By the time we hit the age of reason, we've got all kinds of barnacles attached to it. It might be overly numb or overly sensitive. So, following it exactly is not the prescription. Some think that being a Christian magically changes this dynamic, but that's not true. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul is telling people they should feel ashamed of their conduct, perhaps because they had no shame. They lived in such an extremely permissive culture, that it seeped into the church. So, bad behavior and lack of remorse is unfortunately a historical reality from the birth of the church.
I'm convinced that nobody is born without a conscience. Rather, influences from our childhood can be so powerful one of two things can happen. In order to survive constant assault- we can disconnect to the point where we don't feel. In such a case, telling someone to use their conscience as a guide could lead to disaster.
The other extreme is an overactive coscience. In some cases parents or whomever have so overwhelmed a child with guilt, they feel shame over everything. If they overhear a song or happen to catch something out of the corner of the eye, they feel ashamed and dirty. For these, life is walking on eggshells.
In 1 John, the Apostle addresses this kind of situation, indicating that our hearts can condemn us when God does not, and that we can reassure ourselves- using our love for one another as the basis.
In this same letter, we are told that if we think we are without sin, we deceive ourselves. But if we walk in the light (love) - he is faithful and just to forgive us of unrighteousness.
False guilt is a horrible thing. No guilt is a terrible thing that always leads to damage. The good news is that a faulty conscience can be repaired or restored.
But here is a warning, if we routinely violate our conscience and think it is of no little consequence, we fool ourselves. The Bible also warns of a dangerous outcome, a seared conscience. This is in effect a process of becoming so numb to the voice of conviction, we don't feel bad when we should feel bad about doing something. In secular terms, that is the road to becoming a psychopath.
Feeling is necessary, but feelings should not rule us. Principles should.
As we mature and grow, our conscience should become more and more effective, rather than a hinderance. We should come into freedom where things that shouldn't bother us no longer do, and where we feel bad when we hurt someone or God, but not to the point of being crippled.
Becoming who we have the potential to become is actually a process that requires fine tuning. We don't always know we are doing wrong when we do it, and we must learn to actually train our minds/feelings to follow.
That may seem counterintuitive, because feelings are so strong. It seems that what we feel is really who we are. That is not so, we have a higher sense- knowing what is right and what we want to be- less judgmental and more forgiving, less harsh and more kind...etc.
Science calls this process of changing our thinking- cognitive restructuring. Paul calls it being transformed by the renewing of our minds. And he uses a phrase, "spirit of your minds"-
In order to grow, suppressing negative thoughts or inserting positive ones only helps so much and is an uphill battle. We actually have to change the "spirit" of our minds, or the way we think.
Nate
) does have a plan, I don't think man is going to accommodate it, left to our own devices. Scripture has Him actively sustaining the Christian's walk (Phil. 1:6) the Church (Rev. 1:19ff) and the Universe (Heb. 1 et al). We may be talking about two different types of "interference/intercession" though. Please forgive me if I misunderstand you.