What Is Habitual Sin?
Those of the Christian religion know that the act of sin is disobedience against God. Every negative act that doesn't line up perfectly with the will of God is considered sin. Some of these include gluttony, lying, murder, fornication, theft, selfishness and pride. Habitual sin is common among both Christians and non-Christians worldwide.
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What is Habitual Sin?
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Habitual sin is a pattern of disobedience to God. It requires the knowledge that what you are doing is wrong, yet you continue to sin despite knowing the consequences. Sin becomes habitual because of a spiritual and psychological cycle that takes place within the person who is in sin. This cycle begins with the person being tempted to sin. Maybe the person is feeling sad or depressed and the person begins to believe that smoking illegal marijuana or stuffing himself with food will relieve the tension. The next phase in the cycle is the decision. This is when the person actually chooses to act upon the sin. Once that's done, she will have feelings of guilt. These feelings of guilt and shame eventually cause depression and sadness, which once again start the cycle of habitual sin with temptation.
Consequences of Habitual Sin
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To understand habitual sin, and the answer to habitual sin, you must first know the Christian doctrine behind it and the subject of atonement. All of these answers can be found by understanding why Jesus Christ came to die on the cross.
According to the Bible of Christianity, God desired to have a relationship with the people of the world, but because God is perfect and holy and could not be in the presence of sin, he had to separate himself from the people he loved. In the book of Romans, chapter 3, the Apostle Paul says that the "penalty of sin is death." Those who continued to live in habitual sin would die without having eternal life and are sent to a place called Hell. Habitual sin not only destroys your relationship with God but it is also self-destructive. Sin such as holding grudges instead of forgiving can cause damage to relationships with others as well.
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Solving the Problem of Habitual Sin
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If your desire is to overcome habitual sin in your life, there are some practical tools you can use to stay out of the cycle of sin. By acknowledging who you are to God and meditating on the fact that you, as a Christian, are a pure and spotless child of God, your mind can be transformed and conformed to the spirit of God living inside of you. Understanding that your flesh, the part of yourself that acts upon sin, is actually dead once you accept Christ, will also help you to combat sin. The most important aspect of stopping habitual sin is through the process of repentance. This includes a genuine feeling of sorrow for the sin you committed against God and a complete turning from anything having to do with that sin. Other ways to help you to end habitual sin include praying to God for help and being accountable with fellow Christian believers when you are struggling with the sin.
The Answer of Atonement
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The only way sin could be atoned was through a perfect sacrifice. Because there was no sacrifice perfect sacrifice on earth, God the Father caused a virgin to bear his son, Jesus Christ. Because Jesus was fully God yet fully man, he did not have a sin nature and therefore was the perfect sacrifice for sin. Once a person believes in the sacrifice of Jesus for his sins and commits his life to him, the person will inherit eternal life instead of death.
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References
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