Can You Think a Sin?

A question I have often wondered, especially when hearing prayers of requests for forgiveness saying "forgive us for our sins in thought, word, and deed." Is it really a sin to think something cruel or immoral if you don't act along with that sinful thought?

The Ten Commandments: "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor"

Proverb 24:8 The thought of foolishness is sin

Matthew 5:28 "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

Originally posted by masscat
The Ten Commandments: "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor"

Proverb 24:8 The thought of foolishness is sin

Matthew 5:28 "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

man, i've got some serious forgiving to ask for

Originally posted by eatmybishop
man, i've got some serious forgiving to ask for

All men do.

What about unmarried men? 😕

if thinking it is as bad as doing it then i sin a lot

Originally posted by wittywonka
A question I have often wondered, especially when hearing prayers of requests for forgiveness saying "forgive us for our sins in [b]thought, word, and deed." Is it really a sin to think something cruel or immoral if you don't act along with that sinful thought?[/b]

Their is a difference between having a thought enter your mind verses thinking about that thought as though you wished it could happen. I once heard a preacher say that he has no control of whether birds fly over his head but he does have control on whether they build a nest on top of his head. When you think of sin, it is concieved in the mind first. This is why it must be dealt with in your thought life first. This is where the battle is won or lost.

Originally posted by whodey
Their is a difference between having a thought enter your mind verses thinking about that thought as though you wished it could happen. I once heard a preacher say that he has no control of whether birds fly over his head but he does have control on whether they build a nest on top of his head. When you think of sin, it is concieved in the mind first. This ...[text shortened]... why it must be dealt with in your thought life first. This is where the battle is won or lost.

good. if God held my thoughts against me before i did something bad, then he would be cheating