Hi George,
Maybe this is for another topic, but what i want to know is, which is worse? The spiritual sins committed by the thoughts and the heart, or the act? Or are they equally bad?
It is what is in a person's HEART, which is what leads a person to sin eventually.
James 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
His "own desires" are what is in his heart...
v. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
The heart holds our innermost thoughts/desires/lust and we know that the carnal human nature leans towards our lusts, and it is by what is in our heart by which we are judged.
Pro 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
Jer 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
Pro 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
But the LORD weighs the hearts.
Jer 17:10 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings.
Luke 16:15 And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
Yes the heart is the crux of the matter, it is where our thoughts develop and it is where our character is stored up. So whatever is there good or wicked, God judges us by that.
Rom 2:5 But because of your hard and impenitent (unrepentant) heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.
v. 6 He will render to each one according to his works:
v. 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;
v. 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
1Cor 3:13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
v. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.
v. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
mercy, peace and love
Kat