Internal vs. External Sins

gregorytheSinner

I'm sure this must've been asked before, but to be honest, I figured it would be easier if I would ask again, instead of searching through the entire database:

I was discussing this with my friend not too long ago:

She thinks that although it's not the best solution... if a person can 'externally' control a sin its good enough.
I argued that it would be pointless if a person controls his 'external' sin, but maintains and harbors the 'internal' form of it; if anything internal cleansing is more important than external.

Clearly the perfect solution in this case would be to kill the entire sin, both externally and internally, but this is easier said then done.

My main argument was that a lot of people, downplay "internal" sins because they are not seen, and overplay "external" ones, because they are visable, completely disregarding our belief that sin is sin.

an example would be:
i.e. If someone caused you to be angry, and you controlled your tounge [externally not-sinning] and refrained from cursing outloud, but inside, you were cursing his entire generation [internally sinning]...  you might as well curse him externally.  it's not like its going to be counted as "two" sins, because either way its the sin of anger.

is this correct, or am i mistaken?

thanks

peterfarrington

We can say that to control the actual outcome of a sinful impulse is a beginning, and being a beginning is a good thing, but if we stop at making a beginning then it can become a bad thing, an excuse.

If I often get irritated and angry and snap at people then it is a good thing to learn to control my tongue so that however I feel inside I do not take it out on others. But if I allow myself to think I can carry on feeling irritated then I am excusing myself. The problem with me is inside me as you have said.

Now if I appear on the outside as a kind and thoughtful person, because I have comtrolled the impulse to express my anger, then actually I am liable to being a hypocrite, and my external behaviour is worth nothing. But when we are struggling with sin (and the person you described who is cursing inside does not seem to be struggling at all) then it is a good thing, and not hypocritical, to stop the external behavior even if there is turmoil inside.

The same could be said of sexual sins. If we are seeking to become holy then stopping external behaviour is a positive step on that journey, even if we are still mentally stimulated by various thoughts and images. But if we stop there, and think we have achieved enough, then we become hypocrites and the 'white-washed sepulchres' our Lord warned against. We must go on and seek to abolish such thoughts from our minds and hearts. But it is a good beginning. We should still recognise the sinfulness of our thoughts, but we can give thanks to God that by his grace he saved us from falling into the practice of that which we were thinking.

When the sin is externalised it seems to me to be made worse because it directly harms another. If I am thinking angry thoughts then these will affect at some level the way I deal with a person certainly, but if I say, 'You are an ugly idiot and you haven't got any friends', then I think this causes more harm and is a much worse sin. Likewise adultery, to have adulterous thoughts will certainly affect relationships at a subconscious level, but to commit adultery harms so many people. Internally I am guilty of adultery if I look with lust at another woman, and I will be judged for that and must repent for that, but to commit the act of adultery is much worse, because it is not all about me and my spiritual growth, such an act would harm several families, break friendships, damage children etc etc.

I guess what I am saying is that a committed Orthodox who is seeking to please God should not abandon him or herself to despair saying, even if I control my tongue I am just as bad as ever inside and have made no progress. Because thanks be to God, to control our external behaviour IS progress and God should be thanked for such progress. But we fall into error when we think that controlling external behaviour is enough, or is the goal of the Christian life. It is not. Our aim is to be filled with the Holy Spirit who is our life, and that requires a lack of acceptance on our part of any sin in our lives, even and especially that which is hidden from others.

God bless you

Father Peter

the_least

this verse fits exactly with what Fr. Peter said although it does not encompass all the details (i.e. that controlling the external sins is still progress and God should be thanked for it)

1 Samuel 16:7

For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.