Sin

"The greatest error is to call a man a weak and miserable sinner. Every time a person thinks in this mistaken manner, he rivets one more link in the chain of avidya that binds him, adds one more layer to the “self-hypnotism” that lies heavy over his mind."

"Past sins, if you repent of them, whiten you. They made a great psalmist out of David, a faithful believer out of the prostitute Rahab, a zealous apostle out of the persecutor Saul. I have been a loved preacher and writer with a particular vocation. My sermons and books would not have had the same quality without my past of anarchy, vice, and violent atheism."

"Sin, in its essential core, is the rejection of oneself, the rejection of freedom, the rejection of growth, the rejection of reaching divine life. And it is this central rejection that drags everything else along with it. If I choose to fall back on myself, I necessarily remain at the mercy of my instincts, whatever they may be."

"One sins not because one loves the creature, but because one does not love it enough."

"And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him."

"My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not."

"Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard."

"Who can say: “I have cleansed my heart; I am pure from my sin”?"

"Come now, let us settle the matter, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

"As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the ” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing."

"Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains."

"Dens propitius esto mihi peccatori."

"That is why, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because they had all sinned."

"Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

"Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness."

"... to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin."

"... he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins."

"For in God's sight are (all) his servants, (namely), those who say: 'Our Lord, we have indeed believed: forgive us, then, our sins ("dhunub"), and save us from the agony of the Fire.'"

"If you avoid great sins (kaba’ir or dhanb) which are forbidden you, We will remit from you your evil deeds (sayyi’a)"

"They will ask thee about wine and maysir. Say, ‘In both of them there is great sin (ithm) and also some uses for men, but their sin is greater than their usefulness."

"He who associates with God has surely forged a great sin"

"God forgiveth not (the sin of) joining other gods to Him; but He forgiveth whom He pleaseth other sins that this: one who joins other gods with God hath strayed far, far away."

"I waive the quantum o' the sin, The hazard of concealing: But, och! it hardens a' within, And petrifies the feeling!"

"But, sad as angels for the good man's sin, Weep to record, and blush to give it in."

"Sin let loose speaks punishment at hand."

"Come, now again, thy woes impart, Tell all thy sorrows, all thy sin; We cannot heal the throbbing heart Till we discern the wounds within."

"I couldn't live in peace if I put the shadow of a wilful sin between myself and God."

"O Lord and Master of my life, give me not a spirit of sloth, vain curiosity, lust for power and idle talk, but give to me, Thy servant, a spirit of soberness, humility, patience and love. O Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to condemn my brother: for blessed art Thou to the ages of ages. Amen. O God, cleanse me, a sinner."

"Das Uebel macht eine Geschichte und das Gute keine."

"Man-like is it to fall into sin, Fiend-like is it to dwell therein, Christ-like is it for sin to grieve, God-like is it all sin to leave."

"One should next proceed to the Vaitarani capable of destroying every sin."

"Nor custom, nor example, nor vast numbers Of such as do offend, make less the sin."

"In Adam's fall— We sinned all."

"Young Timothy Learnt sin to fly."

"Di faciles, peccasse semel concedite tuto: Id satis est. Pœnam culpa secunda ferat."

"Cui peccare licet peccat minus. Ipsa potestas Semina nequitiæ languidiora facit."

"Si quoties homines peccant sua fulmina mittat Jupiter, exiguo tempore inermis erit."

"Palam mutire plebeio piaculum est."

"Aliena vitia in oculis habemus; a tergo nostra sunt."

"Magna pars hominum est, quæ non peccatis irascitur sed peccantibus."

"Omnes mali sumus. Quidquid itaque in alio reprehenditur, id unusquisque in suo sinu inveniet."

"Sin is a state of mind, not an outward act."

"They say sin touches not a man so near As shame a woman; yet he too should be Part of the penance, being more deep than she Set in the sin."

"To abstain from sin when a man cannot sin is to be forsaken by sin, not to forsake it."

"Nec tibi celandi spes sit peccare paranti; Est deus, occultos spes qui vetat esse dolos."

"But he who never sins can little boast Compared to him who goes and sins no more!"

"Though sin may be in the Christian, yet it hath no more dominion over him; he hath an unfeigned respect to all God's commandments, making conscience even of little sins and little duties."

"Sin is the insurrection and rebellion of the heart against God; it turns from Him, and turns against Him; it takes up arms against God."

"Presumption has many forms; and it is worth considering, whether a great and good Being would most disapprove the presumption which expected too much from His goodness, or the presumption which dared positively to disbelieve His promise."