to the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. they profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. they are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. titus 1:15-16
paul wrote to titus, who stayed on the island of crete while Paul had left, to encourage him and give further instruction. There were people on the island, similar to those Timothy faced, who were adding to what was defined as a sin, confusing the church planted there.
now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. for everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. 1 timothy 4:1-5
God knows the condition of your heart. He knows your intentions. He defined clearly what is sin in His Word. we can’t live in the freedom that God has given us when we toil about everything in life being a sin. we miss that the victory has already been won. we seek Him and allow Him in His loving kindness to lead us to repentance.
now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. i warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. galatians 5:19-21
so whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. james 4:17
the enemy and the false teachers at the time of the early church were making believers feel guilty and toil in their mistakes and in daily life decisions. we do not serve a God of confusion or of toil.
In addition, mistakes aren’t always sin. the mistakes that you make because you are human and imperfect, aren’t always sinful. seek restoration and take accountability for your mistake then let it go. ask God to search your heart, and ask brothers and sisters in Christ if you’ve sinned against them. otherwise, we risk being distracted from doing what God has called us to do, living in the toil that paul warns against.
what area are you believing lies from the enemy in which you’ve made a mistake or are toiling?