“Is This a Sin?”

If you begin to sin but don’t follow all the way through… is it
still a sin? It depends. We’re offered two different scenarios. In
one, the person is prevented from sinning due to external factors
that make it impractical or impossible to commit the sin they had
planned on. In the second scenario, we see someone preparing to
sin, but then freely and rationally choosing not to. The first
scenario is a sin, but the second is a virtuous act. Why? Because
the second person freely decided not to commit sin, they morally
aligned themselves toward the good when they had previously been
aimed towards sin. They redirected their will toward God when they
could have continued to go against him. In a simpler sense, they
were headed down a bad path, but then turned around before making
it to their destination. That being said, while the second person
did realign themselves toward virtue, the extent to which they
consented to this sin ahead of time may be worth a confession. Even
though the person chose virtue in the end, their soul was still
burdened with those thoughts, and in confession, those burdens are
lifted through forgiveness. The beautiful part about our faith is
that we have a Savior who is always ready and willing to forgive
us. Surrendering our hearts to him creates a living relationship
with God, where we trust his knowledge of our hearts, and run to
him whenever we are in need of saving.