{"id":195881,"date":"2016-01-07T07:45:44","date_gmt":"2016-01-07T13:45:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=195881"},"modified":"2016-01-05T15:40:37","modified_gmt":"2016-01-05T21:40:37","slug":"the-fine-line-between-sin-and-virtue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2016\/01\/the-fine-line-between-sin-and-virtue\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fine Line Between Sin and Virtue"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/p>\n

40 miles per hour is the speed limit on University Drive going towards Highway 6.\u00a0\u00a0When I drive through that zone, I try to go exactly 45 miles per hour.\u00a0\u00a0Why?\u00a0Because I can get where I\u2019m going faster than if I drive 40, and few police officers aren’t going to pull someone over for only going 5 miles per hour over the speed limit.\u00a0\u00a0So I speed as much as possible without really breaking the law.<\/p>\n

The sad thing is that this speeding principle was representative of my moral code for most of my life. My conscience wouldn\u2019t let me commit serious sins.\u00a0\u00a0But I wanted to go as far towards those sins as I could without actually committing them.\u00a0\u00a0That way I could get the respect from my friends and instant gratification that came with those sins, and I wouldn\u2019t have to feel guilty.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the problem with going 5 miles per hour over the speed limit.\u00a0\u00a0If you do it often enough chances are you will find yourself really speeding.\u00a0\u00a0My impressive collection of speeding tickets can attest to that.\u00a0\u00a0And sadly, in my previous life of driving on the line between sin and not sin, and between mortal and venial sin, I wound up on the wrong end of the line.\u00a0\u00a0So many times.<\/p>\n

Don’t live your faith as if you’re trying to get away with something.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let me be brutal here- driving on that line shows a lack of love and respect for God.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0It is saying that we only want to follow God\u2019s perfect laws enough to make ourselves feel good.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m still not perfect in this respect, but God has helped me to make some changes.\u00a0\u00a0I used to think that Christians were just supposed to avoid mortal sins so we don\u2019t go to hell.\u00a0\u00a0I didn\u2019t think that venial sins were a big deal.\u00a0\u00a0But after coming to know God\u2019s love and power and mercy, I really don\u2019t want to walk the tight rope anymore.\u00a0\u00a0Knowing how worthy God is of my love and reverence has changed my desires. \u00a0I’m no longer okay with getting that close to sin.<\/p>\n

Continue Reading at Collaborative Catholic Formation Ministries<\/a>\u00bb<\/p>\n