Some people such as Calvinists do not believe individuals will be judged for their actions. Others believe they will be judged for their actions only, but not for their thoughts. The Bible says God will judge our thoughts because our thoughts are our inner being (Gen 6:5, Deut 15:9, Ps 94:1, Ps 139:23-24, Prov 15:26, Prov 24:9, Prov 30:32, Is 55:7, Jer 6:19, Mt 5:21-22, Mt 15:19-20, Lk 16:15, Acts 8:20-22, Rom 2:15, 1Cor 4:5, 2Cor 10:4-6, Heb 4:12). However, this does not include every passing, carnal thought which is not fostered. For example, practically speaking adultery of the thoughts does not apply to every momentary thought, but that which is dwelt upon and followed, developing the fantasy (Mt 5:27-28). To lust after means to covet (Ex 20:17). To notice that your neighbor has a nice house is not the same as coveting it. What we dwell on in our thoughts will eventually become what we do. What we think and what we do defines who we are, no matter how we try to justify ourselves in our own eyes and disconnect ourselves from our actions. Someone who commits murder is a murderer. Someone who steals is a thief. Someone who commits adultery is an adulterer. This is also true of righteousness (1Jn 3:7). All acts start out as thoughts. That is why a legal defense such as temporary insanity can be disingenuous. If temporary insanity is legally defined as a brief state of mind in which the defendant is incapable of knowing the wrongfulness of their acts, then it could be argued that almost everyone who commits a crime in a moment of passion is to be exonerated. While there may be mitigating circumstances surrounding their actions, they cannot make such excuses before God. God knows there is almost always a conscious decision before acting, even if that moment is brief. It could be argued that it was foolish to fail to consider the ramifications of acting on that thought, but the only way to be absolved before God is to repent and obey the gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38). The heart of man is evil by nature (Jer 17:9-10, Mt 15:19). That is why salvation truly begins when the word of God enters our hearts and begins to change us from within, leading to outward changes (Mt 13:18-23, Heb 8:10, Heb 10:16). In conjunction, God also fills our hearts with His Spirit to make us partakers of His divine nature (Gal 4:6, Col 1:27, 2Pet 1:1-11). Then His nature can be expressed through us instead of the sinful one (Gal 5:19-23). Then we can look forward to the coming of the Lord instead of dreading it.
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