If you don't know breaking a promise is a sin, and you make one..

[stanilovesGod]

Hi friends, i've been around for a while. I've been a Christian all my life, but i admit, i've never read the Bible, or knew anything about religion about the basics. I've tried to be good person though out my whole life, i had my sins ofcoruse, but i've never harmed anyone. I also have bad case of OCD, but that is not the topic of my question. Recently, i finally felt connection with God, deeper connection, it happened after series of broken self-made promises due to OCD.

So my question is this. Now i understand i have problems with the OCD and it's common for people with OCD to make promises that they can't keep and so on. I had topics about that and i know God forgives me. However, before i came to this forum, i never really believed breaking promise is a sin. Let me explain. Though my entire life, i used self-promies or promises that i make to God, although they were not real promises, but fear OCD driven self-motivating promises again, in order to fight my horrible compulsions that were ruining my life. However i always believed that, i am allowed to make a promise, for example that i will do or do not certain thing, but if circumstances changed, i am allowed to change or remove my promise. I've been doing this all my life and i really never knew it was sin. I knew it was bad but not as bad as it is written in the Scripture. Sometimes, since normal promises were unable to stop my OCD compulsion, my mind invents so cold promises with something bad to happen if i break them. This is horrible i know, i have no right to do it and so on. I always though those personal promises are not binding and i can release myself from them. Again, they were all driven by OCD thoughts and compulsions, it was my way fighting it.
Eventually i came to the forums, i and read how important promises to God are. Now, though my life i have made and later released myself from so many promises, some self harming, other even impossible. All of a sudden my OCD attacked me with forcing me to complete them all. Most of those promsies were made in times of extreme panic and OCD driven, also with the BELIVE i had that i can self- release myself from them. Not, since i know how ipmortan promises are, i've stopped my self from making any promises at all. How ever i feel forced by OCD to follow all the privious promises that i have given, especially those with bad outcoms that i created if not fulfilled. Yet those promises were given under the belive that they are removable by self, now that i know they aren't i want to release myself from them and never to make new ones, knowing how important they are.
Now i had privous topics about it and people assured me its fine as long as i confess my since, and especially with having OCD

How ever my question is more of moral one, lets forget OCD for a while.
If a man makes promises to God, vows or whatever, believeing in his heart that the promises/vows can be removed, or are binding only till you decide they are,lacking the knowledge that they are far more binding and ipmortant and you can destroy them if you want, later you start reading the Bible for first time and find out that you have no right to break them, are you still binded to them or no.
In other words if i make promises to God, without knowing they are forever binding, believeing i can later change my mind and dissolve them myself, but later you read for the first time the scriptures and realize you cannot self release your self, are you now forbidden to release them, even if they were made with the believe that you can?
Hope you got my point here Thanks for any responces

 

[stanilovesGod]

Hi friends, i've been around for a while. I've been a Christian all my life, but i admit, i've never read the Bible, or knew anything about religion about the basics. I've tried to be good person though out my whole life, i had my sins ofcoruse, but i've never harmed anyone. I also have bad case of OCD, but that is not the topic of my question. Recently, i finally felt connection with God, deeper connection, it happened after series of broken self-made promises due to OCD.

So my question is this. Now i understand i have problems with the OCD and it's common for people with OCD to make promises that they can't keep and so on. I had topics about that and i know God forgives me. However, before i came to this forum, i never really believed breaking promise is a sin. Let me explain. Though my entire life, i used self-promies or promises that i make to God, although they were not real promises, but fear OCD driven self-motivating promises again, in order to fight my horrible compulsions that were ruining my life. However i always believed that, i am allowed to make a promise, for example that i will do or do not certain thing, but if circumstances changed, i am allowed to change or remove my promise. I've been doing this all my life and i really never knew it was sin. I knew it was bad but not as bad as it is written in the Scripture. Sometimes, since normal promises were unable to stop my OCD compulsion, my mind invents so cold promises with something bad to happen if i break them. This is horrible i know, i have no right to do it and so on. I always though those personal promises are not binding and i can release myself from them. Again, they were all driven by OCD thoughts and compulsions, it was my way fighting it.
Eventually i came to the forums, i and read how important promises to God are. Now, though my life i have made and later released myself from so many promises, some self harming, other even impossible. All of a sudden my OCD attacked me with forcing me to complete them all. Most of those promsies were made in times of extreme panic and OCD driven, also with the BELIVE i had that i can self- release myself from them. Not, since i know how ipmortan promises are, i've stopped my self from making any promises at all. How ever i feel forced by OCD to follow all the privious promises that i have given, especially those with bad outcoms that i created if not fulfilled. Yet those promises were given under the belive that they are removable by self, now that i know they aren't i want to release myself from them and never to make new ones, knowing how important they are.
Now i had privous topics about it and people assured me its fine as long as i confess my since, and especially with having OCD

How ever my question is more of moral one, lets forget OCD for a while.
If a man makes promises to God, vows or whatever, believeing in his heart that the promises/vows can be removed, or are binding only till you decide they are,lacking the knowledge that they are far more binding and ipmortant and you can destroy them if you want, later you start reading the Bible for first time and find out that you have no right to break them, are you still binded to them or no.
In other words if i make promises to God, without knowing they are forever binding, believeing i can later change my mind and dissolve them myself, but later you read for the first time the scriptures and realize you cannot self release your self, are you now forbidden to release them, even if they were made with the believe that you can?
Hope you got my point here Thanks for any responces

 

[A_Thinker]

I think that God understands that these "promises" are a coping mechanism to help you deal with your OCD. I don't think that He would be bothered by your self-releasing of yourself from them, especially if they involve harming anyone, including yourself.

I once read of a similar case to yours where the person was helped in his OCD through psychotherapy.

 

[timewerx]

Do not make promises in the first place:

Matthew 5:33-37
Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

 

[stanilovesGod]

Do not make promises in the first place:

Matthew 5:33-37
Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

I undastand, but i was not aware of this, when i made the promises at the first place. I am telling you the truth, i always though i can break my promises if the circumstances change or if i no longer find use of them, i know that doesn't sound right but my mind lived with that principle for over 20 years. I knew ofcourse its not a good thing but never realized its a sin, i never have read the scriptures. Now that i did, i realize the power of the promises, but when i gave them (bare in mind i am OCD sufferer, which makes the situation a lot different and worse), i wasnt not aware of the scriptures. Now some of those promises are self punishing as i said, and as A Thinker said, they were my way to fight the OCD compulsions which are horrible. So i understand its a sin, but now that i am aware of the power of the promises, i want to start on fresh, never making them at the first place. I am ready to pay the price if its a sin, but i cant live with those OCD driven promises my whole life.

 

[timewerx]

I undastand, but i was not aware of this, when i made the promises at the first place. I am telling you the truth, i always though i can break my promises if the circumstances change or if i no longer find use of them, i know that doesn't sound right but my mind lived with that principle for over 20 years. I knew ofcourse its not a good thing but never realized its a sin, i never have read the scriptures. Now that i did, i realize the power of the promises, but when i gave them (bare in mind i am OCD sufferer, which makes the situation a lot different and worse), i wasnt not aware of the scriptures. Now some of those promises are self punishing as i said, and as A Thinker said, they were my way to fight the OCD compulsions which are horrible. So i understand its a sin, but now that i am aware of the power of the promises, i want to start on fresh, never making them at the first place. I am ready to pay the price if its a sin, but i cant live with those OCD driven promises my whole life.

Don't worry. It only means the promises you made before has no binding effect on you as long as you stop doing it.

Read the Bible more, start from the New Testament, from the Book of John, and then Matthew, Mark, and Luke. If you didn't understand John at first, read it all over again.

Why the Book of John is so important is because it is one of the last books written about Christ by date of writing. It sets the right context of everything that is written about Christ.

I also have OCD. My obsession is in different things. I obsess about not making mistakes, at least with things in plainsight like my work and daily mundane things for example. I have great fear of disappointing anyone.

 

[stanilovesGod]

Don't worry. It only means the promises you made before has no binding effect on you as long as you stop doing it.

Read the Bible more, start from the New Testament, from the Book of John, and then Matthew, Mark, and Luke. If you didn't understand John at first, read it all over again.

Why the Book of John is so important is because it is one of the last books written about Christ by date of writing. It sets the right context of everything that is written about Christ.

I also have OCD. My obsession is in different things. I obsess about not making mistakes, at least with things in plainsight like my work and daily mundane things for example. I have great fear of disappointing anyone.

Having OCD you know what it means than I never knew i have OCD till couple of weeks ago. This accidental promise that i make, that i feared may have hurt God, although there is no way that can happen, led me to these forums. From here i found a lot of support and also realized what OCD is, right here on those forums. From here i started researching and found specialist. I am soon begining therapy. I had OCD for almost my entire life, without knowing what it is. I knew it was some sort of disorded, but i was keeping it in secret. I belive, God wanted this to happen, with the promises, in order me to realize what is going on, to seek help for OCD, and start learning more about God. I feel it, i know the difference between OCD based fear and the forgiving God. I know he knows exactly what i was doing, never meaning to harm anyone. However, i know OCD won't just go away on its own, it will take time. I am fighting the OCD well, i have great plans for the future, but every time when i hear "Vow" or "Promise", OCD triggers again, you know how it is. It's my battle.
But again, even if we put OCD aside, i understand that if you are commiting a mortal sin, you have to have full knwoladge of it. So if someone is making a promise, not realizing it's effect, it in my inderstanding won't be considered sin and binding as you said like the onces in the Scriptures, because they were fully aware of what VOW/Promise is, while i was not. Not saying i haven't sinned, just not doing it with full knowladge

 

[Tolworth John]

f a man makes promises to God, vows or whatever, believeing in his heart that the promises/vows can be removed, or are binding only till you decide they are,

two points.
How would you respond if someone promised to do something for you, but didn't because they decided the promise wasn't binding?

2nd.
God knows you, your problems, and your nature.
He isn't going to judge you because your illness made you make promises.

He judges everyone, not on how they live, but on whether they have accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour.