Is driving over the speed limit sin?

[Entertaining_Angels]

I was just thinking of some comments I've read here which indicate that Christian cannot or do not sin.

Is speeding, going over the speed limit even by 1mph, a sin? We were just going over Romans 13 in church this month...

Romans 13
Submission to the Authorities
1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

and, I've learned that sin is us doing anything that goes against God's will. So, if we drive over the speed limit, and just to make this easier I'll say, if we knowingly drive even 1mph over the speed limit, are we sinning?

 

[Godzchild]

Yes we are! BUT as christians, the HOly Spirit should bring us to repentence and would chastise us and prompt us to comply to HIS will.

All will sin, sometimes it will be seen as wilful and sometimes not. The difference between us and non-christians is the overcoming that we do through God. There will always be that pull in Christians to do what is right and if they are true christians they will eventually overcome whatever sin it is and do what's right.

I love the bumpersticker "Not perfect - Just forgiven"

Been there, done that

 

[Entertaining_Angels]

Have to admit, this is one area I haven't really thought about until my pastor brought it up. I travel a lot. When driving 8 or more hours on the freeway, I often set cruise about 4 or 5 mph over the speed limit.

I was also thinking of somebody I know (who claims to be without sin) who drives consistantly over the speed limit, enough so that she's been pulled over her fair share of times. She's pretty proud of the fact that she is able to cry her way out of tickets. This, as well, seems wrong.

So, now I have to work on staying at or under the speed limit. That's a tough one for me but now that God's put it on my heart, I truly feel I'd be sinning to continue.

 

[Godzchild]

The key is...that when you do find yourself over the limit - don't beat yourself up. Slow down...and laugh at yourself God's already forgiven you

 

[TreeOfLife]

Obeying the traffic laws can be a very good way to "practice" righteousness. It can also teach a person a lot about patience, God's perfect timing, and their own propensity to procrastinate.

(I also needed to clean my computer screen. That's the reason for all the "P" words! )

There. Squeeky clean.

 

[Sonbeam]

I was just thinking of some comments I've read here which indicate that Christian cannot or do not sin.

Hi Oregirl

Christians do sin.. no one is without sin or perfect except Jesus. The difference is a Christian is led and convicted by the Holy Spirit to overcome thier sins .. We are a work in progress.. One does not instantly loose thier desire to sin the moment they become a Christian it is a process of being perfected through the Holy Spirit. And yes disobeying the laws of the land is a sin unless it goes against Gods word . I believe God is more concerned with the intent of a mans heart than he is over someone going 1mile over the speed limit.

 

[Entertaining_Angels]

Hi Oregirl

Christians do sin.. no one is without sin or perfect except Jesus. The difference is a Christian is led and convicted by the Holy Spirit to overcome thier sins .. We are a work in progress.. One does not instantly loose thier desire to sin the moment they become a Christian it is a process of being perfected through the Holy Spirit. And yes disobeying the laws of the land is a sin unless it goes against Gods word . I believe God is more concerned with the intent of a mans heart than he is over someone going 1mile over the speed limit.

I agree. I was just thinking of an example where just about everybody I know goes against what we are commanded to do.

I've yet to meet a person, face to face, who doesn't sin (despite what they might claim). Fortunately, I know the sins are less frequent these days and I am not continuing on in the same sins.

God really is good.

 

[TreeOfLife]

{insert bad joke about God messing up keyboard keys here}

 

[Godzchild]

intent of a mans heart than he is over someone going 1mile over the speed limit.

Very true!!! People should remember that more often

 

[sara700]

Kirk Cameron has a good ministry called "Way of the Master," and when he talks about sinful acts he says we are convicted by our conscience. The breakdown of the word con-science is with-knowledge.

So if we do something sinful with-knowledge then we are sinning. A sin is something forbidden b/c when you participate in this activity you can potentially hurt yourself or someone else and then create a separation between yourself and God b/c of your feelings of guilt.

Sometimes people can drive over the speed limit accidentally and sometimes there is urgency in the case of any emergency.

But, honestly I would try not to drive over the speed limit. For me it's a submission to authority thing and I feel that I should try to submit to authority within reason. But, if your driving too slow is endangering people's lives then you should take that into consideration as well.

 

[thriller]

that was a good question!
i never thought about weather or not driving over the speed limit was a ain!

 

[Tabfry]

I hate to admit it, but I do believe that we need to respect the law set by those who govern over us as long as it does not contradict God's laws. If you see a cop, what is the first thing you do? I often check the speedometer. Why? Because I a have a fear of being punished for speeding. Why would I be fearful of a being pulled over if I didn't think I was doing something wrong?

 

[Tabfry]

PS. I must say that I am in no way perfect when it comes to my driving habits, but this is a reminder that I need to be more aware and more intentional in everything I do.

 

[Psalms34]

Depends on the situation imo. I drive the highway daily and the speed limit is posted at 55 but everyone drives 65+. This highway passes a police station and no one drives 55- past the station. Even the police drive 65+ on this highway. It's called go with the flow of traffic here, or you are getting passed by everyone driving 10-15 miles faster than you are and that can be dangerous. On the other hand the limit in town is 40mph and everyone drives that speed, it just makes sense. Is driving over the limit always sin? Not really, but then driving in a reckless way is defiantly wrong. Doing 70 in a 40mph zone is reckless and you better have a great excuse if you are doing so. It may be different where you live but that's just how it is here.

 

[linssue55]

I was just thinking of some comments I've read here which indicate that Christian cannot or do not sin.

Is speeding, going over the speed limit even by 1mph, a sin? We were just going over Romans 13 in church this month...

Romans 13
Submission to the Authorities
1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

and, I've learned that sin is us doing anything that goes against God's will. So, if we drive over the speed limit, and just to make this easier I'll say, if we knowingly drive even 1mph over the speed limit, are we sinning?

This is based on divine establishment principles for a client nation to God. It isn't exactly a sin, but it is against the law, and if you were to hurt someone due to speeding then that would be criminal sin.

 

[Entertaining_Angels]

This is based on divine establishment principles for a client nation to God. It isn't exactly a sin, but it is against the law, and if you were to hurt someone due to speeding then that would be criminal sin.

My understanding of 'sin' though is anything we do that goes against God's will. If we're intentionally driving over a posted speed limit, we're breaking the law and this would seem to be against His will. I'm not sure that God's given us 'gray' areas.

 

[Psalms34]

My understanding of 'sin' though is anything we do that goes against God's will. If we're intentionally driving over a posted speed limit, we're breaking the law and this would seem to be against His will. I'm not sure that God's given us 'gray' areas.

You know how many laws there are in the US? way too many to count and most laws we citizens never even heard of with law-makers run amuck (seriously). There are like 10 laws for every action and it seems like every breath one takes is in some violation of some crazy law. No offence to anyone but generally we live by common sense laws in reality and ignore the rest. Best advice, don't speed past anyone no matter what their speed is and never pass on the right. I've only had one ticket in 20 years of driving and it was because my right turn signal turned off as I was making a turn in an intersection and that was a bogus ticket by a young tobacco spitting cop, the guy practically tried to pick a fight with my friend as he searched our bibles for drugs lol

 

[Entertaining_Angels]

You know how many laws there are in the US? way too many to count and most laws we citizens never even heard of with law-makers run amuck (seriously). There are like 10 laws for every action and it seems like every breath one takes is in some violation of some crazy law. No offence to anyone but generally we live by common sense laws in reality and ignore the rest. Best advice, don't speed past anyone no matter what their speed is and never pass on the right. I've only had one ticket in 20 years of driving and it was because my right turn signal turned off as I was making a turn in an intersection and that was a bogus ticket by a young tobacco spitting cop, the guy practically tried to pick a fight with my friend as he searched our bibles for drugs lol

Believe me, this is one area I'd love to find some loopholes. I do a lot of driving and since my pastor brought up this issue, I'm having a difficult time finding loopholes for this one. I'm not sure we can pick and choose which laws we obey, which ones we 'sort of' obey and which ones we throw out.

I know there are some ridiculous laws out there especially ones that are a century or so old that have never been tossed out but, please, don't share them with me Ignorance is bliss and my plate is full with this speed limit thing.

 

[Psalms34]

I know there are some ridiculous laws out there especially ones that are a century or so old that have never been tossed out but, please, don't share them with me Ignorance is bliss and my plate is full with this speed limit thing.

lol and I was just about to google some up before I read your request.

Yes there is no easy way around it, mostly. I was engaged to a young lady like 9 years ago and we got along great... until I finally sat in the passenger seat. She would weave in and out of traffic passing at up to 30mph faster than everyone. She would drive 105mph on the freeway. Driving mountain roads her tires would squeal around corners. "What's that? You don't even have a drivers license any longer?!?". I'm sure you get the point. That kind of driving is pure nonsense and endangers lives. I had a buddy a long time ago that drove that way and got nailed for vehicular manslaughter after loosing control at a high rate of speed and smashing into someone on a mountain curve.

Thing is, here at least, they don't hand tickets out for driving a little faster on the highway/freeway with normal visibility. I'm sure it's different in every state but here there is generally a 10 to 15mph leniency. it's kinda like following the letter of the law or the spirit of it. And in such even driving the posted speed limit can be against the traffic laws for some situations such as with low-visibility or when children are present after school.

 

[linssue55]

My understanding of 'sin' though is anything we do that goes against God's will. If we're intentionally driving over a posted speed limit, we're breaking the law and this would seem to be against His will. I'm not sure that God's given us 'gray' areas.

Just like smoking which is bad for the body, thus is speeding, but they are not sins, only a lack of discernment on our side. If you want to think it is a sin that is your choice.