Friday, January 4, 2013

All the Specific Things the New Testament Labels as Sins

Do you expect a list of all the specific things the New Testament labels as sins to be astronomical?
Christians love labeling things as sin. "This is a sin.." "That is a sin.." For almost all of those things the word "sin" doesn't even appear in the same context. For example they say homosexuality is a sin & cite Romans 1 but the word sin doesn't even appear in Romans chapter 1. I'm not saying the bible doesn't describe certain things as harmful, destructive, or unloving. However, with the over the top slapping with the label of sin Christians do I think it would be interesting to see what specific actions the New Testament literally calls sins. Why just the New Testament? Because ALL old covenant law breaking would be considered sin (1 John 3:4). In the New Covenant the law is over. Romans 5:13 says, "Sin is not charged when there is no law." If you want to claim that all lawbreaking is still sin then you best get ready to keep the true sabbath starting at sundown on Fridays.

Even I was surprised at what I found. Remembering that sin is still talked about in a general sense, here are the only specific things explicitly identified with the label of "sin" in the New Testament:
  • Mark 3:29, Blaspheming the Holy Spirit, which is basically saying Satan is responsible for the good God does.
  • Romans 7:7, Coveting, although in context it is described such in relation to the law.
  • 1 Corinthians 6:18, fornication is described as "a sin against your own body"
  • James 2:9, showing partiality, although in context it is described such in relation to the law (The letter of James is addressed to the 12 tribes of Jews).
  • James 4:17, "A person who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to that person it is sin." Of interest is the fact that it does not say this "is a sin" it says that it is a sin to that person. Just before this in verse 12 it says, "God is the only Lawgiver and Judge." Thus James 4:17 has similar meaning to what Paul said in Romans 14:22, "Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves." Essentially it means you have the option to condemn yourself about any good thing you aren't doing at the moment & see it is as a sin. Notice it doesn't say it is a sin to God. People do this sort of thing all the time, they say "I'm not doing enough. I'm not giving enough" etc. They "measure themselves by themselves" instead of exploring the immeasurable righteousness Jesus has given them.
  • 1 John 5:17 says "all unrighteousness is sin." Here is the only thing specifically described in the New Testament as unrighteous, Acts 1:18, Judas getting paid off for betraying Jesus.

Again the word sin is used in the broad sense a lot so don't read into this saying I'm trying to make excuses for whatever. Just take an honest look at what the New Testament labels as sin.
   0. Coveting & showing partiality are sins against the law, which is over. I could have left those out.
   1. Fornication is sin against your own body.
   2. You can count sins against yourself by counting all of the good things you aren't doing at the moment.
   3. Saying Satan is behind the good God does is a sin against the Holy Spirit. Don't know of any Christian who has ever done that.

Just food for thought for the next time you want to label something as "a sin." You're probably doing it by your own "knowledge of good & evil." Most of Christianity pictures God as the tree of knowledge of good & evil & as the accuser (convicter) but God is actually the tree of life & the comforter. I say it is time to stop being sin conscious & start being love conscious instead. It is a lie that you have to understand evil to understand or appreciate good/love. Do I have to abuse my baby daughter for her to appreciate the love she gets? Absurd! Good doesn't need evil to be appreciated. Love is awesome like that. God is awesome like that.

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