Some people wonder what kinds of things are sins and how do you recognize them. I would like to explore this issue using some scripture references to explain myself. In Jesus’ day a teacher of the law asked Him a similar question. Jesus answered with the Ten Commandments then later He went into a more broad definition. Someone also asked Him "Which is the greatest commandment?" Jesus replied with "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, body and soul." He also said the second greatest commandment was like the first. It was, "Love your neighbor as yourself." From these two commandments we can tell what is sin and what is not (Mark 12:28-34).
The Ten Commandments are listed in Exodus but there are also a lot more commandments that God gave in Old Testament times that people don’t necessarily consider as relevant today. Anything that goes against a commandment of God is sin. When you are given the Holy Spirit, it will convict you of sin so that you can repent and ask forgiveness.
Jesus Fulfilled the Law
We should remember that Jesus’ coming, death and resurrection was the fulfillment of the law (Acts 13:32-33). Also, Jesus says that the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). This attitude is what got Him into trouble with the law-abiding, and law-making-up Pharisees of His day. They tried to find ways to call Jesus a sinner and oftentimes their accusations had to do with the supposed breech of Old Testament laws — like the laws of Leviticus and the Sabbath laws. Jesus said that He did not come to abolish the law but rather to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). With Jesus’ help, we are made righteous in God’s sight. The Holy Spirit helps us to fulfill the law by convicting us of sin, drawing us to repentance and ultimately back into fellowship with the Father. Romans 13:10 says, "Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."
The Law of Love
In an objective way, to know what sin is, we can ask ourselves if what we are doing is hurting God or our neighbor. We can also ask ourselves what is sin by seeing whether or not the behavior in question is stemming from love or from another force, hate. If your actions stem from hatred, discord, discontentment, jealously, or witchcraft they are sinful (Galatians 5:19-21). The Holy Spirit will tell you whether or not you are sinning.
Having a Form of Godliness
If you are living a life of sin and you never feel remorse or repentance you should ask yourself if you really have the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey me," (John 14:15). If you don’t love Jesus and are living a life of sin you probably are not a Christian. The Holy Spirit puts in our hearts a powerful conviction not to sin. Every decision you make should be weighted by what the Holy Spirit is telling you. If the force of the Holy Spirit isn’t that strong in your life you should wonder if you really have it in your life. It is not uncommon for someone to go to church, have a form of godliness, but not really believe in or hold onto the life-saving power of the gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 3:5).
Christ — Our Righteousness
I challenge you today to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit so that you will walk in love like Jesus did and let His righteousness clothe you instead of your own. Our righteousness, without Christ, is likened to filthy rags in the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 64:6). This is why strict observance of the law does not bring righteousness. Rather, obedience to the law of love (to love God and neighbor) is the fulfillment of the law and the reason Christ came. When we believe in Christ’s saving power and the power of the Holy Spirit, we wear His righteousness as our garment.
