Sin is coming short of God’s standard. Imagine shooting an arrow at a distant target. Sin is coming short, or missing the target. Because God’s standard is his perfect righteousness, all humans fail except Jesus, of whom God said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased“. (Matthew 17.5)
That said, the Bible is full of specific activities and attitudes that are listed as sin or sinful. Here’s one list from Proverbs 6.16-19:
- A proud look
- A lying tongue
- Hands that shed innocent blood
- A heart that devises wicked imaginations
- Feet that are swift in running to mischief
- A false witness that speaks lies
- He that sows discord among the brethren
There are plenty of other lists in the Bible too. Jesus pointed out in his “sermon on the mount” that righteous actions aren’t all that God is looking for. He’s just as interested in the attitudes that produce those actions.
What are lists of sins for?
The danger of any list of do’s or don’ts in the Bible is our human tendency to misunderstand God’s intent. We tend to think that if we perform those lists well enough, that God will be pleased with us and we’ll get a passing grade for our life. That reasoning may work doing chores at home or homework at school, but it isn’t how the Kingdom of God works. With God, it’s “You fail and deserve to die, but I forgive you because of what Jesus accomplished for you at Calvary”.
God’s lists then, are reminders to us of who we are: Sinners who need God’s grace. When our lives evince the fruit of the Holy Spirit that’s one thing. When we perform actions from some list of do’s and don’ts, that’s another. Need help with that? Here’s a verse to memorize.