The Sinfulness of Sin
“Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.” Romans 7:13
Sin is sinful; always has been, always will be. We know that sin is sin because 1 John 3:4 says that sin is the transgression of the Law. A quick glance into the Scriptures affords us a description of what sin is. We could mention adultery, murder, theft, lying, idolatry, witchcraft and covetousness, just to name a few. But what about laws against mingling diverse cattle breeds, or sowing our fields with mingled seed, or wearing garments mingled of linen and wool? According to Leviticus 19:19, these too, are God’s statutes, and it is a sin if we transgress them. The God who said “thou shalt not covet”, is the same God who forbade the mingling of cattle breeds, seeds in the garden, and garments made of linen and wool. We cannot even plant beans and corn together, or wear clothes made of a mixture of linen and wool without transgressing God’s statutes. It is a sin to do these things because all sin is transgression of the Law. What are we supposed to do? We can’t pick and choose which of God’s statutes to obey, and which ones to transgress (ignore). When it comes to His Laws, God is not a God of convenience; we either obey, or transgress them all, because James 2:10 says that if we keep the whole Law, but offend in one point, we are guilty of all.
I think that we have not come to understand just how sinful sin truly is. Sin is so exceedingly sinful, that it corrupts every part of our own righteousnesses (our good works). My opinion is that we have not understood the exceeding sinfulness of our sin until we have come to grips with the true sinfulness of our own righteousnesses. By seeking a solution to our sin in our own good works (the deeds of the Law), we add sin to sin, because by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in God’s sight. The answer to our sin can only be found in Christ, because He is the end of the Law for righteousness to all who believe.