Is My Habit, Fantacy, Weakness, Failure ... A Sin?

Common Sense Commentary: "And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous...." Gen.18:20.

Over the years, as a pastor, I have had some interesting conversations. One, I remember well, but not the exact words so I will tell it as best I can, as I remember it.
I was talking with a man and his wife about their souls when he interupted me with something like this: "Reverend Blair, my wife and I would like to join your church, but you preach against stuff that's not even in the Bible."  "Like what?" "Well, one man's pleasure is another man's sin."  "Like what?" "Well, like I smoke cigaretts and have a drink now and again ... and just because my wife weighs two or three hundred doesn't mean she is a glutton."  "Is that what I preach?"  "Well, no, but our son's sexual preference is the gay likestyle and he smokes a little pot and likes to express himself with words you wouldn't like." "Like what?" "Well, you know ... bathroom and bedroom words, and none of that is in the ten commandments ... cause I read them, and he just wouldn't be comfortable in your church."  That's not the end of the story but let's look at the question of sin.  What exactly is sin?

"....sin is the transgression of the law."  1 John 3:4. 

Since the Ten Commandments are the focal point of "the law", some might say that "sexual preference, using bathroom and bedroom language, smoking tobacco or pot, using drugs and a lot of other such things are not in the Ten Commandments". If the Lord had listed, specifically, each particular sin, there would have been a hundred or two Commandments instead a just ten.  He did say, "Thou shalt not commit adultry and homosexuality is, at the very least, adultery. And no, He didn't mention tobacco or pot, beer, whisky, gluttony or using foul language (unless you use his name in vain) in the Ten Commandments... but, can you say those things are "righteous"?  And if not righteous, they are unrighteous.  Anything God created us to do, if we do not abuse or pervert it, is right or righteous.

"All unrighteousness is sin...." 1 John 5:17.  So what is "unrighteousness"? How can we know all the things that may be unrighteousness in God's eyes?  Are gluttony, laziness, cheating, sexual fantasy, gossip, and lust, in addition to those things above, though not mentioned in the Ten Commandments, sin?  Are they "right" or "wrong"?
Actually, some of these things are identified in other parts of the Bible as sin. But anything, not named specifically in the Bible, can still be clearly understood to be righteous or unrighteous by a Christian.  How ?


God's Holy Spirit will reveal it to believers:
"... The Spirit of truth... will guide you into all truth..." John 16:13. This verse is exclusively for Christians, in whom the Holy Spirit lives.




God's Holy Faith will reveal it to believers:
"...Whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Romans 14:23. If a thing is not specifically named , in the Bible, a Christian can still know if it is right or wrong, righteous or unrighteous, sin or not sin.  As a Christian, if you cannot do a thing "in faith",
without feeling guilty or dirty or out of  God's will, whether that thing is a sin in God's eyes or not, it is a sin for you, if you think it is wrong and do it anyway it is the sin of rebellion.  You think you are rebelling against God's will.  Here is the Scripture:


Romans 14:1-23
"Him that is weak in the faith receive ye....   For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.  Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.  Who art thou that judgest another man's servant?  .... He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.  For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.  But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.....  I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is (no food) unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.    But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. ...
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost....  For meat destroy not the work of God. All things (food) are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence....   Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.  Romans 14:1-23.


All of the above is just another proof that salvation is by the grace of  God and not by our own works of righteousness.  If we Christians were judged by our good works, we would all go to hell. "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one...." Rom.3:10.