The Superior Express -

Presenting Biblical answers to tough questions

Q: How do I know if I’m sinning or not? Is there a list of sins that I can look at?

A: If I were speaking to this person face to face, I would ask them why they want to know if they are sinning or not. If they are thinking they need to fill out a checklist of righteous behavior in order to avoid being punished or earn God’s favor, then it’s important to know God doesn’t work like that. He has forgiven believers all trespasses in Christ (Colossians 2:14) and we will not come into judgment for sinning or breaking God’s rules (John 5:24; 1 John 3:9). Our blessings depend upon our faith and Christ’s Righteousness, not our good works (Romans 5:4).

       It is not healthy for a believer to become too focused upon rules or lists of sin (Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:10; Colossians 2:20-23). Just like focusing on a ditch while driving can cause us to drive into it if we’re not careful, so focusing upon how we aren’t supposed to live can strengthen temptation. Christians should focus upon our righteous opportunities and blessings in Christ (Romans 8:5 Colossians 3:1-2).

Only after saying this will I offer an answer to this question. Just as an awareness of the white lines on a road can keep us from crossing them, so an awareness (not a focus) on the lines we shouldn’t cross as Christians can be helpful to check that we are still moving in the right direction. With that in mind passages like Romans 12:1-21 and Ephesians 4:25-32 are both helpful passages to check ourselves against.

If you have a question that you would like a Biblical answer to, you can send it via email to [email protected] or by mail to Formoso Church; P.O. Box 66; Formoso, Kan. 66942