Question:
What does the Bible say about “living in sin”. I would like to point out specific passages and let the Bible speak for itself rather tham it appearing that I am tn one judging the sin.
Answer:
Before I give you a list of verses, remember that there is a big difference between judging sinful behavior (comparing the behavior against God’s Word), and judging the state of a person’s heart. The only way we can avoid sin, or disciple others, is to “judge” what is sinful and forsake it. But we aren’t not called to look into a person’s heart and judge motives or intent. Only God is capable of that.
Here is a very helpful list from Torrey on the topic of sin. I hope you will find it as enlightening as I have:
Sin
1. Is the transgression of the law. 1Jo 3:4.
2. Is of the devil. 1Jo 3:8; Joh 8:44.
3. All unrighteousness is. 1Jo
4. Omission of what we know to be good is. Jas 4:17.
5. Whatever is not of faith is. Ro 14:23.
6. The thought of foolishness is. Pr 24:9.
7. All the imaginations of the unrenewed heart are. Ge 6:5;
8. Described as
a. Coming from the heart. Mt 15:19.
b. The fruit of lust. Jas 1:15.
c. The sting of death. 1Co
d. Rebellion against God. De 9:7; Jos 1:18.
e. Works of darkness. Eph 5:11.
f. Dead works. Heb 6:1; 9:14.
g. The abominable thing that God hates. Pr 15:9; Jer 44:4,11.
h. Reproaching the Lord. Nu 15:30; Ps 74:18.
i. Defiling. Pr 30:12; Isa 59:3.
j. Deceitful. Heb 3:13.
k. Disgraceful. Pr 14:34.
l. Often very great. Ex 32:20; 1Sa
m. Often mighty. Am
n. Often manifold. Am
o. Often presumptuous. Ps 19:13.
p. Sometimes open and manifest. 1Ti
q. Sometimes secret. Ps 90:8; 1Ti
r. Besetting. Heb 12:1.
s. Like scarlet and crimson. Isa 1:18.
t. Reaching to heaven. Re 18:5.
9. Entered into the world by Adam. Ge 3:6,7; Ro 5:12.
10. All men are conceived and born in. Ge 5:3; Job 15:14; 25:4; Ps 51:5.
11. All men are shapen in. Ps 51:5.
12. Scripture concludes all under. Ga 3:22.
13. No man is without. 1Ki
14. Christ alone was without. 2Co
15. God
a. Abominates. De 25:16; Pr 6:16-19.
b. Marks. Job
c. Remembers. Re 18:5.
d. Is provoked to jealousy by. 1Ki
e. Is provoked to anger by. 1Ki 16:2.
f. Alone can forgive. Ex 34:7; Da 9:9; Mic 7:18; Mr 2:7.
g. Recompenses. Jer 16:18; Re 18:6.
h. Punishes. Isa
16. The Law
a. Is transgressed by every. Jas 2:10,11; 1Jo 3:4.
b. Gives knowledge of. Ro 3:20; 7:7.
c. Shows exceeding sinfulness of. Ro 7:13.
d. Made to restrain. 1Ti 1:9,10.
e. By its strictness stirs up. Ro 7:5,8,11.
f. Is the strength of. 1Co
g. Curses those guilty of. Ga 3:10.
17. No man can cleanse himself from. Job
18. No man can atone for. Mic 6:7.
19. God has opened a fountain for. Zec 13:1.
20. Christ was manifested to take away. Joh 1:29; 1Jo 3:5.
21. Christ’s blood redeems from. Eph 1:7.
22. Christ’s blood cleanses from. 1Jo 1:7.
23. Saints
a. Made free from. Ro 6:18.
b. Dead to. Ro 6:2,11; 1Pe
c. Profess to have ceased from. 1Pe 4:1.
d. Cannot live in. 1Jo 3:9;
e. Resolve against. Job 34:32.
f. Ashamed of having committed. Ro 6:21.
g. Abhor themselves on account of. Job 42:6; Eze 20:43.
h. Have yet the remains of, in them. Ro 7:17,23; Ga 5:17.
24. The fear of God restrains. Ex
25. The word of God keeps from. Ps 17:4; 119:11.
26. The Holy Spirit convinces of. Joh 16:8,9.
27. If we say that we have no, we make God a liar. 1Jo
28. Confusion of face belongs to those guilty of. Da 9:7,8.
29. Should be
a. Confessed. Job 33:27; Pr 28:13.
b. Mourned over. Ps 38:18; Jer 3:21.
c. Hated. Ps 97:10; Pr
d. Abhorred. Ro 12:9.
e. Put away. Job
f. Departed from. Ps 34:14; 2Ti
g. Avoided even in appearance. 1Th
h. Guarded against. Ps 4:4; 39:1.
i. Striven against. Heb 12:4.
j. Mortified. Ro 8:13;
k. Wholly destroyed. Ro 6:6.
30. Specially strive against besetting. Heb 12:1.
31. Aggravated by neglecting advantages. Lu 12:47; Joh 15:22.
32. Guilt of concerning. Job 31:33; Pr 28:13.
33. We should pray to God
a. To search for, in our hearts. Ps 139:23,24.
b. To make us know our. Job
c. To forgive our. Ex 34:9; Lu 11:4.
d. To keep us from. Ps 19:13.
e. To deliver us from. Mt 6:13.
f. To cleanse us from. Ps 51:2.
34. Prayer hindered by. Ps 66:18; Isa 59:2.
35. Blessings withheld on account of. Jer 5:25.
36. The wicked
a. Servants to. Joh 8:34; Ro 6:16.
b. Dead in. Eph 2:1.
c. Guilty of, in everything they do. Pr 21:4; Eze 21:24.
d. Plead necessity for. 1Sa
e. Excuse. Ge
f. Encourage themselves in. Ps 64:5.
g. Defy God in committing. Isa 5:18,19.
h. Boast of. Isa 3:9.
i. Make a mock at. Pr 14:9.
j. Expect impunity in. Ps 10:11; 50:21; 94:7.
k. Cannot cease from. 2Pe
l. Heap up. Ps 78:17; Isa 30:1.
m. Encouraged in, by prosperity. Job 21:7-15; Pr 10:16.
n. Led by despair to continue in. Jer
o. Try to conceal, from God. Ge 3:8,10; Job 31:33.
p. Throw the blame of, on God. Ge 3:12; Jer 7:10.
q. Throw the blame of, on others. Ge
r. Tempt others to. Ge 3:6; 1Ki 16:2;
s. Delight in those who commit. Ps 10:3; Ho 7:3; Ro 1:32.
t. Shall bear the shame of. Eze 16:52.
37. Shall find out the wicked. Nu 32:23.
38. Ministers should warn the wicked to forsake. Eze 33:9; Da 4:27.
39. Leads to
a. Shame. Ro 6:21.
b. Disquiet. Ps 38:3.
c. Disease. Job
40. The ground was cursed on account of. Ge 3:17,18.
41. Toil and sorrow originated in. Ge 3:16,17,19; Job 14:1.
42. Excludes from heaven. 1Co 6:9,10; Ga 5:19-21; Eph 5:5; Re
43. When finished brings forth death. Jas 1:15.
44. Death, the wages of. Ro 6:23.
45. Death, the punishment of. Ge 2:17; Eze 18:4.
Torrey, R. (1995, c1897). The new topical text book : A scriptural text book for the use of ministers, teachers, and all Christian workers.