Romans 14:23b for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

People do not like to be called out on their sins. I take the most drastic of stances on sin and I see it here in this one verse. Anything that I do apart from obedience of faith is sin. Everything.

We are instructed to walk by faith. Is everything I do in response to what God has commanded me to do? Obviously not. There will be those who want to ask me how I can live with myself knowing that. My only response can be, how can I ignore what I am, a sinner saved by grace.

I am not comfortable with sin. I am not uncomfortable. My comfort comes from the Lord.

John 14:17-18 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

I am conscious of my sin. I do not have a guilty conscience.

1 Timothy 1:5-6 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

I have no righteousness of my own.

Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

I have sin. The truth resides in me.

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

How do I live with myself? I don’t.

Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Proverbs 11:1 A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight.

Be honest with yourself, when you saw the title you thought I was going to be talking about that other abomination didn’t you? No? Are you being honest with yourself? There is much said about that sin. I do not even have to mention it and you know its name.

So much is said about that sin in Romans 1 that many Christians quote it often but yet fail to quote God in context. Here is what God said in context.

Romans 1:29-32 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Proverbs 11:9 An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.

A hypocrite is one who with joy calls out that sin with pride and ignores the rest. Sin is sin and to weigh one sin against all the others is a false balance and an abomination to God. You will not find the hate mongers quoting Proverbs 11:1.