When is sin, sin for you but not for others?

[SamMcNear]

Thanks for all your answers, I read 1 Corinthians 8 but remember another scripture that said “what is sin for you may not be sin for someone else”. It may be that I had a weird translation but I can't find it in any concordance.

Here is what I got from all your comments. Somethings can be sin for you and not for me as far as it goes with food, what we take into our body, what holiday, holy day we want to celebrate and maybe politics. However I'm not convinced yet that anything and everything we do and/or what we watch can be sin for you but not for others. What about watching a movie that has sexual imorality, violence, and blasphamy. Do people take this to far? I'm I taking it to far? I'm not sure where the line is, if there is a line, but I think this scripture that was quoted may have the answer in it.

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

When it comes to not listening to the Holy Spirit, that is sin. Yet this answer of mine is very general and I want to come to the a more clear-cut answer.

Also no one talked to the 2nd part of the question.

Also does saying that there can be sin for you but not for others indicate that something can be true for you but not for others?

[darinhouston]

No, Truth is a different matter -- little "t" truth is like a truth statement such as "I am hungry." That can be true for me and not for you. However, big "T" Truth is something that is universally true for all people of all time -- such as "God created the Heavens and Earth." Some aspects of sin have a personal response component, but there are some sins and some aspects of sin that are sin for all no matter what. It is always a sin to commit adultery -- intent and response have no bearing (perhaps, of course mitigating factors if someone were to place a gun to someone else's head). Other sin does depend on your response and intent. Your example of a movie with scandalous material is probably a good one -- however, there may be "r" rated movies that are less clearly sinful and may depend on your response to seeing it or your sensitivity to such things as to whether it's sin or not.

[SamMcNear]

little "t" truth is like a truth statement such as "I am hungry."

I hear this kind of statement a lot. I wonder if something can be in the category of little "t" truth if it shouldn't be called truth at all. Maybe it should be called perspective or a view point. After all the definition of truth is

Truth: fact, reality, a statement proven to be true, actual.

So if I say that something is factual, proven to be true that isn’t true like against the laws of gravity, then my perspective is wrong. A good question here would be is having a different perspective, than what is factually true, a sin? Can that be true for you and not for me? Also I know the Bible is factual and true and I wonder if someone’s perspective of anything in the Bible is wrong like the view that gay marriage is ok, is that a sin and can it be true for me and not you?

I hope you can tell I’m just trying to make this clear in my head. If the Bible teaches something can be sin for you and not for me, I want to understand what something’s fit into this statement and why.

Thanks again for your comments they are really helping me get cleared up on this matter, though I’m not completely clear yet.

Thanks

Sam

[SteveF]

I read 1 Corinthians 8 but remember another scripture that said “what is sin for you may not be sin for someone else”.

Hi Sam, you may be thinking of Romans 14

14I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

And

23But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.

Here’s a scenario I like to give.

A parent usually doesn’t let their children eat cookies without asking. On one occasion the parent goes out the door and says it’s ok if they eat some cookies. One of the kids hears them and the other doesn’t.

Later on, the child who heard the parent eats a cookie because they know it’s ok to do so. A little later, the other child who didn’t hear the parent and still thinks it’s wrong to eat a cookie, goes ahead and eats a cookie. Although technically the child did nothing wrong, in their mind they have defied the parent. Therefore even though they both committed the exact same act, one has sinned and the other hasn’t.

[Michelle]

Sam,

(I could be wrong on this and would welcome correction from you or anyone else.)

It seems to me that what you're asking is a question about the nature of sin, not necessarily the nature of (T)truth. You seem to be implying that there should be a list of sins that everyone has knowledge of. If all the lists are the same, then it's truth. If lists happen to differ slightly, then truth is not the same for everyone, and thus truth is relative.

I think sin is not a list of do's and don'ts ( and mostly don'ts, at that.) Jesus said the law boils down to love the Lord with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. Whatever turns you aside from either of these is sin. Of course many activities will be sin for everyone. It's impossible to love your neighbor by sleeping with his wife (although modern literature and movies keep trying to prove you can), or stealing all the stuff in his garage, or by blowing his head off.

It's impossible to love the Lord when anything else is more important to you than He is. Thus, if drinking alcohol is more important to you than following Jesus, you're sinning. If, instead, a glass or two of wine does not interfere with your relationship, it may not be sin for you. It's the same with everything. I'm convinced that even good things can be sin if they take the place of the Lord in your life.

So, I don't think it's a matter of, "our lists are different so how can there be truth in it," but it's more like, "our lists are exactly the same: Love God and love your neighbor," and that's Truth.

[TK]

well said, michelle.

great example, Steve. i like it.

TK

[Suzana]

well said, michelle.

great example, Steve. i like it.

TK

I agree.

Jesus said the law boils down to love the Lord with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. Whatever turns you aside from either of these is sin.

That should make it very simple to evaluate oneself!

[Paidion]

No, Truth is a different matter -- little "t" truth is like a truth statement such as "I am hungry." That can be true for me and not for you.

There is no such thing a a statement which "is true for me and not for you." Truth is objective and not subjective.

Your example, "I am hungry" won't wash, since the "I" has a different referent in each case.
But if you nail down the referent, by saying "Darin is hungry", then it if it is true for Darin, it is true for everyone.

[SamMcNear]

Very interesting input from everyone. Thanks, I'm still rolling everything around in my head. I think I agree with Paidion

There is not such thing as a statement which "is true for me and not for you." Truth is objective and not subjective.

Your example, "I am hungry" won't wash, since the "I" has a different referent in each case.
But if you nail down the referent, by saying "Darin is hungry", then it if it is true for Darin, it is true for everyone.

and I agree with
Michelle who wrote:

Jesus said the law boils down to love the Lord with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. Whatever turns you aside from either of these is sin.

but there is still something missing that I can't put my finger on. God's word is Truth and that word tells us what sin is, so why can't you say a sin such as adultery is the Truth for everyone and a sin for everyone?

Michelle also wrote:

It seems to me that what you're asking is a question about the nature of sin, not necessarily the nature of (T)truth. You seem to be implying that there should be a list of sins that everyone has knowledge of. If all the lists are the same, then it's truth. If lists happen to differ slightly, then truth is not the same for everyone, and thus truth is relative.

I think I want to know if sin like murdering or adultery can be called a Truth for everyone. Not sure if that is clear. The "I" facture as Paidion said maybe the key to finding my answer.

Thanks Sam

[Paidion]

It is right not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother stumble.
The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God; happy is he who has no reason to judge himself for what he approves. But he who has doubts is condemned, if he eats, because he does not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. Romans 14:21-23

So Paul clearly taught that some acts which are not sin for some people ARE sin for anyone who cannot cannot act in faith when they do such things.

Of course, there are some acts which are of such a nature that it is impossible to act in faith when doing them. No one can act in faith as he kills someone he hates.