Root of Sin

What is sin? Sin is the transgression of the law, the bible says. The law says you shouldn't steal. If you know that law and you steal, you have broken the law. Now you've sinned and become a transgressor. But sin goes a whole lot deeper then that. The bible also says that if you know to do good and do it not, then you've sinned. The bible says that if anything you do isn't done in faith, it is sin. So if you think that it might be wrong to watch a certain movie or eat that last piece of pie, and you do it anyway, then you've sinned. Sin is basically rooted in the intentions. Why do you do what you do? What is the end or purpose to all that you do? Why do you do things that you know are good? Why do you do things that you know are bad? Why do you go to church? Why do you read your bible? Why do you treat your wife the way you do? Why do you discipline your kids?

What I'm getting at is this... Are all your doings rooted in selfishness? Do you have a lot of self pity? Do you live your life in such a way as to earn for yourself favour with God so that one day you can say to Him, "You owe me"?
It's a good question to ask yourself, "Why do I do the things I do?"
My overall point is this. We have sins that are socially acceptable and not so bad, and some that aren't and are considered really bad. Kind of like the idea of mortal and venial sins. For instance, a man sees his neighbor committing adultery and he thinks to himself that he would never do such a thing. He thinks to himself that he is far above that. He is a righteous man and only sinners do such things. Then when no one is home he turns on his computer and lusts after dirty pictures of women on the web. That man is no better then the man that cheated on his wife. You might say that at least he never actually did it. Yes, but in his heart he did. Jesus says that if you lust after a woman, then you have already committed adultery with her in your heart. As far as God is concerned, that man is an adulterer. Another example. A man looks at the drunk that can't stop drinking, and judges him. The same man is extremely obese and can't control his eating. How is the one better then the other? One is socially more acceptable, but both men are slaves to their own flesh. Why do they do that? Because "I" am important. Why does the alcoholic drink? Why does the sodomite do what he does? Why does the porn addict watch porn? Why does the man or woman over eat? Why does the smoker smoke? Because there is nothing more important then "ME" and feeding MY desires. Selfishness is the root of all sin.

To go further, why does the drunk stop drinking? Why does the smoker stop smoking? "Because it hurts MY body". "If I don't stop I could die". The end is still himself.
Why does the guilty sinner do religious activities? Why does he start going to church? Why does he become a member? Why does he go down to the alter and confess his sins? IT'S ALL FOR SELFISH REASONS. BECAUSE I FEEL GUILTY AND WHEN GOD SEES HOW SORRY I AM, HE WILL FORGIVE ME. Why? "I" AM IMPORTANT. The end or purpose is still ME. All that is still rooted in selfishness. Many people come to God with their crying and brokenness, and think that counts with God. Many people come to God with their prayers and begging ways, and think that ought to matter to God. Why? Because I am important. What they are essentially doing is emptying their box of all their sin and pride and then bring the empty box to God, thinking that the empty box counts. That's still works. Their is no salvation in that. This is where most of Christianity goes astray. The empty box still doesn't count. There is no worth to your empty box. God saves people who believe the gospel, not people who offer God an empty box in return for salvation. God saves people who believe that what Jesus did is enough to get them into heaven. Salvation by any other means, is merely selfish. Gaining salvation under the law is living life with yourself as the end. Salvation by faith is accepting that what God did for us in Christ is enough to get us into heaven.