Identifying the Difference Between Unrighteousness and Sin
For a grace believer, sin is an action not done out from faith (Romans 14:23). Sin—for all dispensations—is specifically defined in 1 John 3:4 as lawlessness, which describes an action committed without regard for rules of conduct. A Jew under the Mosaic Law had over 600 specific regulations that dictated his expected conduct in life in order to act righteously. For believers under grace, lawlessness is acting contrary to one who is maturing in Christ—that is, not living out from faith, but either seeking to establish one’s own righteousness or demonstrating a complete disregard for God’s expectations of conduct as a son, since the old sins have been washed away and all things have become new.
Since all sin possesses a quality of unrighteousness, unrighteousness encompasses both improper determinations of the mind and unjust actions (1 John 5:17). It involves fornication, malignant evil, covetousness, lack of character, envy, murder, strife, deceit, depravity, secret slanderers, backbiters, haters of God, insolence, haughtiness, arrogance, inventing evil, disobedience to parents, lack of understanding, untrustworthiness, absence of natural affection, irreconcilability, and mercilessness.
Unrighteousness, therefore, refers to those things we determine and do that are not sinful—they do not directly violate expected conduct, but still fall within the realm of unjust. A person who is unmerciful when it is appropriate to show mercy is acting in an unrighteous manner, though not sinning. Arrogance, lack of understanding, untrustworthiness, absence of natural affection, refusal to be reconciled, vain imaginations, and hatred of God are all examples of an unrighteous mental attitude, along with corresponding actions which are not sinful.
Sin is always external to the body, for all sins are outside the body (1 Corinthians 6:18). This includes fornication, which is a sin committed against one’s own body, yet is still exterior. When temptation comes upon us, it is based on our own desires. Once we accept the temptation as our own and determine to act upon it, we are in a state of unrighteousness. If we do not take the way of escape, sin will be produced as the desire works itself out in action (James 1:15–16).
How do we deal with unrighteousness—whether in the mind or in our actions? Not all wrong actions are sin; however, that does not make them any less dangerous to our lives. If we engage in unrighteousness, we will eventually sin—for sin is the natural outcome of a trespass, just as birth is the natural result of conception. When we maintain a mind focused on the flesh, we also begin to entertain unrighteous imaginations, accompanied by an opportunistic mindset intent on fulfilling its desires. If we persist in sin, we place ourselves at risk of physical death. As Romans 8:13 warns, “For if you live according to the flesh, you are about to die...”
Taking every conclusion of the mind captive to the obedience of Christ is how we deal with unrighteousness in our lives (2 Corinthians 10:5). The conclusions of the mind are the result of its processes—reasonings, thoughts, and motives. When we bring our conclusions into obedience to who we are in Christ, we are prepared to work out righteousness in full obedience, rather than permitting unrighteousness to develop into sin.
Since unrighteousness begins in the mind, our defense must likewise begin with our frame of mind. This frame of mind refers to the boundaries we place upon our thoughts—a natural process typically shaped by our knowledge, culture, and social standing. When the mind is set on the things of the flesh, the things of the Spirit appear foolish to us. A mind framed by the flesh produces conduct that fulfills the desires of the flesh (Romans 8:5). Conversely, when the mind is set on the things of the Spirit, the things of the flesh are recognized for what they truly are: foolishness. This spiritual mindset enables us to discern the types of thoughts entering our minds, aligning them with our identity in Christ—rejecting those that do not belong, and embracing those that are consistent with our spiritual frame of mind.
We are not to be like those who forget that they have been cleansed from their old sins and become unfruitful due to spiritual short-sightedness and blindness (2 Peter 1:9). Instead, we are to put off the former conduct of the old man, which grows corrupt according to the strong cravings of deceitful wanderings, and be renewed in the spirit of our mind—putting on the new man, who is created according to God in righteousness and the piety of the truth (Ephesians 4:22). This involves an active frame of mind set on the things above, resulting in conduct that flows from taking God at His word concerning who we are in Christ.
We are to frame our minds on the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, not on the things upon the earth (Colossians 3:1–2). In Christ, I am righteous before God; therefore, in each situation, how do I show forth this righteousness? Knowing God’s will is also an essential aspect of maintaining a proper frame of mind. With the renewed mind, we are able to approve what is God’s desirous will for us as we encounter different options throughout our day (Romans 12:2).
Dealing with unrighteousness then involves our mind—what we permit to reside within it, the desires we hold onto and pursue, and the way we perceive reality, which must align with the truth. The flesh does not desire truth and will use fantasy and vain imaginations to manipulate and control the mind in order to work out its desires. Pornography, cross-dressing—dressing and acting like the opposite sex—the belief that money brings happiness, gambling, the fantasy of intoxication, gaming, and similar things are examples of how the imagination is used to impact the frame of mind. These are not directly sinful, for most can be engaged in without acting out an unjust desire, but they will produce an unrighteous frame of mind.
When unrighteousness within the mind works out to sin, we are to confess—verbally agree with God—that we have sinned. This means we acknowledge that our action was not out from faith; therefore, we intentionally and knowingly rejected His expected conduct for our lives as we pursued the desires of the flesh. Although sin is not specifically laid out for the grace believer as it was for those under the Mosaic Law, it is still an action. The grace believer is a son, and therefore does not require law. However, if he is violating the Mosaic Law—for it is logical—then he is not living out from faith as a son. A son is not going to violate any aspect of the Law, but he does not use the Law as his standard of conduct. The standard is being a son—one who is mature in his actions, able to discern what is wrong from what is proper in all situations (Hebrews 5:12–14). Our act of confession—verbal agreement—results in God forgiving—sending away—the sin and cleansing us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). The next step is for us to walk in the light by applying the truth—the doctrine for victory over the sin nature.
To recover from sin, we confess and apply the truth. To overcome unrighteousness, we set our mind on things above and take the way of escape to prevent the desires from manifesting. This involves generally knowing God’s desirous will and how to have victory over each of the three enemies of the grace believer.