1 John 5:17
[17] “All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.”
The question is often asked, “Does the Bible say this is wrong?” Or, you might have heard this one, “Where in the Bible does it say that this is sin?” Usually these questions are attached to hard subjects with little reference to them, if any at all. They are gray areas that most would rather avoid than try to answer. Others feel that if they cannot find a chapter and verse that spells it out in black and white, they can automatically assume that God is okay with the subject, or situation. After all, had he been concerned with it, he would have written it out plainly for us to read.
The problem with this mentality is, they fail to realize that the Bible is a book of both precepts and principles. Sometimes, the Lord spells it out in black and white, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”. And other times, he gives us a principle to apply, and live by. If a believer has the Word of God in their head, and the Holy Spirit in their heart, they can discern what is sin, and what is not.
According to James 4:17, sin is failure to do what you know is good. Here in our verse, sin is anything that is unrighteousness. These two verses together give us our answer when someone asks the question, “Is this sin or not?”. The answer is, “Is it good in the eyes of God, and is it righteous?” If you are saved, and know to do good, and desire to live righteously, then put it under the microscope and see for yourself. Here is an example: Is gambling good within itself? Would it be considered righteous, or unrighteous? Ask the same question concerning soul winning.
I think you will see that you will get two different answers to the questions. When asking the question about whether something is sin, or not, depends on your motive. The motive of a believer is not to see how close we can get to sin, but how righteous we can live. The fact that we have to ask, should cause us to avoid the subject, or situation.