The relationship between crime and sin is not clear. There is some overlap or concurrence. Murder is a crime. It violates state laws. It is also a sin. It violates God's law. It was a sin long before it was a crime.
Speeding is a lesser crime. It is also a sin because the Bible teaches that we are to obey the laws of the land. The first three verses of Romans 13 and I Peter 2:13-14 tell us to obey the laws of the land.
Since many people do not know their Bible, they rely on the laws of the land or on their conscience to determine if something is wrong. This is a help but it is not authoritative. If a person is a habitual liar, his conscience is seared and calloused. It doesn't work if he tells a lie.
He can deaden his conscience in many areas, stealing, sex, etc. The result is he can be in sin up to his ankles head first and does not know he has committed a sin.
St. Paul said it this way, "My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me" (I Corinthians 4:4).
On the other hand, he can be conscious of a sin but he enjoys it so much he doesn't care about the consequences.
There is forgiveness for sin, but not for those who do not know or do not care. God has grace for sinners. The government does not have grace for lawbreakers.
Jim Wilson
Moscow
