For one thing, the demands of being a faithful follower of Jesus, of living according to the vision and values of the gospel, stretch us farther than what can be prescribed by law. Our living together would be moral chaos without laws like those about telling the truth, respecting property and protecting life. But laws cannot possibly cover all the decisions that we have to make. The legal model tends to focus too much on the actions that we do as being sinful or not. Jesus reminds us that what comes from the heart is what makes one sinful.
Sinful actions are like the tip of an iceberg being held above the surface by a wayward heart.
Sin is any action or omission that hinders, violates or breaks relationships which support human well-being. Social sin describes human-made structures when they offend human dignity by causing people to suffer oppression, exploitation or marginalization. These include educational systems, housing policies, tax structures, immigration policies, health care systems, employment policies and a market economy. The social sin of racism, has continued and still continues long after slavery has been abolished. For example, there remain obstacles to adequate education, to housing, sometimes even to voting.