the goal shouldn't be to be sinless (as in not transgressing any of God's laws), but to be led by God, which reduces transgression of God's laws as a byproduct, as He will never lead us to transgress His laws.
'sin' has two definitions in the Bible; one of which is actually the result of the other:
1Jn 3:4 KJV
(4) Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
this is the definition of sin that most people are aware of, as it has been pounded into our heads by the traditional church. but all transgressions of God's laws have their root in the one core sin of unbelief, or not believing something that God has said:
Rom 14:21-23 KJV
(21) It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
(22) Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
(23) And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
faith, which is believing God, is counted for righteousness; but unbelief, which is not believing God, is counted for sin. we know that lying is a sin or a transgression of God's law to not lie, but it's not the telling of the lie that is the core sin, but the decision to tell the lie - before you can tell a lie, you must first decide that its ok to lie in a given situation - and we know that God hates all lies - so you must first choose not to believe God that every lie is wrong before you decide that it's right to tell one. unbelief is the core sin from which all transgression of God's laws result.
Gal 3:21-25 KJV
(21) Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
(22) But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
(23) But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
(24) Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
(25) But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
it's important to remember that the purpose of God's laws is not to tell us how to be holy; we aren't smart enough to apply the multitude of God's laws in any given situation; the purpose of God's laws is to help us to recognize His leading as HE applies the multitude of His laws in any given situation.
all transgressions of God's laws ('sins') have been paid for by Jesus, but what is not paid for is the core sin of unbelief. in the extreme, not believing that Jesus paid the price for the transgressions of God's laws of the whole world, including one's own transgressions of God's laws, will yield eternal death; but every time we decide to do something that we know God has told us not to do, we release some degree of death into our mortal lives here on earth. for example, God tells us that we were healed by His stripes as Jesus; but if we decide to believe the report of our bodies and the world when symptoms of sickness occur, this unbelief will result in continued sickness, which is the dying of our God-given divine health in this life - even though we can still go to heaven when we die if we decide not to believe God about healing, not believing God that we were healed by the stripes of Jesus still produces a form of death in this life...
the degree to which we avoid transgressing God's laws do not move us closer to being His holy children; being led by Him does, and automatically results in a reduction of transgressions of God's laws to the degree that we perceive and follow His leading, as He will never lead us to transgress His laws
Rom 8:1-14 KJV
(1) There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
(2) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
(3) For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
(4) That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
(5) For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
(6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
(7) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
(8) So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
(9) But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
(10) And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
(11) But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
(12) Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
(13) For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
(14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
