Are All Sins The Same?

Are All Sins The Same? Introduction: The answer is yes and no. And I believe the Scriptures say the same. Are some sins greater, or worse, than others? Our knee-jerk reaction might be that all sin is the same. But actually that is not true. All sin is not the same. According to the Scriptures, some sins are more offensive to God. Yes, All sin is the same in regard to the punishment due. There are no mortal sins and venial sins, as some claim, but all are mortal literally. The punishment for each and every sin is mortally death. Romans 6:23 says, the wages of sin is death with no distinction of kinds or types of sin. It was true in the beginning when God said to Adam and Eve that when you eat the forbidden fruit you shall die. And they did. And so, are all sins the same? Yes, if by the same you mean they each carry the same punishment. James says in chapter 2 that to be guilty of one sin, any sin, is the equal to be guilty of all. No kind of sin or amount of sin will change the fact that a sinner is guilty before God of a violation of His will and worthy of death. Now that is it for the YES all sin is the same part of the sermon; as my intention tonight is to highlight the Scriptures that indicate that the answer is NO No, all sin is not the same. But, first Why do people often say that all sin is the same? Sin is sin. There is no one sin more damnable than another? Well, it could be coming from a few different places in people s thinking 1. One reason some use this phrase is to uphold the seriousness of sin. It is viewed as a way to remind people not to be dismissive about their sin or regard it

as a triviality. No matter how small or unimportant a sin is in your eyes, to God it is big and big enough to get you driven out of the Garden of Eden, or into hell. 2. Others use this phrase as way to flatten out all sins so that they are not distinguishable from each other. Or, to put it another way, this phrase is used to portray all human beings as precisely the same in the same sinful predicament. If all sins are equal, and all people sin, then no one is more holy than anyone else. In a world fascinated with equality, this usage of the phrase is particularly attractive to folks. It allows everyone to be lumped together into a single undifferentiated mass Sinners, we are all sinners. 3. Three, such a statement is useful as a way to prevent particular behaviors from being condemned or at least not in some perceived extraordinary way. If all sins are equal, and everyone is a sinner, then you are not allowed to highlight any particular sin (or sinner). In our day, this usage of the phrase is featured largely in cultural debates over issues like homosexuality. Yes, homosexuality is a sin, but, all sins are equal in God s sight and therefore it is no different than anything else. Therefore, Christians ought to stop talking about homosexuality unless they are also willing to talk about impatience, anger, gluttony, and so on. Don t pick on me. 4. Many people use all sins are equal as an excuse to justify their rebellion. In other words, by saying this, they bring themselves up in their minds to a Christian s level, since they sin too, and so even without being a Christian there is no need to elevate myself beyond where currently I am morally speaking. I m good. But, whatever the reason behind it, for the next few minutes I want to show another side of the Scriptures teaching on this idea. This will not be showing the Scriptures contradict themselves no, that can never be but that the bible shows

different sides or angels of viewing it. This the bible does in many subjects. Easily, we can see this to be true when contrasting murder with say, failing to pray. Though both are sinful, one is much more egregious than the other in consequence, I think we can easily see. But, does the bible support this idea? I believe it does. King David was told that though his sin of adultery and murder had been forgiven, nonetheless because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of Jehovah to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. (II Samuel 12:14). David s kingship and place of advantage (alluded to in the context) made his sin worse for him than maybe others. The mother of the king in Proverbs 31 said let sinners and depressed people drink alcohol you are a king stay away from it (vs. 4-7). Can it be said that the same sin may be worse for some than others? In a sense, yes. The apostle Paul said an elder that sins needs to be rebuked before the whole congregation that they all may learn not to sin (I Timothy 5:20). Not all sins need to be addressed publicly, but some do, and maybe due to who it is that committed it. Jesus said blasphemies generally, even those against Him, can be forgiven but not blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Never. Though I may not be sure I know how that is, one thing is for sure not all blaspheming is the same (Mark 3:28-30). The Scriptures say in Proverbs 6:16-19 that there are six, yea seven things that are abominable to the Lord. Now, I am not saying that there are only seven such things, but notice the power of the word used by the Holy Spirit to describe these

sins abominable detestable. But, aren t all sins seen by God the same way? I don t think so. Paul says in I Corinthians 6 that fornication is uniquely a sin against one s own body. In verse 18 we read, Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Fornication is different than all other sins. And that brings me to this one. Homosexuality is given special mention in Romans 1. Beginning in verse 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. Following this is a long list of other sins, but homosexual sin is given its own brief commentary. It was a sin against nature. It was what lead to the complete destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Proverbs says it is thought less of a thief, especially if stealing to put food on the table, than adulterer. Listen 6:30-15 People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry, but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house. He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself. Wounds and dishonor will he get, and his disgrace will not be wiped away. For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge. He will accept no compensation; he will refuse though you multiply gifts.then goes on to say adultery can get you killed. Hebrews 10:28-29 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and

has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? The Old Testament talks about inadvertent breaches of commandments were to be dealt with differently than premeditated. Even all murder is not murder at least not in degree. Sometimes it it is first, second or third degree or manslaughter. Where did our courts get that from? Probably the Bible. Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, "You have committed a great sin. Exodus 32:30 Jesus said to Pontius Pilate, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin" (John 19:11). I think Jesus was referring here to either Caiaphas or Judas. Caiaphas was the high priest, the man who represented God and was supposed to be close to God. Judas was one of the handpicked disciples of the Lord. So if Jesus was referring to them, it really was, in effect, the same sin they would have committed. And what was this "greater sin"? It was sinning when they knew better. Speaking of Judas, He once said it would be better if the betrayer had never been born. Matthew 26:24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born. Matthew 11:21-22 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.

Proverbs 28:9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. Matthew 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. (KJV only) 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Luke 17:1-2 And he said to his disciples, Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. Luke 12:47-48 And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. I Corinthians 5:1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. I Timothy 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

II Peter 2:20-22 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire. I Timothy 1:12-15 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. We all are sinners, but Paul viewed the injury he had brought upon the church in his pre-christian life as so, so awfully bad. He says in I Cor. 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. One thing is for sure, he personally viewed what he had done sinfully being extraordinarily bad. Conclusion: That s the lesson for this evening. Let us be fair and balanced in our theology. Let us consider two sides to a topic, when the Lord gives us two sides to a subject. We do ourselves no favors when we get out of balance, and become left or right leaning, when the Scriptures have us centered on Jesus. May God bless our understanding of His word. Amen.