The Inequality of Sin

Have you ever heard these phrases: “sin is sin is sin,” or “all sin is the same in God's eyes”?

I have heard them many times. Let's take a look at the Scriptures to see what they say.

“For no one living is righteous before you.” Psalm 143:2b

That is pretty clear that every one of us stands before God as unrighteous. There is no one who is “good enough” to make the claim that they will be declared righteous on judgment day.

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. (James 2:10-11)

Ouch! One stumble at obedience, one sin, makes us guilty of breaking the entire law. Why is that? Because God is utterly , completely, and perfectly holy. He has never sinned. He has never made a mistake. He has never had poor judgment. He has never lied. His very nature is sinless. One sin and we are no longer like God.

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear.
But your iniquities have separated
you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear.

Isaiah 59:1-2

Sin separates us from God. There is no list of which sins separate us from God and which ones don't. Any sin in our life separates us from this holy and perfect God. In this context of who is righteous and who can stand before God on the day of judgment, “all sin is equal in the sight of God,” as any sin separates us from God. Each and every one of us has been separated from God and requires a Saviour to redeem us and make us acceptable to Him. That Saviour is Jesus!

However, the other day, something jumped out at me as I was reading the crucifixion account in John 19.

“Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

Did you catch that phrase at the very end of Jesus' reply? “Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” Jesus clearly thinks that not all sin is equal.

I decided to explore this further. As Jesus prepares to send out the Twelve Apostles to proclaim the message of the Kingdom of God, he gave them many instructions. Those instructions included the following:

If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. (Mt 10:14-15)

Later, Jesus says something similar to the crowd.

Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” (Mt 11:20-24)

In both these passages, Jesus indicates that on the Day of Judgment there will be different degrees of judgment/punishment. If different sins receive different punishments, clearly Jesus does not consider all sin to be equal.

Not long after I started typing this blog post, I read an excerpt in The Utter Relief of Holiness, by John Eldredge, in which Eldredge discusses the very same topic.

“This idea has morphed into the popular notion "all sins are pretty much the same." It doesn't matter what the details are; sin is sin. I've heard that very phrase from many church leaders. Really? Sexual abuse is the same as jaywalking? I've met Bible scholars who would actually tell you yes. Jesus clearly doesn't agree. He felt that because the townspeople of Capernaum had seen him in person—God in the flesh—witnessed with their own eyes his life and miracles and had still rejected him, their crimes were far more serious than the homosexuality of Sodom. Whoa.

Jewish radio commentator and teacher Dennis Prager calls it "moral equivalency"—blurring moral differences, making all ethical issues equal, and therefore all sins equal. The idea is devastating for several reasons. First, I believe it has added to the sexual collapse I mentioned earlier. Good grief, if in the heat of passion you believe "a sin's a sin" and this is really no different from cheating on a test, and what the heck, you've already gone this far, you aren't going to have much reason to keep your clothes on. Confusing the weight of sins actually hurts our ability to resist temptation.

But the blurring of moral differences has also torn many a tender conscience apart. When a dear soul comes before God to repent of lying to her boss, and she believes (because she's been told) that she has done something just as awful as murdering her neighbor, she finds it very hard to receive forgiveness. She puts herself through all sorts of severity that frankly the offense simply doesn't call for.

This is not the view Jesus holds on the matter. All he said to the woman caught in adultery was "go and sin no more." But to the cities that rejected him, he shouts a warning that it is going to be a mighty black day come the end. There are moral differences; some matters are far weightier than others.

Furthermore, you can't pursue genuine holiness if you are walking around under the crushing weight that tossing a wrapper on the sidewalk is just as bad as harboring resentment toward your parents. It's crippling; it also keeps you from focusing on what Jesus called "the weightier matters."

The idea has also had devastating consequences when it comes to our influence in public life. It has clouded many a Christian's thinking around election time. Trees are important, but not nearly as important as human life. Education is important, but not nearly as important as the sanctity of marriage. Blurring moral differences tries to make all things equal. They are not.”

The Scriptures clearly indicate that not all sin is equal. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that “sin is sin” and allow yourself to commit sins that carry a much greater weight. On the other hand, don't beat yourself up and go into a depression for something small, thinking you are just as guilty as the murderer sitting in a jail cell. We all need a Saviour as much as the murderer, and without coming to Jesus we have no solution for our separation from God. However, Scripture is clear that the consequences in this life and the next are not the same for all sin.

Oh Almighty Father!

How awesome it is to come before Your righteous throne! We praise You and thank You for Your incredible mercy extended to us through the sacrifice of Your Son on the cross. There is no one righteous on their own merits. We have all fallen so far short of Your glory. Yet, You love us and delight in us! You want a relationship with us! We cannot give you enough praise and worship for Your incredible love! Thank You for Your Word and the wisdom it provides. Help us to realize that some sins are indeed worse than others. Some of us think small things are terrible, and beat ourselves up for being so horribly sinful. Others minimize all sin. Help us to have sober judgment when we examine ourselves. Let us remember Your promise that when we come to You in confession and repentance You forgive all our sins and clothe us with the righteousness of Christ! May we live in such a way as to grow more like You every day. To You be all praise and honour and power and glory forever and ever. Amen.