Christians--All Sins Equal?

Victor said:

"

Do Evangelicals-- does anyone--really believe that a five-year-old who steals a cookie is the moral and spiritual equivalent of Jeffrey Dahmer?

Catholic theology says NO. Distinctions should be made.

Peace In Christ
~Victor

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Not in my eyes Victor, but I believe in Gods eyes, all sin is so ugly, they all stain us in the same manner.

'Sin' is such a judgemental word! So many fundamentalist Christians seem to concentrate on 'sin' when they should be looking for the good in people of which there is plenty!

I thank that is true, to clarify my comment, my answer is in several different places in the bible not just in one place to quote all that there is just look up repentance read, pray and ponder them. The one cool thing about the bible is that it is inter-connected one thing may lead to anther completing the thought or idea in one book to anther. God only gives knowledge and wisdom to those that are able to handle it there is much that the bible doesn’t give direct answers too but is a good starting point to receive much needed knowledge in this day. It might be good to point out that the book of Mormon is also inter-related into the bible thus giving the bible a written wetness of the truths that are in it. The comment that I gave is only found in the bible and connected to the book of Mormon... but to quote everything would take hours to do. I only summarize what I already know that is to be true. But any way a good proverb to explain what sin dose is Luke 15:11-32 this lesson is the foundation of what repentance will do. However the atonement of Jesus Christ makes it all possible see Romans 5:10-11 and add 12 this talks about what Jesus Christ died for and the enemies that are describe of being what I believe to be the greatest enemy is the devil; what greater enemy is there to man then the devil?

No all sins are not equal. And what might be a sin for one might not be for someone else. For instance, a man can have sex with his wife, not a sin. But if you have sex with his wife, that is a sin, and might cause the woman's husband to sin by killing you.

Some Christians would say it is a sin to have sex before you are married, most reasonable people would not call that a sin!

Sin IS sin but I do believe that there is a place that states certian sins to be worse than other's..I guess it would be like lying...there are little white lies to try not to hurt someone then there are out-and-out bold faced lies...don't care much for lies of any kind but lies really hurt if they are the big ones without good purpose...I imagine it's the same for sin.

Tangnefedd said:

What is cocky about it? If you read the Bible, especially the OT, God would appear to get it very wrong indeed! In fact who is he to judge anyone when he is as bad as any of the mass murderers in history, if you believe the Biblical accounts of blood letting allegedly in his name!

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This sure seemed like it to me:

If God doesn't know the difference then he better have a reality check!

kevmicsmi said:

Not in my eyes Victor, but I believe in Gods eyes, all sin is so ugly, they all stain us in the same manner.

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That's peachy, but can you do me a favor and address the verse in bold that I noted.

From Sharing God's Truth
SIN is separated identity neurosis brought about by secondary independent notions:
Separated - no longer connected or joined
Identity - the individual characteristics by which a thing or person is recognized or known
Neurosis - a mental disturbance not attributable to any known neurological or organic dysfunction

This means the false notion that we are separate from each other and from God. And this state of being is caused by:
Secondary - belonging to a lower class or rank; not of major importance
Independent - not dependent on or conditioned by or relative to anything else
Notions - a vague idea in which some confidence is placed; an odd or fanciful or capricious idea

These are individual acts that cause waves of negative energy. Lying, stealing, and cheating are all actions that cause negative feelings. Sins cause a shadow to fall over the light that is within you. The degree of sin is determined my the density of the shadow you create for yourself.

I believe there are worst sins than others and folks will be judged accordingly. Also, all have sinned, and one sin is the same as a million, as far as being able to be in Heaven with a perfectly sinless, holy God. That is why Jesus died, to pay for all our sins, and clothe us in His righteousness, so we can be with God, freely.

Some Christians would say it is a sin to have sex before you are married, most reasonable people would not call that a sin!

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Actually, that is without a doubt a sin. The only people who can deny that sex before marriage is a sin are those who are blind to the word of God.

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be decieved. Neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor homosexuals nor sodomites."

I Corinthians 6:9

"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleaness, lewdness."

Ephesians 5:19

Although we all have sinned, and do sin in some way, each day even, whether thot, word, or deed. If we have the blood of Jesus covering our sins, we are saved, no matter what, although we may reap conscequences for our actions here, and loss of reward there.

joeboonda said:

Although we all have sinned, and do sin in some way, each day even, whether thot, word, or deed. If we have the blood of Jesus covering our sins, we are saved, no matter what, although we may reap conscequences for our actions here, and loss of reward there.

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i don’t mean to offend you, but don't people that sin in the bible say the same thing, yet the disciples of Christ say to live as Christ with charity. and words of the devil to be marry and do as you please and you will be saved? and doesn’t Jesus have the right to save those that he wants to be save if they keep his commandments?

so the big queston that matters is can we judge ourselives honestly to enter into the kindoms of hev'n as if we where naked?

Well, I believe salation is a free gift as stated:

5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
5:16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
(King James Bible, Romans)

Now, salvation above is free, paid for by Christ, see how many times free, and free gift are mentioned in bold. Also, look at this:

4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

Here we see, that salvation is a gift, if we try to work for it, it is no longer a gift, but a debt, and God will not be a debtor to anyone. Works are a RESULT of our salvation, not something we DO to earn or KEEP it.

Having said that, we know as it also says in Romans, "Shall we sin that grace may abound? God forbid." So, I believe, we are saved as a totaly free gift, that works will be an evidence of this, and that as Christians we should, and actually will strive to keep Christ's commandments. For as many as he loves, (his children), he corrects, or chastiseth. The Holy Spirit is now working in us, teaching and leading us to be more like Christ, we still have our sin-nature, but we are also born-again, new creations, in Christ, who keeps us, who is our advocate, who will in no wise cast us out. So, I believe we are freely saved, when we trust in Christ, and we grow IN the grace of Christ, AS His children, always His children, not always in fellowship, but always in relationship, some of us grow faster than others, some will receive more reward than others, some travel around that same old mountain, that same old sin, habit, etc., and it can make them unfruitful, or less fruitful, and even cause pain, sickness, death, for them and others, yet their salvation is secure, as it is a free gift, it is the one thing we cannot do anything to earn. Hope that clarifies my view a bit. Thanks.
Mike

I just read something were Jesus was rebuked for letting a sinful woman wash his feet. Jesus talked about two men with debts. And who would be more thankful and appreciative of being relieved of those debts. It is not our place to judge others, for we do not know what kind of suffering they have to go through before they can see God.

Luke 7:41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

My opinion:

All sin is equal in that it all keeps us from God.

However, all sin is not equal in regards to the immediate impact it may have on a person's life. Repentance for different sins may be different as well.

Judgmental Christians are a work of the devil, if you believe he exists. They cause more trouble and strife within a church community than any of their so called 'sinful' brethren!

I believe that the sin itself is the wilful disobedience, breaking God's laws on purpose. Even though there is "no such thing as being a little bit pregnant" I don't think that killing somebody ritualistically would be seen the same as stealing a loaf of bread, but having said that, one is more God's law, the other is more a man-made law.

waldo said:

do you beleive that one sin is as bad as any other?
i'm asking this because some people say "a sin is a sin" and that (for example) "stealing a candy bar is just as bad as killing someone"
i agree that you have to repent and be forgiven of all your sins to get into heaven, but i think that some sins are more serious than others and require deeper repentance.
saying all or most sins are equally bad seems like you're only judged on quantity, and (for example) "god would rather you killed one person than stolen a candy bar twice"
What kind of unjust god would judge that way?

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Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.---Scripture Quotations Taken from the NASB

Jamieson Fausset, and Brown Commentary (1871)

Romans 12:2:

2. And be ye not conformed to this world—Compare Eph 2:2,Ga 1:4, Greek.
but be ye transformed—or, "transfigured" (as in Mt 17:2; and 2Co 3:18, Greek).
by the renewing of your mind—not by a mere outward disconformity to the ungodly world, many of whose actions in themselves may be virtuous and praiseworthy; but by such an inward spiritual transformation as makes the whole life new—new in its motives and ends, even where the actions differ in nothing from those of the world—new, considered as a whole, and in such a sense as to be wholly unattainable save through the constraining power of the love of Christ.
that ye may prove—that is, experimentally. (On the word "experience" see on Ro 5:4, and compare 1Th 5:10, where the sentiment is the same).
what is that—"the"
good and acceptable—"well-pleasing"
and perfect, will of God—We prefer this rendering (with CALVIN) to that which many able critics [THOLUCK, MEYER, DE WETTE, FRITZSCHE, PHILIPPI, ALFORD, HODGE] adopt—"that ye may prove," or "discern the will of God, [even] what is good, and acceptable, and perfect." God's will is "good," as it demands only what is essentially and unchangeably good (Ro 7:10); it is "well pleasing," in contrast with all that is arbitrary, as demanding only what God has eternal complacency in (compare Mic 6:8,Jer 9:24); and it is "perfect," as it required nothing else than the perfection of God's reasonable creature, who, in proportion as he attains to it, reflects God's own perfection. Such then is the great general duty of the redeemed—SELF-CONSECRATION, in our whole spirit and soul and body to Him who hath called us into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ. Next follow specific duties, chiefly social; beginning with Humility, the chiefest of all the graces—but here with special reference to spiritual gifts.

There is a short monograph about Does the Bible teach mortal and venial sin? while most conservative Protestants believe that there is varying degrees of punishment for sin in the afterlife, all unforgiven sins will result in a separation from God. Note, this is not quite like what Dante described, q.v., Is the Divine Comedy / Dante's Inferno a biblically accurate description of Heaven and Hell? another short monograph.

waldo said:

do you beleive that one sin is as bad as any other?
i'm asking this because some people say "a sin is a sin" and that (for example) "stealing a candy bar is just as bad as killing someone"
i agree that you have to repent and be forgiven of all your sins to get into heaven, but i think that some sins are more serious than others and require deeper repentance.
saying all or most sins are equally bad seems like you're only judged on quantity, and (for example) "god would rather you killed one person than stolen a candy bar twice"
What kind of unjust god would judge that way?

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waldo,
All sins are not equal!!! As you probably know there is a sin that cannot be forgiven, that is sin against the Holy Spirit, Matt 12:31,32. John speaks of two kinds of sin at 1John 5:16,17. The sin to death is not to be prayed against, for it cannot be forgiven. There are sins that do not lead to death. These we try not to get into a practice of committing. If we practice sinning after being told the truth of these, we have NO sacrifice for ourselves. In other words Jesus' ransom sacrifice will not be applied to us, Heb 10:26.
John tells us that we should not sin, but if we do we have a helper, Jesus, and he is a propitiatory sacrice for our sins, 1John 2:1,2. Consider the next couple of verses, 3,4, which says if we know Him we will keep His commandments, the one not keeping His commandments does not know Him, and is a lier. So the answer is we should try not to sin in any way, especially we should not practice any sin. We are bound to sin so we must pray to God to apply Jesus' sacrifice to our sins, and try not to repeat the same sins over and over. The person who really does not care about obeying God and goes right on disobeying, is, what the Bible calls a sinner, Epy 4:22-24, shows us that we should try to make our minds over so that we can be more like Jesus and God Himself.
At Rom 6:23 we are told that the wages that sin pays is death, so without Jesus' Great Ransom Sacrifice we would all die in our sins, John 8:24.
Rom 2:6 says we will receive according to the things we do. Gal 6:7-10 says we will reap what we sow. It behooves us to try to be a good as we can, Rom 4:2-10.
The thing is; God's commandments are not a burden for us, but a protection, 1John 5:3.