Christians: Big sins and little sins?

[Eddi]

This is within Same Faith Debates and is aimed primarily at Christians!

As far as God is concerned, are there big sins and little sins? Here are three scriptures on the matter:

For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all

(James 2:10 NASB)

HOWEVER:

Do not become teachers in large numbers, my brothers, since you know that we who are teachers will incur a stricter judgment.

(James 3:1 NASB)

Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over Me at all, if it had not been given to you from above; for this reason the one who handed Me over to you has the greater sin.”

(John 19:11 NASB)

I think that as far as God is concerned sin is defined as transgressing his laws. For his purposes that is the definition of sin. If this is the only criteria he uses then yes, every sin is the same - from mass murder to telling a little white lie. Both equally violated the letter of his law. The question is, does he consider some violations more serious than others? Two of the above scriptures would indicate he does...

However:

There is no biblical basis for the belief in different severities of divine punishment, that was made up by Dante and as a Protestant I don't believe in Purgatory - as there is no scriptural basis for this either, so it would follow from this that as far as God cares a "little" sin is as great as a "big" sin as there is no apparent provision for gradients of punishment based on the severity of sin, and anyway:

"the wages of sin is death"

(Romans 6:23)

According to this, any sin incurs the penalty of death. There can be no gradients of death, surely? Either you are dead or you aren't

But I don't really know what to think about this one

 

[Estro Felino]

What I personally believe is that we are equally sinful. In God's eyes. I do not consider myself less sinful than a murderer. Because I cannot judge them and only God can judge.

So since we are all sinners, it is love that saves us. Mercy and love.
When Jesus forgave the prostitute who cried at his feet, he told her : " You have been saved because you have loved much".

 

[PureX]

By my understanding, sin is a spiritual condition; not a measurable volume. It's not about being 'big' or 'little'. It's about being true to the divine spirit within, or being lost to self-centered fear and desire.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

As far as God is concerned, are there big sins and little sins? Here are three scriptures on the matter:
(James 2:10 NASB) (James 3:1 NASB)
Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over Me at all, if it had not been given to you from above; for this reason the one who handed Me over to you has the greater sin.”(John 19:11 NASB)
I think that as far as God is concerned sin is defined as transgressing his laws. For his purposes that is the definition of sin. If this is the only criteria he uses then yes, every sin is the same - from mass murder to telling a little white lie. "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23)
According to this, any sin incurs the penalty of death. There can be no gradients of death, surely? Either you are dead or you aren't

I find lies do Not come in colors.
Lies (sin) are either: on purpose or not, deliberate or not, by accident of not, premeditated or not, willlful or not.
The greater sin would be the 'unforgivable sin' of Matthew 12:32.

There will be ( future tense ) a resurrection of both: the righteous and unrighteous..... Acts of the Apostles 24:15
Who will Not have a resurrection are those classed as wicked. The wicked are 'destroyed forever' - Psalms 92:7; 104:35; Proverbs 2:21-22

 

[Messianic Israelite]

This is within Same Faith Debates and is aimed primarily at Christians!

As far as God is concerned, are there big sins and little sins? Here are three scriptures on the matter:

For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all

(James 2:10 NASB)

HOWEVER:

Do not become teachers in large numbers, my brothers, since you know that we who are teachers will incur a stricter judgment.

(James 3:1 NASB)

Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over Me at all, if it had not been given to you from above; for this reason the one who handed Me over to you has the greater sin.”

(John 19:11 NASB)

I think that as far as God is concerned sin is defined as transgressing his laws. For his purposes that is the definition of sin. If this is the only criteria he uses then yes, every sin is the same - from mass murder to telling a little white lie. Both equally violated the letter of his law. The question is, does he consider some violations more serious than others? Two of the above scriptures would indicate he does...

However:

There is no biblical basis for the belief in different severities of divine punishment, that was made up by Dante and as a Protestant I don't believe in Purgatory - as there is no scriptural basis for this either, so it would follow from this that as far as God cares a "little" sin is as great as a "big" sin as there is no apparent provision for gradients of punishment based on the severity of sin, and anyway:

"the wages of sin is death"

(Romans 6:23)

According to this, any sin incurs the penalty of death. There can be no gradients of death, surely? Either you are dead or you aren't

But I don't really know what to think about this one

Hi Eddi. Good evening. You might have done well asking this to a Jew. I'm reading through the Torah right now as part of Bible Reading Program, and throughout the book I am reading in Leviticus they are clear indications that some sins deserved a greater punishment than others. Adultery resulted in the death penalty (a capital offense), while stealing resulted in the perpetuator to make restitution. The wages of sin is still death. Wages indicates something that you get after some time of working in a particular way. But you can die in a slow way, or a quick way. Think of it as you are doing damage to yourself if you sin until finally the result is death, perhaps physical and perhaps spiritual, or eternal death in Gehenna Fire. But you've done well to think through this one mostly on your own.