I had a short conversation tonight about whether or not all sins were equal in God’s sight. I know becoming a Christian and growing up in my faith, it’s a popular idea. It makes for an excellent way of easing someone’s distress at the onset of their sin (although perhaps that’s not a good thing?).
But, I don’t think this is the correct way to look at sin.
All sins are not equal in God’s sight. All sins will result in death, but not all sins are seen as equally wicked by God. I think you can see this illustrated in the language used in numerous places in scripture. One of which is 2 Chronicles 28:13:
"You must not bring those prisoners here," they said, "or we will be guilty before the LORD. Do you intend to add to our sin and guilt? For our guilt is already great, and his fierce anger rests on Israel."
You can see the the idea that while they are already guilty, their guilt can increase which could result in a greater degree of God’s wrath. But, I think there is a more obvious illustration in the new testament where Jesus grieves over the unbelief of Korazin and Bethsaida. Luke 10:13:
"Woe to you, Korazin! 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, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths."
Jesus’ woe is not a condemning woe, it’s a pitiful woe. He is distressed at their unbelief and wishes they would repent. He references God’s wrath poured out on Tyre and Sidon, whose wickedness was very "great".
Then he goes on to say something fascinating. He says that had Tyre and Sidon had the benefit of seeing the miracles that Jesus performed they would have repented. So, we see that in the case of Korazin and Bethsaida as well as Tyre and Sidon, unbelief was a chief sin.
But, because Korazin and Bethsaida had the benefit of seeing Jesus’ miracles, their sin of unbelief was much worse!
I think that a lot of the time people have trouble with that idea because it looks like a slippery slope. If we say that some sins are worse than others, then we must also acknowledge that some sins are not as bad. That sounds bad.
But, it’s the truth.
To steal a loaf of bread is a sin. To kill a man for sleeping with your wife is worse. But here’s the clincher. The perpetrators of both of these sins are going to hell, unless their sins are atoned for by Christ. So in an ultimate sense, the delineation between sins and sinners is irrelevant.
But even so, truth is truth and we must honor it.
