KingJ
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It seems that many Christians refuse to teach or believe in degrees of sins in their walk with God.
The popular statement you hear in church is that 'sin is sin'.
I believe this is foolishness that embarrasses Christianity and incriminates God as it suggests He may pervert Justice.
Imagine telling your spouse that if she thinks of someone else you will divorce them. Imagine telling sinners that whether you are a candy thief or a murderer, you are all getting the same punishment in hell.
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Now scripture does teach that 'sin is sin'. But it also teaches that sin has degrees.
Jesus gives us two examples of 'sin being sin':
1. Jesus stops an adulterer being stoned to death. He says, 'Whoever is without sin, cast the first stone'. John 8:7.
2. In Matt 5:28 He says that you are guilty of the sin of adultery if you merely have immoral thoughts.
From the above two examples we see that the statement 'sin is sin' is sound and true. But we must not place a full stop there!
Jesus also states in John 8:11 that the adulterer must go and sin no more. Jesus also states in Matt 5:32 that we must not divorce unless there is actual adultery.
Teaching 'sin is sin' in isolation to 'degrees of sin' is therefore teaching a half truth.
------------------------------
Scripture relevant to degrees of sin:
1. Old Testament laws
If we read Leviticus and Exodus, we see many differing punishments for sin. Ranging from A - Warning, B - Lashes, C - Excommunication, D - Death by stoning, E - Death by fire. Fornication for example got you 100 lashes. Adultery, graphic and violent death by stoning. Incest, burnt to death by fire.
Lev 20:10 If a man commits adultery with another man's wife, even with the wife of his neighbour, both the adulterer and adulteress must be put to death.
Lev 20:14 If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is wicked. Both he and they must be burned in the fire.
2. Sodom was destroyed for their grievous sins
Gen 18:20 And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous.
Sodom was not destroyed because their sins were small. Imagine that. ''Lord, please destroy Sodom! There are too many people thinking about plucking wings off butterflies!!''.
3. God does not change His mind
If God's thoughts of an unrepentant adulterer were to ordain a graphic and violent death by stoning, and his thoughts of a fornicator was to dish out 100 lashes, do not for one second think His thoughts on the sins and the differing punishments they deserve has changed!
Num 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good.
4. God is just
The definition of 'just' is to be fair. To dish out punishment and reward according to one's actions.
Rom 2:6 God will repay each person according to what they have done.
Job 34:12 It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice.
5. Paul isolates a sinner from sinners
In 1 Cor 5:1 we see how Paul isolates a sinner guilty of sin that not even pagans commit. We have to note that he would not have done this to a candy thief or someone who merely thought of incest.
1 Cor 5:1-2 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this?
6. Paul rebukes Christians who cannot judge matters better than the unsaved
1 Cor 6:1-9 Paul rebukes fellow Christians for taking matters to the unsaved. He says that one day we will judge angels, how much more matters that pertain to this life.
Now, imagine after Paul rebuked you for this, you decide to sentence a candy thief to 25 years in prison alongside murderers.
1 Cor 6:3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
7. Paul confesses to making mistakes of sin, never grievous sin
In Rom 7:15 we read how Paul still sinned. Was he referring to the grievous sins he committed before salvation? IE Murdering Christians.
Rom 7:15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
Imagine Paul continued in rape, pillaging and murder after he was saved. In Rom 7:15 he is clearly referencing lessor sins. What Catholics would call venial sins.
8. Jesus differentiates between sinful thoughts and actions
In Matt 5:28 Jesus explains that thoughts of adultery are a sin of adultery
In Matt 5:32 Jesus explains that thoughts of adultery are not grounds to divorce
------------------------
Conclusion:
You will go to hell one day because you are unrepentant in sin and reject Jesus. Grievous or non-grievous.
The degree of sin we are in points to how 'sold out' we are to a love of what is evil. And to the punishment we can expect one day from a just and righteous God.
There is simply no such thing as a true Christian who commits grievous sins. Christians battle only with venial sins and can perhaps make a once off mistake of a mortal sin. But that will be highly unlikely as - You cannot HATE what is evil at the level required to accept Jesus if you LOVE what is evil at the level required for a mortal sin.
The popular statement you hear in church is that 'sin is sin'.
I believe this is foolishness that embarrasses Christianity and incriminates God as it suggests He may pervert Justice.
Imagine telling your spouse that if she thinks of someone else you will divorce them. Imagine telling sinners that whether you are a candy thief or a murderer, you are all getting the same punishment in hell.
---------------------------------
Now scripture does teach that 'sin is sin'. But it also teaches that sin has degrees.
Jesus gives us two examples of 'sin being sin':
1. Jesus stops an adulterer being stoned to death. He says, 'Whoever is without sin, cast the first stone'. John 8:7.
2. In Matt 5:28 He says that you are guilty of the sin of adultery if you merely have immoral thoughts.
From the above two examples we see that the statement 'sin is sin' is sound and true. But we must not place a full stop there!
Jesus also states in John 8:11 that the adulterer must go and sin no more. Jesus also states in Matt 5:32 that we must not divorce unless there is actual adultery.
Teaching 'sin is sin' in isolation to 'degrees of sin' is therefore teaching a half truth.
------------------------------
Scripture relevant to degrees of sin:
1. Old Testament laws
If we read Leviticus and Exodus, we see many differing punishments for sin. Ranging from A - Warning, B - Lashes, C - Excommunication, D - Death by stoning, E - Death by fire. Fornication for example got you 100 lashes. Adultery, graphic and violent death by stoning. Incest, burnt to death by fire.
Lev 20:10 If a man commits adultery with another man's wife, even with the wife of his neighbour, both the adulterer and adulteress must be put to death.
Lev 20:14 If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is wicked. Both he and they must be burned in the fire.
2. Sodom was destroyed for their grievous sins
Gen 18:20 And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous.
Sodom was not destroyed because their sins were small. Imagine that. ''Lord, please destroy Sodom! There are too many people thinking about plucking wings off butterflies!!''.
3. God does not change His mind
If God's thoughts of an unrepentant adulterer were to ordain a graphic and violent death by stoning, and his thoughts of a fornicator was to dish out 100 lashes, do not for one second think His thoughts on the sins and the differing punishments they deserve has changed!
Num 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good.
4. God is just
The definition of 'just' is to be fair. To dish out punishment and reward according to one's actions.
Rom 2:6 God will repay each person according to what they have done.
Job 34:12 It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice.
5. Paul isolates a sinner from sinners
In 1 Cor 5:1 we see how Paul isolates a sinner guilty of sin that not even pagans commit. We have to note that he would not have done this to a candy thief or someone who merely thought of incest.
1 Cor 5:1-2 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this?
6. Paul rebukes Christians who cannot judge matters better than the unsaved
1 Cor 6:1-9 Paul rebukes fellow Christians for taking matters to the unsaved. He says that one day we will judge angels, how much more matters that pertain to this life.
Now, imagine after Paul rebuked you for this, you decide to sentence a candy thief to 25 years in prison alongside murderers.
1 Cor 6:3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
7. Paul confesses to making mistakes of sin, never grievous sin
In Rom 7:15 we read how Paul still sinned. Was he referring to the grievous sins he committed before salvation? IE Murdering Christians.
Rom 7:15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
Imagine Paul continued in rape, pillaging and murder after he was saved. In Rom 7:15 he is clearly referencing lessor sins. What Catholics would call venial sins.
8. Jesus differentiates between sinful thoughts and actions
In Matt 5:28 Jesus explains that thoughts of adultery are a sin of adultery
In Matt 5:32 Jesus explains that thoughts of adultery are not grounds to divorce
------------------------
Conclusion:
You will go to hell one day because you are unrepentant in sin and reject Jesus. Grievous or non-grievous.
The degree of sin we are in points to how 'sold out' we are to a love of what is evil. And to the punishment we can expect one day from a just and righteous God.
There is simply no such thing as a true Christian who commits grievous sins. Christians battle only with venial sins and can perhaps make a once off mistake of a mortal sin. But that will be highly unlikely as - You cannot HATE what is evil at the level required to accept Jesus if you LOVE what is evil at the level required for a mortal sin.
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