Is All Sin Equal?

[skyjoy00]

Hi, I would like to know if all sin is equal? I've always been told this, but while reading John 19:11, Jesus mentions "The one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin" before His Crucifixion.

John 19:11 "Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin."

 

[Particular]

Is every breaking of the law a crime? Yes.
The question of equality regarding each sin is not what a just Judge will weigh. The question will be...did you break God's moral law? Breaking just one means you are judged as guilty. The Bible tells us that the wages (just sentencing) of sin is death (eternal separation and judgment).
Now, will their be levels of hell whereby crimes are meted out with varying degrees of punishment? I do not know. Others may wish to weigh in on that issue.

 

[Yeshua1]

Hi, I would like to know if all sin is equal? I've always been told this, but while reading John 19:11, Jesus mentions "The one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin" before His Crucifixion.

John 19:11 "Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin."

God Himself considers Murder and Adultery as special sins!

 

[Steven Yeadon]

Hi, I would like to know if all sin is equal? I've always been told this, but while reading John 19:11, Jesus mentions "The one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin" before His Crucifixion.

John 19:11 "Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin."

Complicated question, I am still trying to understand your question myself, but this is what I have found so far.

This website explains the very complex nature of the fact there are two kinds of righteousness in the bible.

Righteousness Definition and Meaning - Bible Dictionary

First there is right standing with God that comes from justification through Jesus Christ. Because every sin is deserving of hell ultimately, before Almighty and Holy God, because the wages of sin are eternal death compared to the eternal life we have in Jesus Christ.

Romans 6:21-23
21 Therefore what [o]benefit were you then [p]deriving [q]from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you [r]derive your benefit, [t]resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Then there is the more common use of righteousness as a person of virtue that meets their obligations to God and Neighbor as found in God's commandments.

As far as I can tell, not every obligation to God and neighbor seems created equal to this second kind of righteousness. This is seen in that not every breaking of God's commandments in the old testament carried the same penalty. This makes sense because not every criminal offense is equal. Stealing from a store is a sin worthy of hell before a Holy God, but it is not murder or the like.

The first five books of the bible contain the Old Testament Law that was perfected by Jesus in and the apostles in things like the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). A number of crimes such as murder and adultery are so heinous as to deserve death in the old testament. However, theft normally required only restitution be paid back to the one stolen from with extra paid on behalf of the crime.

 

[righteousdude2]

Sin is SIN....and there are no lesser sins than others! In God's eyes, Christ died for ALL sin, and in my theology, that does not place values on anyone sin. That is my view!

 

[Scarlett O.]

Sins are equal in that they all - equally - offend a holy God and must be repented of.

Sins are NOT equal in terms of consequences paid by laws/biblical teachings that support the idea of the action being a sin.

Murderers go to prison and sometimes received the death penalty. Stealing from the petty cash box at work [even if you meant to return it] may actually go unnoticed and would carry, at worst, being terminated from the job.

Paul did say that sexual sins have a worse consequence as they defile the person's own body.

However, in the eyes of God, sin is sin.

 

[Reformed1689]

Hi, I would like to know if all sin is equal? I've always been told this, but while reading John 19:11, Jesus mentions "The one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin" before His Crucifixion.

John 19:11 "Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin."

The answer is yes and no.

Yes, in the sense that every sin, no matter how big, no matter how small (in man's eyes) makes us deserving of eternal damnation in Hell.

No, in the sense that there are sins that are more heinous than others. We see this in Scripture as well. We see some sins that you could repent of and continue with life. However, there were some sins that God demanded the death penalty.

Hope that helps.

 

[atpollard]

• [Luke 12:41-48 NIV] 41 Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?" 42 The Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 47 "The servant who knows the master's will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
• [Matthew 10:15 NASB] 15 "Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for [the] land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
• [Matthew 11:24 NASB] 24 "Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in [the] day of judgment, than for you."
• [Luke 10:12 NASB] 12 "I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city.

Decide for yourself if these apply.

 

[Yeshua1]

Sins are equal in that they all - equally - offend a holy God and must be repented of.

Sins are NOT equal in terms of consequences paid by laws/biblical teachings that support the idea of the action being a sin.

Murderers go to prison and sometimes received the death penalty. Stealing from the petty cash box at work [even if you meant to return it] may actually go unnoticed and would carry, at worst, being terminated from the job.

Paul did say that sexual sins have a worse consequence as they defile the person's own body.

However, in the eyes of God, sin is sin.

You defined it well here, as all sin is sin in the sense its unholy before God, and yet He Himself stated murder and adultery are worst sins, along with idolatry....

 

[James1023]

Hi, I would like to know if all sin is equal? I've always been told this, but while reading John 19:11, Jesus mentions "The one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin" before His Crucifixion.

John 19:11 "Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin."

While many will disagree there is one sin that is much greater than any other sin. The Bible verse you have show gives us an example of this sin.

Jesus speaking to the Pharisees charged them with the greatest sin blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, Matthew12:24-32. This sin is so great that there is no forgiveness for it. Many are frightful they may have committed it, but if one commits it they will have no desire for the Father, Son or Holy Ghost.

Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace?
Hebrews 10:29

To blaspheme the Holy Spirit one must knowing attribute His works and deeds to the devil. For the chief job of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Son, John 16:12-15. So because the Holy Spirit chief mission is to glorify Christ to deny the message of Christ has redeem us is the unforgivable sin.

For to trodden underfoot the Blood of Christ is to do despite unto the Spirit of Grace; this blasphemy shall lead to eternal damnation.

 

[Calminian]

Hi, I would like to know if all sin is equal? I've always been told this, but while reading John 19:11, Jesus mentions "The one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin" before His Crucifixion.

John 19:11 "Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin."

In disqualification for heaven yes. In temporal effect and required consequences, no. No Christian would advocate for equal sentencing in all crimes.

 

[MB]

If we break even one commandment we have broken them all. There is no difference between one sin and another. Nothing can be worse than hell and all sin takes men to hell.
MB

 

[Reformed1689]

If we break even one commandment we have broken them all. There is no difference between one sin and another. Nothing can be worse than hell and all sin takes men to hell.
MB

Degrees of Punishment in Hell - The Gospel Coalition

 

[Calminian]

Degrees of Punishment in Hell - The Gospel Coalition

Biblical and logical. 2 errors often come up in this area. One: there's no difference at all between sins. Petty theft and murder should be treated exact the same. Two: God doesn't care about all sins, only the serious ones.

 

[MB]

Degrees of Punishment in Hell - The Gospel Coalition

No such thing in scripture.
MB

 

[Reformed1689]

No such thing in scripture.
MB

Obviously you didn't read the article.

 

[Calminian]

No such thing in scripture.
MB

Of course there is. Even in the OT, God would punish nations severely over some sins, even though we know sin happens all the time. Even in the Mosaic law, some sins are punished more severely than others. Even the eye for eye legislation teaches us that all sins are not equal. That was the whole point of it. If all sins are the same, eye for eye would not make sense.

 

[Reformed1689]

Of course there is. Even in the OT, God would punish nations severely over some sins, even though we know sin happens all the time. Even in the Mosaic law, some sins are punished more severely than others. Even the eye for eye legislation teaches us that all sins are not equal. That was the whole point of it. If all sins are the same, eye for eye would not make sense.

The problem with @MB is if a poster is Calvinist he will oppose what they say no matter what is said.

 

[Calminian]

The problem with @MB is if a poster is Calvinist he will oppose what they say no matter what is said.

Maybe, but i see this error a lot in the church. It's a way to minimize serious sins, and to get out of fighting evil. It usually manifests in the form of absurd moral equivalencies. Also many Christians use this to justify voting for liberals.

Bad theology is harmful.

 

[Shoostie]

Hi, I would like to know if all sin is equal? I've always been told this, but while reading John 19:11, Jesus mentions "The one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin" before His Crucifixion.

The teaching that "all sins are equal" is another one of those garbage doctrines that defies both scripture and common sense, yet are popular among Christians.

The only truth there is to it is that even the smallest sin separates us from God. Just the same, conviction for even the smallest crime leaves you with a criminal record.

Why do people believe such garbage? I think the biggest reason is because cowardly Christians are afraid of being hated by the world. "No, no, no, I'm not any better than you. Sure, you rape boys and married another man, but I'm the chief of sinners!"