Is all sin really equal?
Listen: 86 Question 5
Even as all sins are not equal to us, or all crimes equal to our justice system, we can see that not all sins are equal in the eyes of the Lord. Make no mistake, however, even the slightest sin we commit can condemn us to Hell. Romans 6:23 tells us that, “…the wages of sin is death…” Any sin makes us unfit for the presence of God, whether it be lying to your mother, or committing a great crime.
Some have misunderstood the words of the Lord in portions such as Matthew 5:27-28 where He said, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Some have said that if lusting after a woman is just as bad as committing adultery, then you might as well go ahead. In reality, the Lord was teaching that sin is born in the heart. It is sin to commit adultery, but it is also sin to lust.
Some thought that you could lust after a woman as long as you did not act on the impulse. The Lord teaches us that even our thoughts are to be honorable. We read in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” What we think is important to the Lord and He wants to direct our thoughts. Our thoughts, or the desires of our hearts, define who we really are. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…”
The Lord spoke of some particularly heinous sins. He spoke strongly against those who harm children in Mark 9:42 which says, “And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.” The Lord spoke of Capernaum’s greater guilt of unbelief in Matthew 11:23-24, “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.” At His trial, the Lord told Pilate in 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.”
We see from these, and many other verses, that all sin is not the same in the eyes of the Lord, but as we read in Romans 6:23, all sin brings death. The good news is that the Lord Jesus paid the penalty for sin on the cross. If we will repent and turn to Christ in faith, our sins will be forgiven, and we will receive the gift of eternal life. As we read in 1 John 1:7, “…the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (86.5)