Is All Sin Equal?
All sin is an affront to God's holiness and character, and all who sin are guilty before Him. So in that sense, yes, all sin has the effect of creating a gulf between us and God that only a Savior could bridge. Also, the consequence of all sin (which is death) is the same. But there are many Bible verses which explicitly and implicitly describe varying degrees of sin.
Here are some verses I found which certainly seem to indicate that all sin is NOT equal:
Matt 23:14-15,32-33
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
Certain sins in the law are distinguished in a particular context as an abomination to God, implying that others are not as severe (e.g. Lev. 18:22; Duet 7:25, 23:18, Isa. 41:24) .
Proverbs 6:16-19 lists particular sins in such a way as to single them out because of their depraved nature, separating them from others.
Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is set apart as a more severe sin than blasphemy of the Son (Matt. 12:31)
And, finally, this verse seems to settle the issue:
John 19.10-11 NIV
Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"
Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."
I guess a good analogy would be speeding. The consequences of all speeding is a ticket (just as the wages of all sin is death). But the ticket for doing 65mph in a 55 zone is less than doing 95 in a 30 zone (just as the punishment for some sins seems to be greater than the punishment for other sins).
So...that's what I've found. What do you think? I'd love to hear some different opinions on these verses.
Here are some verses I found which certainly seem to indicate that all sin is NOT equal:
Matt 23:14-15,32-33
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
Certain sins in the law are distinguished in a particular context as an abomination to God, implying that others are not as severe (e.g. Lev. 18:22; Duet 7:25, 23:18, Isa. 41:24) .
Proverbs 6:16-19 lists particular sins in such a way as to single them out because of their depraved nature, separating them from others.
Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is set apart as a more severe sin than blasphemy of the Son (Matt. 12:31)
And, finally, this verse seems to settle the issue:
John 19.10-11 NIV
Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"
Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."
I guess a good analogy would be speeding. The consequences of all speeding is a ticket (just as the wages of all sin is death). But the ticket for doing 65mph in a 55 zone is less than doing 95 in a 30 zone (just as the punishment for some sins seems to be greater than the punishment for other sins).
So...that's what I've found. What do you think? I'd love to hear some different opinions on these verses.