Important Notice:
Always check out what you read and hear for yourself, using the Bible, asking our HEAVENLY FATHER for wisdom, guidance, and understanding. Never take anyone's word alone, including this website, without first doing your own homework. As Christians, we should be listening to GOD's WORD, not what someone else has to say if it can't be documented. As it's written in 2 Timothy 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Please note, the yellow text within our studies is Scripture, whereas the white text is our commentary.
Are All Sins The Same?
While it is true that sin leads to death (Romans 6:23) because sin is separation from GOD (Isaiah 59:2), who is life (John 14:6 - John 10:30), as we will come to see in this study, all sins are not equal, which is why in the Bible, capital punishment was required for specific sins, while restitution or discipline was required for other sins. After all, ask yourself this question, "which is worse, a kid who steals a piece of bubblegum, or a cold-blooded murderer?" Obviously a cold-blooded murderer, but nonetheless, it doesn't excuse theft, regardless of its value, or any other sin. Below, let's start in James 2, and we'll eventually take a look at some examples.
James 2:10-11
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
This is usually the verse people use to say that all sins are the same, which is not at all what this verse is saying. Continue reading...
11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill (phoneúō in the Greek, = murder), thou art become a transgressor of the law.
The whole meaning behind what is written is that regardless of what law we fail to keep, we become a transgressor (i.e. breaker) of GOD's law, which means we have failed and sinned against GOD. Remember, Romans 3:23 says, "for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" and Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Hence this is why JESUS came, died, and rose again, so that we could conquer and overcome sin and death, and have everlasting life, to whosoever believeth in HIM (John 3:16-18). So though a kid stealing bubblegum has broken GOD's law just as a cold-blooded murderer has, though they be different crimes with different punishments, both are transgressors of the law, which ultimately brings forth death, and not just death of the flesh but eternal death (death of the soul), unless they repent and trust in JESUS CHRIST.
This is usually the verse people use to say that all sins are the same, which is not at all what this verse is saying. Continue reading...
11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill (phoneúō in the Greek, = murder), thou art become a transgressor of the law.
The whole meaning behind what is written is that regardless of what law we fail to keep, we become a transgressor (i.e. breaker) of GOD's law, which means we have failed and sinned against GOD. Remember, Romans 3:23 says, "for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" and Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Hence this is why JESUS came, died, and rose again, so that we could conquer and overcome sin and death, and have everlasting life, to whosoever believeth in HIM (John 3:16-18). So though a kid stealing bubblegum has broken GOD's law just as a cold-blooded murderer has, though they be different crimes with different punishments, both are transgressors of the law, which ultimately brings forth death, and not just death of the flesh but eternal death (death of the soul), unless they repent and trust in JESUS CHRIST.
Theft vs Murder
Proverbs 6:30-31 says, "30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; 31 but if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house." Numbers 35:30 says, "Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die." Notice a thief is to restore sevenfold for his or hers sin, whereas a murderer was to be put to death (i.e. given capital punishment). The same applies to other sins too (see our study: "Capital Punishment" for more information). Though this be in the Old Testament, CHRIST let us know in Matthew 5:17-19 that HE came not to change one jot or tittle of the law, and that in no way would one jot or tittle pass from the law, until Heaven and earth pass (which clearly hasn't happened yet) and all is fulfilled, and at that time, none of us will have the ability to sin as we'll be in the eternity.
Greater Abominations
In Ezekiel 8 when GOD gave Ezekiel a vision of Jerusalem, it's written "5 Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry. 6 He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations. 7 And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall. 8 Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door. 9 And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here. 10 So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about. 11 And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up. 12 Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.
13 He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. 14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD’S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. 15 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. 16 And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD’S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east. 17 Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose. 18 Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them (Ezekiel 8:5-18)." Notice it's written that some sins were "greater abominations" than others, but nonetheless they provoked GOD to anger. Some of these traditions still take place today in easter celebrations. For more information, see "The Truth About Easter".
13 He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. 14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD’S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. 15 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. 16 And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD’S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east. 17 Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose. 18 Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them (Ezekiel 8:5-18)." Notice it's written that some sins were "greater abominations" than others, but nonetheless they provoked GOD to anger. Some of these traditions still take place today in easter celebrations. For more information, see "The Truth About Easter".
The Greater Sin
In John 19:11 when JESUS was delivered up to Pilate, JESUS said "...he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin." Which is further documentation that some sins are worse than others. After all, JESUS before HE was delivered up, had even spoken of the unpardonable sin, and said "31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come (Matthew 12:31-32)."
Judgment
JESUS said in Revelation 20:12, "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." and previously in Matthew 5:19, "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
And so it is, if all sins were equal, then there would be no capital punishment for certain sins, no greater abominations than others, no unpardonable sin, nor would some people be considered "least" in the Kingdom of Heaven and be given less rewards, nor would anyone even make it to Heaven at all, as we all would be equivalent to unbelievers and the devil, destined to hell, which clearly isn't what Scripture says.