Is one sin greater than another?

If you have two separate quarts of white paint, and you put half a cup of red paint into one and two cups of red paint into another... you still end up with two quarts of pink paint.

I think that we do a disservice to focus on which sins are greater or lesser than others. All sin taints us and leads to death. We can't NOT sin through willpower alone. So while some sin may be more heinous in its human effects and carry harsher penalties, all sin taints and harms us, individually and in community.

I think that's why when Jesus taught us to pray, he taught us to forgive others the sins they've done us, and to ask forgiveness for the sins we've done. That's a daily prayer, so forgiveness and repentance needs to be a daily thing.

We all fall short of the measure of God.

NorrinRadd said:

I think Trento and A.Believer demonstrated that Scripture teaches that some sins are worse than others, or at least have more severe consequences.

But I'm not aware of any list in Scripture that specifically ranks and weights them, so I don't know that we can really say "this" is worse than "that."

Of course, in actual practice, "your" sin is *always* greater than "my" sin.

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I think what Scripture indicates is that culpability for sin varies, depending on situation and circumstances. This is consistent with the notion of much being required of those to whom much is given. I don't believe God ranks particular sins in order of gravity. I do believe he weighs culpability, much as we do, for instance, when we blame an older brother more than a younger brother when both of them go out and get into the same trouble together.

synger said:

If you have two separate quarts of white paint, and you put half a cup of red paint into one and two cups of red paint into another... you still end up with two quarts of pink paint.

I think that we do a disservice to focus on which sins are greater or lesser than others. All sin taints us and leads to death. We can't NOT sin through willpower alone. So while some sin may be more heinous in its human effects and carry harsher penalties, all sin taints and harms us, individually and in community.

I think that's why when Jesus taught us to pray, he taught us to forgive others the sins they've done us, and to ask forgiveness for the sins we've done. That's a daily prayer, so forgiveness and repentance needs to be a daily thing.

We all fall short of the measure of God.

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Yes, all sin separates us from God, and we're all sinners. I think the idea that all sins are exactly the same in God's eyes came from trying to avoid the error of comparing ourselves to others and judging ourselves generously because, "I'm certainly not as bad as that guy over there." But if we "correct" one error with another error, we're still in error, and error distorts our perception of truth.

ElsanRandiMom said:

without the law sin cannot be recognized. so obviously it must not be sin that seperates but the knowledge of it from law.

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The knowledge of sin (which we all possess because God has "written His law on our hearts") is what convicts us of sin and makes evident to us the justice of God's condemnation of all men apart from Christ, but it isn't this knowledge that separates us from God. It's sin.

quote
Is one sin greater than another?
why, why not?


No - because people generally look at "sin" as a lits of do's and don'ts which Paul describes as "20Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21"Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence." (NIV)

SInce most people ( especially christians ) still look at sin in this way ( the way that Paul finds disgusting ) , all sins are the same - worthless religious tools for trying to obtain righteousness by one's own efforts .

anything without faith is sin. So how can sin be split?

ElsanRandiMom said:

I don't know about you, but not once has He abandoned me and He's always been at easy ready access, even when I was in sin DEEP. (even when I was not repentant)

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That's grace, and it came at the cost of the cross.