Are there different levels of sin?

[JustAWitness]

Many believers tend to think that there are some sins that are worse than others. Is this true and are there Biblical references that support the answer?

I've heard that God see's all sin as equal and some sins are not greater than others.

 

[Ryan the Ninja Goalkeeper]

My own look at sin is that we as humans can't be in God's presence with sin, no matter how slight or little it might seem. Jesus Christ allows us through the sacrifice he made for us on the cross. Some Churches try to put certain types of sin ahead of others but in reality a sin is a sin. I suppose if you could class it as a sin, is not accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, that could be deemed as the unforgivable sin, in a way.

 

[andreha]

Have a look at Mark 3:29. That can send someone into the pit - for sure. That's the one thing that will never be forgiven.

 

[Wrexscar]

Most of us rank sin in our heads white lies and such up to murder. God doesn't. There is one unforgivable sin blasphemy of the Holy spirit and the rest is sin. The stuff Jesus died for.

Galations 5
19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Look at the above list most of us would bar from ministry someone who engages in orgies and debauchery. But discord and selfish ambition are ranked in together with what I would naturally speaking think of as big sins.

What is worse lust or adultery? Jesus said there was no difference and who am I to argue

 

[Emmy]

Dear JustAWitness. God gave us 10 Commandments, which Jesus said in 2 Commandments. 1) Love God with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds....means: God always comes first. He made us in His image, He is LOVE, and God is waiting patiently for us to REPENT, i.e. to exchange our old nature of selfishness/selfwill, for a new nature. Jesus died that we might live, He reconciled us to God. 2) Love our neighbour, all others, as we love ourselves. Easy said, but hard to follow. St. Paul describes LOVE in 1 Corinthians, chapter 13, verses 4 - 8. We need to treat others, as we would like to be treated ourselves. Ephesians, chapter 4, verses 30 - 32. Jesus will help and guide us, He is a gentle Teacher. Every time we fall short, or stumble, we have a Heavenly Father who will forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Jesus taught us that prayer, and God sees our hearts and knows how sincerely we try to become better and better. God is LOVE, and anything done, or said, what is without love, or has strings attached however small, is SIN. I say this humbly and with love, JustAWitness. Greetings from Emmy, sister in Christ.

 

[Zebra1552]

Many believers tend to think that there are some sins that are worse than others. Is this true and are there Biblical references that support the answer?

I've heard that God see's all sin as equal and some sins are not greater than others.

There are not 'levels' of sin, there are 3 different kinds of sin. There is intentional sin- sin done that is known as sin and intentionally done (Romans 1), missing the mark (Romans 3:23), or accidental sin; and there is 'living in sin' (Romans 6), which is sin addiction. Any of those three is enough to condemn us, so in that sense they are equal. But they do not have equal effects. An act of gossip does not have the same effect as serial rapes or murders.

 

[dancingforJesus]

About a week ago my pastor said something like this, "There's not a really hot part of hell for those who commit murder and a not very hot part for those who lie. We're all condemned to the same hell for all our sins, no matter how big or how small they are. There's no difference; sin is sin wither it's something like murder or wither it's lying. But, it's through what Jesus did on the cross that we can be forgiven of those sins if we repent and truly mean it." That pretty much seems to sum it all up right there.

 

[JustAWitness]

So then after reading everyone's advice, guidance and council am I to believe that stealing mp3's is the same as touching yourself?

 

[Zebra1552]

Um, excuse me, but where does it say that masturbation is a sin?

 

[Sketcher]

I'm going to say yes there are different levels of sin - Jesus tells us this in John 19:11 - but I'm going to say all sin is "bad enough." Even the minor ones are enough to get people to Hell. Fortunately, Jesus paid the price for all of these, promises to forgive those of se who are his, and no one can snatch us from his hand.

 

[wonderwaleye]

Many believers tend to think that there are some sins that are worse than others. Is this true and are there Biblical references that support the answer?

I've heard that God see's all sin as equal and some sins are not greater than others.

2 Timothy
Chapter 2:
​

22 So turn from youthful desires and pursue righteousness, faith,love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord with purity of heart. 23 Avoid foolish and ignorant debates, for you know that they breed quarrels. 24 A slave of the Lord should not quarrel, but should be gentle with everyone, able to teach, tolerant, 25 correcting opponents with kindness. It may be that God will grant them repentance that leads to knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they may return to their senses out of the devil's snare, where they are entrapped by him, for his will.

Titus
Chapter 3
​

9 Avoid foolish arguments, genealogies, rivalries, and quarrels about the law, for they are useless and futile. 10 After a first and second warning, break off contact with a heretic, 11 realizing that such a person is perverted and sinful and stands self-condemned.

Sirach
Chapter 3:​

21 What is committed to you, attend to; for what is hidden is not your concern. 22 With what is too much for you meddle not, when shown things beyond human understanding. 23 Their own opinion has misled many, and false reasoning unbalanced their judgment.

steven

 

[Ryan the Ninja Goalkeeper]

Ah, the unforgivable sin. This means to reject the Holy Spirit on purpose. This is the process of blasphemy of the spirit:
1) Grieving the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), it continuing, leads to resisting the spirit (Acts 7:51).
2) Resisting the Spirit leads to putting out the Spirit's fire (1 Thessalonians 5:19).
3) Putting out the Spirit's fire leads to hardening of the heart (Hebrews 3:8-13).
4) Hardening of the heart leads to a depraved mind and to a labeling of good as evil and evil as good (Isaiah 5:20, Romans 1:28). When this hardening of the heart reaches a certain fulness of development, determined only by God, the spirit will no longer strive to lead that person to repentance (Genesis 6:3, Deuteronomy 29:18-21).
For people in the world who are maybe worried about committing this sin, the very factof wanting to be forgiven is evidence that the person concerned, has not committed the unpardonable sin.


Mastabation is not technically a sin by scripture it's not. However Jesus said "But I tell you anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart". (Matthew 5:28 NIV).

You would only kid yourself if you think you can mastabate without committing adultery, Satan would put thoughts into your mind and you would more than likely accept them rather than reject them.

Jesus also said "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away". (Matthew 5:29,30 NIV)

The above simply means if something is tempting you remove it if possible or rememberance of scripture is useful as Jesus did in Matthew chapter 4.
Or you could remember the letters W.W.J.D What Would Jesus Do?
I.E. watching a programme and getting lustful thoughts tempting you to lustfully look? Turn the channel over.
Of course we all fall down, but it is important to get back on the path. Use other Christians to help you with this, minister/pastor or even elders/deacons.

 

[heron]

not technically a sin

In Leviticus, a person is supposed to excuse themselves from town for a day to prevent the spread of disease. They declare themselves unclean, which is not necessarily sinful. Potentially contagious.

Levels of sin can be looked at in terms of what God will forgive, as above; but also in terms of how much it hurts another person or ourselves. That is where the levels in our head seem to start.

God is not dumb -- He knows that oppression and torture are worse than picking your nose (which is not scripturally a sin). The terms of forgiveness are about our heart -- our remorse and willingness to repent. But the terms of consequence -- societal reprimand and justice -- are clearly different from one sin to another.

A society without a fair justice system becomes a painful mess.

 

[selfintercession]

Yes. Falling asleep at church is not the same as murdering somebody. There are all sorts of bible verses to be taken out of context and thrown into the mix at will be either side of this debate, but when it comes right down to it, God knows that we all slip up from time to time and doesn't lump every sinful action into the same category.