Bible Question:
Dear InMyHeart, Let's see if I understand you. Why did I ask a question (of others) and then never reply? I posed my original question because I was looking for the answer -- and still am. I wasn't just trying to provoke academic debate, although that too is useful and I'm not beyond doing that. Quite simply, if I could have usefully responded, I would have. I shall always try to limit my comments to well thought-out and considered contributions. It will never be my intent to treat this excellent study forum as merely another Internet chat room, and I shall try to refrain from commenting without believing that I'm making a worthwhile contibution. With regard to my original question, what I was really trying to do is find out how to best respond to those Christians who state that their Bible says something like, "No sin is greater than another (excluding unforgivable blasphemy)" or "All sins are of equal importance (gravity)." I believe that some very mature, knowledgable and faithful Christians, who generally fulfill God's will for their life, sometimes regularly and/or repeatedly commit the same sin (peculiar to the individual) and use such statements to mitigate the severity of such behavior. Let me pose some hypothetical examples: Is not a single act of murder a greater sin than repeated small acts of deception? Is not repeated fornication a greater sin than smoking cigarettes? How does one respond with specificity when a person says that their sin is no worse than any other specific sin? This is a real world ministering issue, not just an academic one. Further guidance from anyone would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Henri |
Bible Answer: Greetings Henri: I do not believe that any one of us have anything to boast. In other words I have no right to say that my sins are less than that of another person as far as God is concerned. "What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have proven both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin" Rom. 3:9 After we read the characteristics of all v 10-18 We find in verse 19 that the law which shows us God's holiness and as such "every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God" Regardless of our life, whether we are on the clean footpath of the self-righteous or have dropped into the cesspool of sin with the immoral and the murders: we are all found guilty in the sight of God. The good news is that God in his grace has provided a way whereby the guilty sinner can be cleared of all guilt. "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" Rom. 5:1 Should we reject Christ we know that we will be judged according to our works. Jesus showed that there are degrees of judgment relative to responsiblity. He said "Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city." Matt.10:15 In other words the cities at the time of Christ who rejected him would suffer more than Sodom and Gommorrha in the day of Judgement. We should note however, that they will both be judged. Henri, I think we should remember that Christ gave his live so that we could be forgiven from all sin. This includes what we would call the terrible sins and the minor sins, nevertheless, he suffered more than tongue can tell for sin not his own. We also know that if we continue unrepentant in our sin, regardless of how great a sinner we are, we will perish in our sin. In Luke 13 it appears that the people were comparing certain people who had perished. Jesus asked them "Suppose ye that these were sinners above all?" v.2 "Jesus said "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Luke 13:3 Peace to you in his precious name. Robert |