Is All Sin Really Equal?

It is popular to hear in Christian circles that all sin is equal in God’s eyes. Mass murder or genocide is just as bad as telling a lie. God doesn’t really make a distinction and neither should we. This line of thinking does not quite reflect what the Scripture says. If not, where are people getting this? I believe it comes from an incorrect understanding of James.

Let’s examine what James says as it relates to sin in his second chapter:

⁸ If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. ⁹ But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. ¹⁰ For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. ¹¹ For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

What James is talking about is the unity of the law, not the equality of sin. Let’s not confuse the two. If you sin in any way, you are a sinner in need of a savior.We should strive to purge all sin from our lives and to live in a holy way. At the same time, there are good reasons to believe that not all sins are equal.

Here are several examples. There are different types of sin listed in Scripture. Some of these are more serious than others. For example, we know every sin will be forgiven men except the sin of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. In Matthew 12 we find the following:

³⁰ “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. ³¹ And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. ³² Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

Jesus makes the point here that even those who sin against him, the Son of God, can be forgiven. But those who reject the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. There is clearly some sin that is more serious here.

We also know that some sins lead to death, and other don’t. John writes in the fifth chapter of his first letter,

¹⁶ If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. ¹⁷ All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

Whatever these sins are that lead to death, they are clearly more serious than those that do not.

On the other side, we also have an illustration from Jesus in Matthew 25 of the parable of the talents. Each person receives a reward based on his faithful work. For the one unfaithful in his work, that person receives no reward. This contributes to the understanding that God is a just judge, giving each person his due. Those who are faithful with much will be given more. Those who are unfaithful, lose their reward.

We also catch a glimpse of this in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. In the second chapter Paul writes,

¹⁰ By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³ their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. ¹⁴ If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

We see again a picture of those whose work for the Lord was valuable receiving rewards. Those whose life was built upon wood, hay, or straw, which can be burnt in the fires of testing, will be saved, but will have nothing more than their salvation when they are with the Lord forever. They will not receive rewards. God wants us to live faithful lives devoted to Him and serving others. We are called to these divine rewards in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal.

Admittedly, every Christian, indeed every human being, is a sinner. Some of us sin a lot and some don’t sin too much. However, the judge of all our souls will try the quality of every persons work. He will judge rightly just as we are to judge (John 7:24). 

Equipped with this knowledge, let each one of us strive to that higher calling of those rewards we can store up in heaven by loving God and others with a living faith.

Bernard James Mauser, Ph.D.