In a previous article, we had dealt with the question, Is there a small sin? It was said that, “Sin is an offence against God and therefore there is no smallness about it.” Closely related to that question is the one before us now, Are all sins equal? That there is no small sin, does that mean all sins are equal? Many argue that since the bible says “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23); “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) and “whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10), then all sin must be equal in magnitude. And yes, it is true that all sin, at core, is rebellion against God’s sovereign goodness, but does that make them all equal?

On the question of smallness versus equality, consider this: a billion dollars is not a small amount of money; so is ten billion dollars and a hundred billion dollars. While all three sums mentioned are not small, they are also not equal in value. So, both truths – being small and not being equal – are realities that can and do co-exist. If you were walking along a street and someone knowingly spat on you, that would be an offence. If someone else shot you with a handgun, that would also be an offence. Both are offences but they are surely not of the same magnitude. Therefore, while it would make logical sense to say since the wages of sin is death then all sins are equal, like all things pertaining to scripture, we must dig into scripture to see what the bible actually says about the gravity of one sin and the other.

Sin, is a small, three-letter word but with grave life and death consequences that cost even the son of God, Jesus Christ, his life, so we will do well to talk about it and the salvation from it found in Christ.

PLEASE NOTE, that this is not a creation of hierarchy – ranking sins and stating which are worse than the others. Instead, it is a bugging question that deserves to be treated biblically. Sin, is a small, three-letter word but with grave life and death consequences that cost even the son of God, Jesus Christ, his life, so we will do well to talk about it and the salvation from it found in Christ. Don’t go through this article and come out with a sense of superiority, comparing yourself with others, and thinking that you are holier than they are because in your estimation, your own sins are lighter in weight than theirs, or vice versa. Rather rest in this: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Whatever your sin, your salvation is in Christ alone.

In The Old Testament …

While all sin is equally wrong, not all sin is equally bad. In the laws that God gave Moses, sin was punished based on its gravity. The punishment for some sins was death while for others, offerings were commanded to serve as atonement. In Leviticus 20:2 Moses was told, “Any Israelite or any alien living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the community are to stone him.” Capital punishment was the penalty for idolatry. In the verses that follow, there are several sins which also had the death sentence as their penalty. In verse 21, the law says, “’If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act of impurity; he has dishonoured his brother. They will die childless.” In this case, childlessness was the penalty. That clearly shows that the two actions were frowned at by God but not viewed as being of the same magnitude and that was evidenced by the prescribed penalties. Over in Numbers, an unintentional failure to keep the commands required animal sacrifices to be made and the offender would be forgiven of the unintentional wrong done (Numbers 15: 22-29). “But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or alien, blasphemes the LORD, and that person must be cut off from his people. Because he has despised the LORD’s word and broken his commands, that person must surely be cut off; his guilt remains on him’” (Numbers 15:30-31). Again, the death penalty in this case showed how grave the sin of defiance was. In a vision, the Lord showed Ezekiel the detestable things that the Israelites were doing. Grievous as those were, there were other practices that the LORD considered as being worse still. He said to the prophet, “You will see them doing things that are even more detestable” (Ezekiel 8:13, italics added). Some sins are “more detestable” than others.

In The New Testament …

In Galatians, Paul spoke of certain sins in this way: “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred and discord; jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 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” (Galatians 5:19-21). To not inherit the kingdom of God is to perish in hell; that shows the gravity of the sins in this list which is even not exhaustive. First Corinthians 6:9-10 also has a list that ends with the same warning that such offenders will not inherit the kingdom of God.

To not inherit the kingdom of God is to perish in hell; that shows the gravity of the sins in this list which is even not exhaustive.

James says, “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly” (James 3:1). The gravity here for teachers of the word is in the same category with that in Numbers 15:30-31 where willful, defiant sin was punishable by death. The person who knows and even teaches others yet defies is guilty of a greater sin and will be judged more severely.

John says, “All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death” (1 John 5:17). James also says, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (James 4:17). Putting those two verses together, it is clear that, to use John’s words, all wrongdoing is sin; however, all wrongdoing doesn’t carry the same magnitude; all sins are not equal. Take this as an example: If a leader of a unit in church knows that he ought to be in church, say by 5pm, yet he refuses to suspend watching a movie when the time for the event, probably set by him, draws close, but continues till the end and turns up in church, by say 6pm, what has he done? Wrongdoing. For him, according to James, he knew the right thing to do yet failed to do it so for him, it is sin. If that same church leader did what Judas Iscariot used to do and secretly helps himself with the church’s funds, again what he has done is wrongdoing. He has sinned but those two offences are surely not of the same weight. So, all wrongdoing is sin, but all wrongdoing is not equal.

From The Master’s Mouth

Jesus also weighed in on this matter. He said,

“that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more” (Luke 12:47-48).

Both servants did wrong by not carrying out their master’s will, but they are judged and punished differently – one lighter than the other – because the infractions are not viewed as being of equal weightiness. Jesus also spoke against teachers of the law, who had a form of godliness but “devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely” (Mark 12:40). Again, the principle of willful defiance, and hypocrisy is in operation here.

When he appeared before Pilate, the Roman authority thought he held all the power over Jesus. He said to Christ, “Don’t you realize I have power to either free you or to crucify you?” (John 19:10). Perhaps. Here’s Christ’s response to him: “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin” (John 19:11, italics added). There were at least two sins being committed here: firstly, that of a pompous Pilate arrogating to himself the power of God over life and secondly, that of handing over the son of God to Pilate to be tried on trumped-up charges by all involved. According to Jesus, there was a greater sin here and it was “the one who handed me over to you” who bore it. Both sins were there, but one was greater.

Jesus also spoke about the gravity of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. He said, “And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 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” (Matthew 12:31-32).

More Bearable for Sodom?

Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed because they didn’t repent. He pronounced woe on Korazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. If Tyre, Sidon and Sodom had seen the miracles that were performed in Korazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, Jesus said they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes and Sodom would have remained till this day. Jesus said it would be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon and Sodom on the day of judgment than for the denounced cities (Matthew 11:20-24).

What wrong did these cities do? Tyre entered the holy city, Jerusalem, and plundered it after Babylon had destroyed it (Ezekiel 26:1-2). The king of Tyre was proud and thought himself to be a god (Ezekiel 28:2). Sidon joined forces with Tyre to invade Judah and Jerusalem and sell their people as slaves and prostitutes, including boys and girls (Joel 3). Sodom, of course, almost broke down Lot’s door to rape the angels who were hosted in his house; the following day, it became ashes. Heinous and grievous sins. In spite of these sins, Jesus said on the judgment day, it would be better to be a native of Tyre and Sidon, or to be from Sodom, than to be counted with Korazin, Bethsaida or Capernaum. These three cities did not commit the most terrible sins we judge men to; they heard the gospel preached and saw the evidence of miracles but “they did not repent” (Matthew 11:20). Do you remember the eyes of a man born blind were opened in Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26); many demon-possessed were liberated with a word in Capernaum (Matthew 8:16), yet they did not repent.

The worst sinners in this world therefore, may not necessarily be the Tyrians, the Sidonians or Sodomites (and this is not minimizing their sins), the immoral and licentious, but those in church, who go on in sin despite the light, evidence, opportunity and reason to repent.

For all their wickedness, the inhabitants of Tyre, Sidon and Sodom lived in darkness and died in gospel ignorance. Korazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum on the other hand saw “a great light” for Jesus lived (Capernaum was his town) and walked and worked among them, yet they did not repent. They turned their backs on the light of the gospel. If the ancient cities had seen that, Jesus said, “they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes” (Matthew 11:21).

The worst sinners in this world therefore, may not necessarily be the Tyrians, the Sidonians or Sodomites (and this is not minimizing their sins), the immoral and licentious, but those in church, who go on in sin despite the light, evidence, opportunity and reason to repent. O for the mercy of God on his house where judgment will begin.

A Saviour for All Sizes of Sinners

Whatever the size or weight of your sin, it is exactly why Jesus died on the cross. Whether you judge it big or small, it killed the Son of God. He died to take away ALL sins. Bring them to him in confession and ask for his forgiveness. All who come to him, he will in no wise cast out. Receive his forgiveness and the grace to go and sin no more. Hallelujah.