Are all sins seen as equal?

Question

If someone were to murder, would it be the same if he/she lied instead? I've been wanting to know this for a while, and I keep getting different answers. Help me out here, please.

Answer 1

sin is sin
EDIT> There are degrees to sin. Some sins are worse than others. At the same time, in regards to both eternal consequences and salvation, all sins are the same. Each and every sin will lead to eternal condemnation (Romans 6:23). All sin, no matter how “small,” is against an infinite and eternal God, and is therefore worthy of an infinite and eternal penalty. Further, this is no sin too “big” that God cannot forgive it. Jesus died to pay the penalty for sin (1 John 2:2). Jesus died for ALL of our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). Are all sins equal to God? Yes and no. In severity? No. In penalty? Yes. In forgivability? Yes.

Answer 2

No, it wouldn't. Some argue that all sins are the same, but that argument has no Scriptural basis. The severities of all sins differs. Let us take, for example, theft, since it is a form of dishonesty and is close enough to lying. The following is the punishment that God prescribed for lying in the Old Testament.

Lev 6:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 6:2 If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;
Lev 6:3 Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:
Lev 6:4 Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,
Lev 6:5 Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.
Lev 6:6 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest:
Lev 6:7 And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein. (KJV)

The above verse says that a person who has robbed or cheated someone must, to atone for his sin, pay what he cheated that person back with a 20% interest. He must also bring a ram to the priest or pay him for one, and then must let the priest sacrifice so that the person may be forgiven.
Not a notably severe punishment.

Contrast that with the punishment God prescribed for murder.

Exo 21:12 He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.
A very severe punishment.

So, why would God order a payment of interest as punishment for theft, but capital punishment for murder? This is because of the fact that he views them differently. If both sins were equal, wouldn't God simply mandate one punishment for anyone who deviated from his law? But he didn't. This shows us that different sins have different severities in God's eyes.
Furthermore, we know that God is not the son of man that he should repent (change his mind), and, therefore, God's views on a matter are always constant. Even though Jesus' death fulfilled all of these laws and such strict rules are no longer enforced by God himself (because he allows all the opportunity to ask forgiveness), these laws give us insight into how God has always viewed sin. The varying degrees of punishment show that God assigns different severities to different sins.
This kind of thought is also evident in the New Testament. Jesus said that if we did not forgive our brothers, then our Heavenly Father would not forgive us. That pretty much means that we go to Hell for committing this sin. In the New Testament, it also says that no one will ever be forgiven for blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. If God viewed all sins as the same, then why would he designate these two sins as automatically punishable by irreversible eternal damnation? In contrast, other sins, such as theft, jealousy, and homosexuality, are listed as forgivable (Paul reminds the Corinthians that, before they came to Christ, many of them were these [I Corinthians 6:10--11]). It is clear that God views different sins differently, depending on the degree of offense.

Answer 3

The first thing that someone should be considering is whether the idea of sin is actually real.

If God is supposed to be perfect how could She have made anything or anyone that wasn't perfect.
Think about it. The idea of sin assumes certain things about God that seem highly unlikely.

First it assumes a God who is too incompetent to organize a simple educational field excursion and figure out a way to get all of the students home safely.

How likely is this that God would not be smart enough to come up with a plan for our salvation that is going to work?

It also assumes that God must have created us imperfect if we are sinners.

One might assume that God would be able to create someone perfect each and every time if he chose to. Assuming God is capable of this, then it follows logically that we must be perfect creations if we are actually creations of this perfect God.

Unless of course you are saying that God chose to create us imperfect.

If God created us imperfect then anything that may go wrong is Gods fault, not ours. This seems a bit illogical at best so I think that we need to assume that What God creates would have to be perfect.

If this is the case and Gods creations are perfect, then nothing that we can do could change what God created perfect and make it imperfect unless we think that we are more powerful than God is.

How likely is it that we the creation could be more powerful than the creator. I personally find this idea somewhat amusing, and a bit absurd.

Religion tells us that God is perfect. If this is true then it could hardly be logically for Gods creations to be considered to be anything less than perfect.

If this is the case and we are perfect creations of a perfect God then Nothing that we can ever do could possibly change this perfection that God willed, unless we were so powerful that our choices could override and change the will of God.

How likely is that????

Think about it.

The idea of sin is simple nonsense; a lie made up about God by religion.

Love and blessings
don

Source --- Course in miracles

Answer 4

While it seems a bit odd to a human being, the answer is yes. Any and all sins are seen as equally weighty in terms of eternity. One sin sends a person to hell if they die without Christ after reaching the age of accountability (this is different for everyone). God, however, leaves it up to man to determine the seriousness of a sin in terms of human punishment, as is seen in the wide variety of ways different cultures punish different crimes.

Answer 5

Yes, all sins are equal. It makes no matter what sin you commit they are all the same. This way you can't claim you are better than anyone else because your sins are less serious than someone else's. A sin is a sin is a sin.

Answer 6

You could test this question out by murdering someone and asking the judge if he preferred that you had lied instead. Otherwise, all you will get here is opinions.

Answer 7

To man, sins have different levels because of the level of harm they do. But to God, they are equal in the since that no sin, no matter how small can enter heaven. That's why no one can go to heaven unless God sees Jesus in their place. Because he is the only perfect, sinless one.

God os sooooo holy that even the smallest little lie seperates us from God unless we accept that Jesus paid the penalty for our sin, therefore justifying us.

Answer 8

From Islamic point of view, they differ.
Each has a different degree and has a different way to deal with.
A person who lied does not make him as same as a person who killed..
its quiet logical

Answer 9

The degree of sin is measured on how much you understand about what you are doing... Does children have to answer for what they dont understand?
Knowledge is condeming

Answer 10

Depending on the religion, there are sins called mortal sins and venial sins. Venial sins are pardonable, and do not deprive your soul of divine grace. Mortal sins take away divine grace.