CHRISTIANS - a question about these views: "Christian's sin, we're only human" & "all sin is equal to God"....

Question

Do you apply both of these attitudes to ALL sins a Christian may commit?

Let me clarify...

I've been told on several occasions that it's unfair to hold Christians to a higher standard because they're "only human" and that sinning doesn't make them a bad Christian so long as they repent and ask for forgiveness. I've also been told on several occasions that all sin is equal in the eyes of the Lord, so Christians shouldn't impose their human judgements on whether one offense against the Lord is more egregious than another.

So here's my real question:

If one Christians steals a pen and another Christian murders someone, do you apply "hey, they're only human, of course they sin" to both, keeping in mind that God considers them equal offenses in his sight?

Is stealing a pen "hey, it's just one sin, it happens"?
Is murder "hey, it's just one sin, it happens"?

Answer 1

I have had "Christians" tell me the quotes you mentioned as their justification for not testifying against child molesters, concealing evidence of crimes, and trying to keep known sex offenders out of prison so that they can continue molesting children.

That idea is at the very heart of modern Christianity and it is the main reason why Christianity needs to be eradicated from the planet.

All sins are NOT equal. No matter what your opinion may be on "forgiveness," allowing criminals to continue their crimes is immoral and insane.

Answer 2

I did not browse all the answers, all the latest. So if this is a repeat, forgive me.

Christians... what a concept! To be Christ like. To conform.
hmm..

All sin is equal to God, but sin is simply disobeying God.
To understand sin, you would have to understand faith.
For the most destable sin in Gods eyes is unbelief in Him.

Which is worse to you? Someone who is bitterly angry with you for good reason, but they over react and say hurtfull things. or....
Someone curses you because they don't know what kind of person you are and assume your a certain way; Which is not at all the way you are.....

If you honestly answer that, you will agree that a misjudgment of the character you have defined yourself to be, is far worse than someone over reacting because you indeed did them wrong.

God then is like that as well... We don't know Him, but we judge Him? That's sin, it's pure and it's evil.

As far as other sins in God's eyes, there are different types of sin that man commits. It's all sin, yes, but the mercy extended to one may exceed the mercy another gets for the exact same sin. You would have to do a intensive study of the books of the bible and the sacrificial things to fully understand the different types of sins and how God looks at them.

The more you know, the harsher your condemnation can be. The sin you commit in ignorance, you may never know about it. The sin's you commit after you know they are sins, you may have to be accountable for, yet God always gives man time to change his attitude and turn away.

I hope this helps a little. It's really difficult to explain sin to a person who agrees with sin. That is why repentance is a gift, no man can come to God unless he is called. Yet, many are called and few are chosen.

Answer 3

Isaiah 59:2 says that sin separates man from God. Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death. There are different punishments given for different types of transgressions. Leviticus 24:20, 21 sets forth this principle. "Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again. And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death." I only cite this verse to show that there are some crimes that are less consequential than others, and the principle of the punishment fitting the crime shows this to be true. I do not believe in a "Biblical God". All I can say is that the Bible needs some clarification in order to answer these questions. If, as the Christians believe, I stand before God on Judgment Day I will be sure to ask for some clarification myself.

Answer 4

The intent is the key.

Sometimes (unintentionally) I end up at home with ink pens from the office or from the bank. I try to make a conscious effort to return them.

The fact that it is a mistake makes it a sin. The fact that it was done unintentionally makes it forgiveable. (Hebrews 10:26)

The same goes for murder. Look at David and all the sinful things he did. He still was able to receive forgiveness from God. But the scriptures show that he never REPEATED the same sins.

Answer 5

Christians are people too, and while it is unfair to try to hold us to higher standards, I do think that we as Christians should hold ourselves to higher standards- the standards that God set for us. The fact is that we all will sin though, so how do we count them all? Is it the severity or the frequency of the sin that counts against you, or is it societies' outlook on the particular matter? No, it is repentance. God knows we all sin, all he wants is confession followed by repentance. Will you be perfect? No, but you will start to see that this sins (or unproductive activities, if you prefer,) that used to consume your life begin to lose their hold over you and you stop counting because you realize that God stopped counting when you asked him to forgive you.

Answer 6

Okay.
I think we are dealing with to things forgiveness and justice.

Let's continue with your example the pen and murder.

You steal a pen from me. My job as a Christian is to forgive you (it doesn't mean it didn't happen, or that you don't have to return the pen)

You murder someone close to me. Again, my job as a Christian is to forgive you. (It doesn't mean you won't go to jail)

I believe that it works the same with God. He will forgive you, but that doesn't mean you get off Scot free. I once read a book by someone who had a near death experience (they had not heart beat for like 8 min.) in which they stated that when you die, you experience all the pain that you have created in the world (similar to having your life flashing before you). If you murdered a child and had to experience the pain that those parents experienced, is that not justice?

Peace to you!

Answer 7

Good question. God does hold those who have known the truth and have tasted of the heavenly things to a higher standard. There are degrees of sin. Although the idea that there are no degrees of sin became popular in Evangelical circles in the mid twentieth century (around the time certain psychologists and ethicists such as Erich Fromm were making the concept fashionable), Protestant and Catholic leaders before this had always insisted otherwise. Just a few quotes:

"But that [the infinitely heinous nature of sin] does not hinder but that some sins may be more heinous than others in other respects: as if we should suppose a cylinder infinitely long, it cannot be greater in that respect, viz., with respect to the length of it; but yet it may be doubled and trebled and made a thousand fold more, by the increase of other dimensions. Of sins that are infinitely heinous, some may be more heinous than others...some of them may be a thousand times more dreadful than others." -- Jonathan Edwards

"Little sins lead to great ones." -- Charles Spurgeon

"Another distinction to be attended to is, that some sins are mere delinquencies, others crimes and flagrant iniquities."
-- John Calvin

"If however, anyone does not feel that his conscience is burdened by such or greater sins..." -- Martin Luther

"The Scriptures recognize different degrees of guilt as attaching to different kinds of sin. The variety of sacrifices under the Mosaic law, and the variety of awards under the judgment are to be explained upon this principle." -- Augustus H. Strong

"The Scriptures recognize different degrees of guilt growing out of different kinds of sin."
-- Henry C. Thiessen

Degrees of sins are taught throughout the Old Testament, especially in some sins being called "abominations."

In the New Testament, Christ himself affirms this:

“but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” – Mark 3:29

“Jesus answered, " You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin." – John 19:11

There is more evidence from Scripture and history but the above should suffice. The practical problem with the philosophy that all sin is the same coupled with the idea that Christians are not held to a higher standard is that this leads to antinomianism since such people would think that God holds them to no higher standard and murder is really no worse in the eyes of God than driving over the speed limit.

Answer 8

Well put! Maybe another way of looking at sin is to compare it to a fatal disease. The farther along someone is, the more obvious the symptoms are likely to be. We might even say that the disease is more contagious in various stages. But whether someone is covered in oozing sores, constantly vomiting and carrying a high fever, or just is carrying the disease but has no apparent symptoms, it doesn't matter. Left unchecked, he will die. Left in his natural state, he will infect those with whom he comes in contact. The carrier of the plague is every bit the problem that the poor wretch covered in sores is - or maybe worse, since it's not apparent.

Now, if I mock the physician's diagnosis and go around doing things which will infect other people because I refuse to believe in the existence of the disease, my damnation is just.

Answer 9

Let me explain what Christian mean by all sins are equal..
To bake a chocolate cake you add a lot of wonderful ingredients. Sugar , Flour, Milk, Eggs, Coco.. You mix them in a bowl and and bake then until the cake is done to perfection. But would the cake be good for anything if one one of the eggs was rotten? All those wonderful fresh ingredients ruined by that one bad one... Our lives are like that we add wonderful qualities like love, kindness, compassion, charity. Then we add anger, hate, lust, lies.. We stir this up and bake it for 70 years or so then offer it to God.. Can't you see unacceptable this is to God. Would you want anything given to you that was so filled with filth? No we can't make ourselves acceptable to God. How big a piece of filth would be acceptable to you?
Hey sin doesn't just happen it's rebellion against God. To agree with God that we have sinned we become ready to conform our will to His and that means giving up the evil practice.
As you know all, Christian or no, are under the rule of the State. There will be consequences for our actions that must be resolved. Those have nothing to do with God's forgiveness. Taking a pen may get a wink but murder, I don't think so. Not all sins (crimes) are the same to the government. Jim

Answer 10

it's unfair to hold Christians to a higher standard because they're "only human" and that sinning doesn't make them a bad Christian so long as they repent and ask for forgiveness.

that's the point of being christian to begin with. we ACCEPT that there is sin and we're not perfect. we accept the belief that christ's blood cleans that sin from our slate upon belief and repentence. conditional as usual.

all sin is equal in the eyes of the Lord, so Christians shouldn't impose their human judgements on whether one offense against the Lord is more egregious than another.

false. some sins are singled out as abomination. i'm guessing you can figure out which ones. saying what is right or wrong according to God's Laws is not judgment, judgment is giving reward or punishment which no flesh can do in terms of judgment of sin. why certain churches that say tell me your sins so i can absolve you etc...are in the twilight zone. between you and God. simple as that.

So here's my real question:
If one Christians steals a pen and another Christian murders someone, do you apply "hey, they're only human, of course they sin" to both, keeping in mind that God considers them equal offenses in his sight?

gong...again they are not equal...murderers CANNOT Gain salvation in the flesh, they are waiting for trial and their victim is waiting as well. murderers are one step from the lake of fire already by that one act alone. it is not the same.

Answer 11

All sin can keep you out of heaven, and while you may forgive someone of something even as horrible as murder, there are still consequences here on earth.

While all sin is forgiven because the spiritual consequences were paid, the reprecussions of sin, its physical consequences, are still going to be suffered.

So while theft of something insignificant and murder are equally sinful and equally forgivable in God's eyes, their consequences here on earth are far from comparable. Christians recognise that.

Basically, Christians have a bit of a divided focus, or duel view of reality - the physical, and the spiritual. While forgiveness of sins happens in the spirit, we are keenly aware of the problems sin continues to cause in the physical world even after it's forgiven.

Perfection of ourselves and this world isn't something that's going to happen until the second coming.