Explain like I'm stupid: If all sin is equal in the eyes of god, then (see details) ?

Question

Explain like I'm stupid:

If all sin is equal in the eyes of god, then being gay can't be any worse than, say, lying about your age?

Hi, Martin S, still trying to convert me, huh? :-) Re your final statement: Have you ever wondered why your god apparently doesn't see fit to grant that gift to everybody? Doesn't seem to make much sense, does it....

Answer 1

What I'm waiting to see is fundamentalists speaking out against liars, adulterers, thieves, people who dishonor their parents, etc.

They seem stuck on the homosexual thing (speaking out against it with a vengeance) while completely ignoring the fact that not speaking out against other sins makes them look like hypocrites.

Answer 2

All sin is not equal in the eyes of God. In the OT you see different penalties for different sins. The idea that all sins are equal in the sight of God comes from two sources.

The first is that it only takes one sin of whatever type to disqualify a person from going to Heaven. That's why the Bible says that ALL have fallen short of God's perfect standard of righteousness.

The second source is the truth that "sin is sin" just like breaking the law is breaking the law. If you steal some gum from the grocery store or you steal some jewelry from the jewelry store you're still a theif.

That having been said, the idea that being gay is worse than other sins doesn't have support in the Bible. An adulterer isn't somehow better than a gay person in God's eyes, perhaps even worse since they broke the holy covenanat of marriage that they made with another person. In the following passage that is a partial list of some common sins in Paul's time, He doesn't add any emphasis to one type of sin over another.

1 Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

I used to be a drunkard and engage in sexual immorality and have stolen things before but praise be to God that He gave me the gift of faith and the power of his indwelling Holy Spirit so that I could repent of my sins and trust in the Lord Jesus for my salvation.

It isn't that I'm never tempted to have sex with a woman I'm not married to or never tempted to get drunk but just like the believers in Corinth God has made me a new person by his power.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

If you want to learn more then click on the Get Saved button @ http://www.angelfire.com/rock3/cornerstone0/ and may God give you the gift of faith, in Jesus' name, amen!

Answer 3

All sin is equal but one. The one that is not the same, is the sin against the Holy Spirit.
All sin no matter what from lying to killing to stealing all have the same punishment in the end. So in that understanding they are the same.

As I read a few of the answers I noted that some seem to understand that a sin is breaking the Commandments of God better known as the 10 Commandments.
So, one must also understand that by having a triune god they are also breaking the Law of God, by not keeping the Seventh day Sabbath they are breaking the Law of God, by committing adultery, taking the Lords name in vain etc. they are breaking the Law of God.
Homosexuality is not listed in the 10 Commandments but God calls it an ABOMINATION unto God. And as an abomination unto God should be an abomination unto all who call themselves Christians, however many seem to over look that.

In the end all sinners that have not truly repented will be destroyed.

Peace and Grace
David

Answer 4

In Matthew 5:21-28, Jesus equates committing adultery with having lust in your heart, and committing murder with having hatred in your heart. However, this does not mean the sins are equal. What Jesus was trying to get across to the Pharisees was that it is still sin even if you only think about or want to do the act. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day taught people that it was okay to think about anything you wanted to, as long as you did not act on those desires. Jesus is forcing them to realize that God judges a person’s thoughts as well as their actions. Jesus proclaimed that our actions are the results of what is in our hearts (Matthew 12:34).

So, although Jesus said that lust and adultery are both sins – that does not mean they are equal. It is much worse to actually murder a person than it is to simply hate them – even though they are both sinful in God’s sight. 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.

Recommended Resource: Basic Theology by Charles Ryrie.

Answer 5

Dear Stupid,

All sin was equal in the old testament, under the law of Moses. Under the old law, if you broke one part of the law, you broke it all.

Today, we are blessed to live in new covenant times, where the grace and mercy obtained for us by Jesus Christ ... as duly administered by his authentic church ... saves us ... not ANY law.

Common sense, as well as the scriptures and the authentic church, also tell us that some sins ARE more serious than others.

Under grace, forgiveness of sins requires both a sincere apology to God and authentic repentance (turning back to good ... and/or turning away from evil).

So, absent EITHER of these ... all serious sinners ... including murderers, thieves, adulterers, fornicators, homosexuals, etc. still have God's righteous judgment, about which to be very concerned, as any or all of these sins might be serious enough to keep a soul out of heaven.

It's all up to Jesus to judge.

Answer 6

Who said that all sins are equal? God's Word says that He hates sin and that all sin seperates us from God. Homosexuality is the only sexual sin that God calls an "abomination." But homosexuality is forgivable and solvable if that person STOPS doing it. And blasphemy is the sin that is unforgivable, all other sin is. These two proofs alone are enough to refute your statement that all sins are equal.

Answer 7

All sin is the same in God's eyes.God hates the sin not the sinner.He gives us a chance to get away from the sin,by asking for His forgiveness.Then we need to stop the sin.
It really does seem strange though.I don't feel like how I sin is as much of a sin as murder is.But it is!!

Answer 8

All sin is not equal in the eyes of God.
All sin is equal in the eyes of some Evangelicals, mostly those who are influenced by Reformation Lutheranism.

Answer 9

Who said all sin is equal in the eyes of God?

But as for homosexuals, ""Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." 1Cor 6:9,10

So homosexuals can take comfort in the fact that their fate will be the same as murderers

Answer 10

Lying about yor age is not immoral....sleeping and having sex with the same sex IS. All sin is NOT equal...read your Scriptures: "If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him 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 he should pray about that. 17All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does NOT lead to death" (1 JN 5:16).

Hence the Catholic Church's teaching on mortal sin (mortal means death in Latin) and venial sin which means "pardonable" in Latin. We get this teaching right from this very Scripture passage. So....if your church does not believe in mortal and venial sins....why not? It's Scriptural!