is there a difference in the severity of sin?

Question

Is there a differance in sins.Is a lie a worse sin than murder or do they all count as sin.It seems that people will support their religion and believe in it completely until it interfers with their personal life.I always thought that a sin is a sin no matter what.People now seem to pick and choose which sins to consider sins.Arent adultery,pre-marital sex,false witness things like these sins.But yet they are dismissed because the religious people don't mind them so much or they happily participate in these things,while condeming someone else to hell for their sins.Are sins only the things that you don't agree with,and if you aren't bothered by it then is it not a sin.How does this work

Answer 1

Sin is sin. In our human nature, we try to give sin different categories to feel better about ourselves, but the truth of the matter is all sin is punishable the same way according to the Bible.

I have found that the longer I pursue the things of God, the more woefully aware I am of my own sinfulness. As I become more aware, I also find I am much more tolerant and understanding of other people's shortcomings. Possibly what you have experienced from the religious people you have come in contact with is people who have enough of God just to stay out of hell, fire insurance. That is not the true nature of Christianity. Christianity is about being increasingly transformed into the likeness of Jesus. Since Jesus is perfect, we are all in varying stages of the "journey".

I am so sorry you have been unfairly judged. We are all not like that.

Answer 2

Locially, every sin counts the same because sin is going against what God says is right, his law, so everything that breaks God's law is sin, and it says in the Bible that sin is sin, but at the same time, murder is not the same thing as a lie, which is obviously thought of by the Catholic Church, who classifies sin. Depending on your viewpoint. I personally think that even though all sin is sin, every sin is the not the exact same thing.

Answer 3

Where Christians get the idea of all sin being equal is that even the least sin can condemn a person to Hell while no sin is too great for Christ's blood to cover and erase it. In that sense sins are equal in that all people / sinners are condemned and yet none are so bad God cannot forgive and save them.

Sin is described in the Bible as transgression of the law of God (1 John 3:4). All the things you mentioned above is sin. But all sin is not equal in consequence. Consider the words of Christ:

John 19:10-11 10 "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" 11 Jesus answered, "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."

Matthew 11:20-24

Notice Jesus speaks of one sin being greater than another and judgment being more bearable for some than others, because God takes into account the circumstance of their sin. Some were first hand witnesses of Jesus miracles while others knew Him only through prophecy. Those who would see Him from a distance were judged less harshly for their sin. In Pilate's case, those more actively desiring His crucifixion than Pilate was were guilty of "greater sin" than Pilate who partly wished he could free Christ but did not. But this is not to say a little sin is OK ... They all lead to separation from God and need to be dealt with.

Answer 4

No. A sin is a sin in gods eyes. That is why you must repent daily. Nobody is without sin. That is why we must try our hardest to live right by the Lord. God knows our hearts.


matthew 12:31
31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

Answer 5

No, Sin is Sin to God except when you make fun of the Holy Spirit.

Answer 6

Sin is just that a sin.It has no severity,in God's eyes no one sin is greater except blasphemy which has no forgivness.

Answer 7

Look at it this way. All sin can be classified as disobedience to God. If God tells us to do something, and we don't, then we are gulity of disobedience. If God tells us not to do something, and we do it anyway, once again, we are guilty of disobedience. When you approach it from this angle, all sin is equal.

Answer 8

The word sin originally meant ' without God ' so no, there is no degree of sin.

Answer 9

They're all sins, but they can be venial or mortal.

look up the Catechism of the Catholic Church for the precise differences.

Answer 10

like everyone said, a sin is a sin. no matter the magnitude.