Unfortunately in our liberal society, there
is a myth that all sins are equal. Are
All Sins Equal? People will often say
this, but I think it is more of a liberal “Christianese” catch phrase than a
reflection of true Biblical thinking…
In a quick
nutshell, didn’t Jesus Himself teach us otherwise? John 19:11 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." We will cast some more light on these words of
Christ in a moment!
Let’s think critically about this for a moment…if all sin is really
equal in the sight of God, and we really believed this and lived out our lives
within this reality, then wouldn’t we suffer equal conviction of the Holy
Spirit for all sins. Most of our consciences
have suffered from the conviction of the Holy Spirit by some unrepentant
sin…but this spiritual heaviness normally only comes from those sins we
perceive to be more severe.
If it were true, however, that all sin is equal in the sight of God,
then we should be just as troubled spiritually and just as repentant before God
when we break the speed limit--as when we commit adultery. After all, breaking the speed limit, even by
1 mph, is breaking the law and breaking the law is sin according to Rom 13. But nobody really lives their lives in this
manner. We all see speeding down the
road as “water under the bridge of God” compared to the abuse of a child or the
rape of a woman. It appears to me, that
our conscience bears witness that controlled speeding is not as bad as some
other sins—even if we confess differently.
So, where does this myth of theology come from? Perhaps it could refer to Christ’s comments
in the Sermon on the Mount. In particular, the reference made to Matt. 5:27-28
could be justification for this way of thinking. Matt. 5:27-28 27: “You have heard that it was
said, ‘you shall not commit adultery’” but I say to you that everyone who looks
at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his
heart. Is there a difference in the
eyes of God between thinking about adultery and actually doing it? Absolutely!!!
If we say anything other than this, I believe we do damage to the
character of God and encourage the act to be carried out--based upon its
premonition. The point Jesus is trying to make in Matt. 5:28, in my opinion, is
not that lust and the actual act are equal, but that they both violate the same
commandment, even if the degrees of this violation differs. Thus, Christ was
telling the people – and particularly the religious establishment of the day
that thought they were safe because they had fulfilled the letter of the law –
that the law runs much deeper. THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW IS WHAT
MATTERS.
This is the same argument that James makes in James 2:10 when he says “For whoever keeps the whole law and
yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” James is not equating all sin, but showing
how any violation of the law, no matter how small, is still breaking the whole
of the law because the law is connected to such a degree.
Think about it this way: if you truly believe that adultery and lust
are equal in the sight of God, and we logically extend that reasoning, then
here are the consequences: any man or woman can justify divorce based upon the
fact that in Matt. 5:32 Christ condemns divorce except for marital infidelity.
All they need to do is make the safe assumption that their spouse has lusted to
some degree during their marriage. This
will make their divorce justified and biblical.
In the same way, if a man were to lust after a woman on the internet, he
might as well commit the actual act since in God’s eyes he already has. Or (I am on a roll), if you have ever lusted
after a girl, then you are under God’s mandate to marry her since in God’s eyes
you are one with her (1 Cor. 6:16).
To me, this way of thinking is not only
wrong biblically, but it also has
repercussions that lead to a distorted worldview and also discredits the
integrity of God and the Gospel of Christ.
The
Bible seems to indicate that there are varying degrees of sin. BUT, I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT THE
EVIDENCE AND DECIDE FOR YOURSELF:
Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is
set apart as a greater sin than blasphemy of the Son in Matt 12:31 And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be
forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
1 John 5:16-17 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. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is
sin that does not lead to death.
So, we see that the Bible has told us there are some less serious sins
that do NOT lead to death and some sins that DO lead to death. There is also the unforgiveable sin of
blasphemy against the Spirit.
NOW, LET’S CONSIDER ANOTHER, MORE SERIOUS CATEGORY OF SINS, GOD CALLS
ABOMINATIONS. Biblically speaking, there
appears to three graduated levels of Abominable sins: Ceremonial Abominations
(ceremonial un-cleanliness) which can be involuntary, Regular Abominations and
Detestable Abominations. We do however,
have to scale the language barrier because in English, the words “Detestable”
and “Abomination” mean exactly the same thing.
But in Hebrew, there are distinctions between these terms that we need
to know to understand what the Bible is teaching.
Ceremonial Unclean
Abominations: OT:6292
lWGP! pigguwl (pig-gool'); or piggul
(pig-gool'); from an unused root meaning to stink; properly, fetid, i.e. (figuratively) unclean (ceremonially):
According to the Law, several things could cause a person could become unclean having a dead body in your home to long, or by having leprousy, or even a woman giving birth.
Abominations: Usually focuses on SOCIAL/SEXUAL SINS that are committed in a brotherly, cultural and/or political sense.
1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee
from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins
against his own body. This seems to confirm that sexual sins are certainly sins of greater
earthly consequence, but also infers they are also sins of even a greater
degree of insult to God SINCE OUR BODY IS HIS TEMPLE.
Here is an example: 1 Chr. 5:1 The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (he was the
firstborn, but when he defiled his father's marriage bed, his rights as
firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel. Now, if you
are following my reasoning, we can be certain Reuben’s other 11 brothers also
committed sins, but Reuben’s sin was considered greater and consequential,
while most of the other brothers sins were not mentioned.
Lev 20:13 If a man lies with a
male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination
(8262). They shall surely be put to death. NKJV
Lev 18:22 You shall not lie with
a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.
The Hebrew words that are usually translated
to describe these sins are:
OT:8441 hb*u@oT tow`ebah
(to-ay-baw'); or to`ebah (to-ay-baw');
feminine active participle of OT:8581; properly, something
disgusting (morally), i.e. (as noun) an abhorrence; especially idolatry or
(concretely) an idol: KJV - abominable (custom, thing), abomination.
OT:8442 hu*oT tow`ah (to-aw');
feminine active participle of OT:8582; mistake, i.e. (morally) impiety, or (an ungodly act that shows a lack of due
reverence for God, or a lack of religious respect or devotion, political)
injury: KJV - error,
hinder.
Detestable
Abominations: A FAR GREATER, MORE SERIOUS DEGREE OF AN ABOMINABLE SIN THAT USUALLY
INVOLVES EITHER SPIRITUAL ADULTERY, IDOLATRY, OR BY A PERSON IN LEADERSHIP IN
THE CHURCH. In other words, this
type of abomination has a focus on gross sins that happen within the church
community (NOT on culture or politics)—AND CAN ONLY BE
COMMITTED BY GOD’S HOLY PEOPLE. This is the
type of abomination that is referred to by Daniel 12:11 when he described the
Abomination of desolation. When we
scale the language barrier, it would have been more accurate to have translated
it “A Detestable desolation.” Why?
Because Bible prophecy primarily concerns the people of God and His
church—not the culture.
Now, within this proper context, the words
of Jesus that we considered earlier now take on a fuller meaning don’t they: John 19:11 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." After all,
wasn’t it the High
Priest, all the Chief Priests and Pharisees (the Sanhedrin) who handed Jesus over to
Pontius Pilot.
FYI: Jews who ate unclean foods also fell
into the detestable sins category because it defiled their bodies:
Lev 7:18
And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering is eaten
at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, nor shall it be imputed to
him; it shall be an abomination to him who offers it, and the person who eats
of it shall bear guilt. NKJV
Lev 11:42-43 Whatever crawls on its belly,
whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet among all creeping things
that creep on the earth — these you shall not eat, for they are an abomination
(8263). NKJV
Unclean foods fall under this category also
under the sister meaning found in OT: 8262.
OT:8262 Jq^v* shaqats (shaw-kats'); a primitive root; to be filthy, i.e.
(intensively) to loathe, pollute: KJV -
abhor, make abominable, have in abomination, detest, utterly.
OT:8263 Jq#v# sheqets (sheh'-kets); from OT:8262; filth,
i.e. (figuratively and specifically) an idolatrous object (something that you would want to spit out):
Now, Let’s see if we can now formulate a way of distinguishing between
these ideas to gain a better understanding:
Let’s consider Jdg 2:13-15: They (the Israelites) forsook the Lord and
served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14 And
the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel. So He delivered them into the
hands of plunderers who despoiled them; and He sold them into the hands of
their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their
enemies. 15 Wherever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for
calamity, as the Lord had said…
As we read above, the nations that surrounded Israel in the Old
Testament practiced Temple prostitution as part of their ritualistic worship to
the false gods of Baal and Ashtoreths.
Unfortunately, Israel kept sharing in their sins.
According to Lev. 18, adultery is an abomination even when the
motivation is simply carnal/physical and the sin is committed in private. This makes God mad, and the Apostle Paul
reminds us in 1 Cor. 6:9 that the penalty for people remaining in an
unrepentant lifestyle of adultery is that they will not inherit the kingdom of
God. However, as we read above in Jdg
2:13-15, when the sin of adultery is then further compounded with a SPIRITUAL
motivation of false worship, it causes God to become even madder as the
abominable sin is escalated to a higher Detestable sin called SPIRITUAL
ADULTERY.
1 Co 6:9-11 Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards,
nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
Then, let’s consider Ezek 8:15-16: O son of man? Turn again, you will
see greater abominations than these."
So He brought me into the inner court of the Lord's house; and there, at
the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about
twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces
toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east. NKJV
In this passage, we read of two more aspects of SPIRITUAL ADULTERY:
first, the abomination was committed in the Lord’s house, right in front of the
eyes of God—as if He can’t see. This
too, causes the sin to become DETESTABLE.
Secondly, we also learned back in Leviticus that there are only 25
people who are allowed to be in this area of the Temple called the Holy
Place. The only people who are allowed
in the part of the Temple are the 24 Chief Priests and the High Priest. Therefore, it is clearly discernable that these
abominations are being committed by the leaders of the House of God, this also makes
the sins more DETESTABLE.
BECAUSE OF THIS BRAZEN,
NEGLIGENT, UNGODLY ACT, THAT DEMONSTRATES A LACK OF DUE REVERENCE FOR GOD, AND
A LACK OF RELIGIOUS RESPECT AND DEVOTION, THESE SINS ARE NOW OF THE HIGHEST
LEVEL OF SINS WHICH THE BIBLE REFERS TO AS ABOMINATIONS OF DESOLATION: SINS
THAT DEFILE THE TEMPLE AND CAUSES THE LORD TO DESECRATE (LEAVE) HIS TEMPLE. WE WILL ALSO LATER LEARN
THAT GOD DID NOT ONLY DESOLATE THE TEMPLE IN THIS CASE (EZEK 10:18), BUT IN
OTHER PLACES THROUGHOUT HISTORY AS WELL, INCLUDING THE INTERTESTAMENTAL PERIOD
OF THE MACCABEES AND AGAIN WHEN JESUS DESOLATES THE FINAL PHYSICAL TEMPLE IN
MATTHEW 23—AFTERWHICH, IT THEN BECOMES THE SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN.
In summary, depending upon the variables of Spiritual motivation or
spiritual status (MOTIVATION of the person’s heart, and WHO is
committing the sin, and sometimes WHERE the sin is being committed)--can
cause the sin to become escalated to a much greater sin in the eyes of God.
Let’s review this by answering a few quick questions that might apply
to our context:
1.
If a pagan were to engage in a homosexual relationship, or to offer his
child as a burnt offering to a false god, what kind of sins would these
be? Answer: either sub would be an
abomination.
2.
If a Christ follower, and even more so, A MEMBER OF THE CLERGY, were
to engage in a homosexual relationship, or to offer his child as a burnt
offering to a false god, what kind of sins would these be? Answer: these sins
would not only be abominations, but much worse—DETESTABLE
ABOMINATIONS! BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE KNOW THE
LORD AND THE KNOW BETTER THAN TO COMMIT THESE ACTS OF IDOLATRY AND SPIRITUAL
INFIDELITY!
3.
In the first century, if a unbelieving Gentile army had go into the sanctuary
of the Temple in Jerusalem and committed ritual prostitution, and while they
were there, they sacrificed a pig on the alter, would this have defiled the
sanctuary? Answer: No, when it comes to
defiling a temple of God, unbelievers are spiritually neutral. Only a believer, usually a Spiritual Leader,
who has spiritually legal access to the temple can commit a DETESTABLE,
ABOMINABLE SIN that causes God DESOLATE His Temple.
Therefore, the Bible seems to indicate that Christ evaluates the
ABOMINABLE SINS OF PAGANS on a lower level, a sort of “Credit Basis,” meaning
that their unrepentant sins will build up until the unbeliever either comes to
Christ and is forgiven, or, their sins continue to mount up until death when
they will be dealt with entirely on judgment day—but their sins have little
spiritual consequences for them today.
Peter seems to imply this:
2 Pet 2:9-10 …then the Lord knows how to…reserve the unjust under
punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who walk according to the
flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority.
But it seems to me, the same sins
committed by BELIEVERS (who claim the name of Christ and know better) are dealt with
immediately, on a sort of “Cash basis,” meaning there will be earthly consequences
such as the removal of blessings and spiritual/church discipline, escalating to
the removal from fellowship, and other consequences ranging from health and
family and even sometimes financial are increasingly enforced in this
world. And ultimately then, CHURCH LEADERS are held to yet a higher level of
accountability, their ABOMINATIONS are considered as DETESTABLE ABOMINATIONS, much greater than the same sins committed
by Pagans and the laity.
This is why Jesus said to the Pharisees in Matt 23:24 You strain out a
gnat while you swallow a camel. If all sins are equal, Christ’s rebuke does not
make any sense. (See also Lk. 20:46-47)
The consequence for these sins can include the removal of the clergy
from the office or the Lord desolating the Temple. Christ, in speaking to the Pastor of the
church in Ephesus tells John to write: Rv 2:5 Remember therefore from where you
have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly
and remove your lampstand from its place — unless you repent. NKJV
Then James echoes this same teaching speaking to the “brethren” in Jas
3:1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall
receive a stricter judgment. Let’s look
at some examples:
1 Samuel 2:17 This sin of the
young men (Eli’s sons who were Priests) was very great in the LORD's sight, for
they were treating the LORD's offering with contempt. (God kills Eli’s sons for these sins they committed
in the temple as Priests).
2 Samuel 7:15 my love will never be taken away from him, as I
took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. (Saul was
prideful, disobedient, and unrepentant; plus, SAUL CONSULTED A MEDIUM FOR
GUIDANCE and did not execute the Lord’s wrath on Amalek. 1 Chr 10:13).
Isa 22:14 (Because they did not
look to God for protection) "Till your dying day this sin will not be
atoned for," says the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
1 Cor 6:9-11: 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.
Luke 12:47-48 "And that slave WHO KNEW HIS MASTER'S WILL and
did not get ready or act in accord with his will, WILL RECEIVE MANY LASHES, 48 but the one who did not know it,
and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From
everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they
(GOD) entrusted much, of him they (GOD) will ask all the more.
Prov 6:16 These six things THE LORD HATES, Yes, seven are an
abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent
blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to
evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among
brethren. (It is apparent that there would be no reason to
list these sins as the sins “GOD HATES” if all sins are equal).
Deut 12:31 You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for
every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for
they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Certain sins in the law are distinguished in a particular context as an abomination to God, implying that others are not as severe (e.g. Lev. 18:22; Deut. 7:25, Deut. 23:18, Isa. 41:24). See also: verses regarding Psychics, Spiritual Adultery and Capital Punishment, many of these sins are clearly sins of greater magnitude in the eyes of God.
