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blogging, culture, faith, hope, insanitybytes, love, opinion, redemption, sin
All sin is equal, I really believe in that concept, which is a bit funny because nothing else in the world seems equal to me nor would I really want it to be. As far as I am concerned however, a sin is a sin is a sin.
In the legal world we perceive things through a human hierarchy, so some things are heinous crimes, rated by degrees, premeditated or unintentional. Than we try to weigh method, means, motive, and intent against competency or incompetency. That’s kind of important in a legal sense, we don’t want to send people who steal paper clips from their employer to jail with bank robbers. But I don’t think it works that way in the spiritual world at all. In the spiritual, a sin is a sin is a sin.
Thou shall not steal, that means paperclips, internet time at work, or candy bars from the grocery story. We’re all sinners, not one is righteous, not one. A white lie designed to comfort someone is still a lie. Most of us are human, we have all broken the law, violated many of the commandments. God is a God of redemption and second chances….or third, fourth, fifth, heck a few dozen. God is full of mercy and love and He knows us well. In Christ Jesus there is no condemnation, He is our advocate, our lawyer, …if we recognize our need and call Him.
In a physical sense, if we stomp on someone’s toe, it doesn’t matter if it was accidental or intentional. We’ve still caused pain to someone’s toe, so we need to recognize that an apologize. We’re a bit like little kids however, I didn’t mean to, it’s not my fault, you shouldn’t have had your foot there, you tripped me, whatever. We have a lot of excuses for our own behavior and often compare ourselves to other people in a legalistic sense. So, I stepped on your toe, it’s not like I killed you or something, it wasn’t an assault, I’m not a murderer, my intentions were good!
I suspect God sees us much like I saw my own kids when they were small, with a bit of amusement but a keen awareness they aren’t fooling anybody. I had a real weakness for honesty, a rare occurrence indeed, but I do remember a couple of, “I just punched her in the head because I really wanted to.” I loved that. Not okay, but I can so relate. Who hasn’t wanted to just punch a sibling in the head?
Believe it or not, I have actually been greatly blessed by coming to understand that all sin is equal, that a sin is a sin is a sin, that what separates me from all the other humans in the eyes of God is nothing. I am not saved, claimed, redeemed, forgiven, because I have managed to avoid at least half the sins of mankind. I am redeemed because of His sacrifice. His love, His nature.
What separates me from all the other humans in the eyes of God is nothing. What’s really lovely about that, is that once we recognize there is nothing we can do to justify our own salvation, we are free to simply invest ourselves in seeking His favor, in becoming pleasing to Him, like a sweet fragrance. Allow your Father to delight in you, while you delight in Him.
I say there is nothing that separates me from the other humans, but I only mean that in terms of worth and value before God. In truth, God’s hand is on me, my name is written in His book of life, and I have been claimed, set apart, redeemed.
As you shared insanitybytes22 we have all Sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God? and yes no Sin except the unforgivable Sin is greater and until we are Born Again and Perfected in Love we may continue to Sin at times but Thankfully we are under grace and when we repent Jesus is our Advocate but as the Scripture below confirms and there are others that give us this assurance too, we do not continue to Sin when we are Perfected in Love which we are to aim for putting our Carnal flesh to death by The Spirit and being Born again of God’s seed, Jesus who is within us has set us free from the slavery of Sin and No Temptation will be greater than we can bear.
John 8:34-36 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who Sins is a slave to Sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.(KJV)
Romans 6:6- 7 For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of Sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to Sin because anyone who has died has been freed from Sin. (KJV)
1 John 3: 1-11 ( 9 ) No one who is Born of God will continue to Sin because God’s seed remains in him he cannot go on Sinning because he has been Born of God.(KJV)
1 John 5:18-20 We know that no one who is Born of God sins but He who was Born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him. (KJV)
Romans 6:18-20 Being then made free from Sin ye became the Servants of Righteousness. (KJV)
1 John 3: 1-11 ( 6-7 ) Whosoever abideth in Him Sinneth not: whosoever Sinneth hath not seen Him neither known Him. Little children, let no man deceive you he that doeth Righteousness is Righteous even as He is Righteous.(KJV)
1 John 2:4-6 He that saith I know Him and keepeth not His Commandments is a liar and the Truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word in him verily is the Love of God Perfected hereby know we that we are in Him. He that saith he bideth in Him ought himself also so to walk even as He walked.(KJV)
Luke 6:45-46 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.(KJV)
Colossians 3:4-6 When Christ who is your life appears then you also will appear with Him in glory. Put to death therefore whatever belongs to your earthly nature sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed which is idolatry. Because of these the wrath of God is coming.(KJV)
2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit Perfecting Holiness in the fear of God. (KJV)
Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto Sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.(KJV)
Romans 6 : 1 – 2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in Sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to Sin live any longer therein? (KJV)
1 Peter 1:21-23 Being Born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever.(KJV)
Romans 8: 8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.(KJV)
Romans 8 :12-15 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation but it is not to the Sinful nature to live according to it or if you live according to the Sinful nature you will die but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body you will live because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (KJV)
Romans 6:5-7 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him that the body of Sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve Sin. For he that is dead is freed from Sin.(KJV)
Romans 6:22-23 But now being made free from Sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life. For the wages of Sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.(KJV)
1 John 4:17-19 Herein is our Love made Perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is so are we in this world. There is no fear in Love but Perfect Love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made Perfect in Love. We Love Him, because He first Loved us. (KJV)
1 Peter 2:24 Who His own self bare our Sins in His own body on the tree that we being dead to Sins should live unto Righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed.(KJV)
Ephesians 4:23-24 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in Righteousness and True Holiness. (KJV)
Colossians 1:27-29 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the Hope of glory Whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man Perfect in Christ Jesus Where unto I also labour, striving according to His working which worketh in me mightily(KJV)
Titus 2:13-15 Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all Authority. Let no man despise thee.(KJV)
Daniel 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white and tried but the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand. (KJV)
“Christ”ian Love and Blessings – Anne.
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Amen! I agree 100%.
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Amen.
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It is all equal in the end, but even so we must not be lazy and love ferociously to save more souls.
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Even the greatest of us are now of little account. When our Lord rewards us with heaven for eternity, He will set each of us over much more than we now have. Hence, even our “small” sins with be great sins.
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Very nice IB.
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I agree with you that all sin equally separates us from God and that Jesus is equally the remedy for all sin, but I also know that when God revealed Himself to Moses, He said He forgives wickedness, rebellion and sin. He distinguished three types. The way I see it, all sin is sin, all rebellion is sin and all wickedness is sin (because they all fall short of who God is). But not all sin is rebellion (you can sin without knowing it) and not all sin is wickedness (intentionally harming someone else).
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This topic is both/and rather than either/or. All sin is equal in that the smallest sin can separate us from God as surely as the greatest sin. All sin is equal in that every sin was piled upon Christ on the cross until he had paid its price in full. Beyond that, though, some sins are worse than other sins because they cause more harm to others and to creation. Some sins are worse than other sins because they express deliberate defiance against God and his plans. Jesus was stricter with Pharisees than he was with tax collectors and prostitutes. Still, no matter how big the sin is, Christ and his sacrifice are always bigger. J.
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Salvageable, there is an unforgivable Sin as confirmed in the Scripture below but it is important for us to remember that Jesus died not so we could go on sinning but that we would be set free from the Slavery of Sin and no longer Sin.
Matthew 12:31-32 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. 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.(KJV)
Blessings -Anne.
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In practice, I agree with you and that’s what I was taught, but philosophically the statement begs a question. (Note, I’m not trying to be revisionist or combative but it’s something I have wondered and been unable to answer others on.) if God views all sin as equal, why did He assign different punishments for different sins in Levitical law? (Though of course in the light of his holiness yeah) On the other hand, Jesus paid for all sins in one way so I guess that’s the bigger picture. I still think the former is a good reason why the distinction the law makes between wrongs isn’t merely humanist. Our sense of justice and the instinctive hierarchy we attach to actions aren’t just reflective of ourselves but as beings made in His image, right? But the toe analogy made me laugh because I’ve had that exact discussion with kids.
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museofmanymasks there is an unforgivable sin as confirmed in the Scripture below but it is important for us to remember that Jesus died not so we could go on sinning but that we would be set free from the Slavery of Sin and no longer Sin.
Matthew 12:31-32 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. 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.(KJV)
Blessings -Anne.
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I suspect you are right IB. I have a ways to go to feel that. it is similar to the fact that we are either with Jesus or against Him. Or welcoming the long lost son. Or seeking the wayward sheep. All quantized behavior – here or there and no where in between.
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Ahh, quantized behavior. I do much better with paradoxes, things that are both true at the same time. Here, there, and everywhere 🙂
There are some absolutes in the spiritual however, some things that are just cut and dry. In Revelation He speaks of “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”
There are choices to be made sometimes, we either belong to our Father or we do not. I think that can be a really hard truth for some of us to deal with because we have a hard time imagining why anyone would not choose Him. Everyone wants to be on the side of good, right? No, not always.
When we begin to understand a sin is a sin then we can begin to empathize with others. I may not be a literal murderer, but I do understand the desire, I’ve certainly had a few murderous thoughts. It’s not the sin itself that keeps us separate from God so much as it is our unwillingness to recognize it and admit it.
The bible is an interesting collection of thugs. God forgives, murderers, adulterers, and even tax collectors, while some of the righteous are in a whole lot of trouble. I think we still see that in the world today and a great deal of it has to do with the idea that our sins are not nearly as bad as other people’s.
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