IS ALL SIN THE SAME?

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     The topic that has been assigned it:  “Is All Sin the Same?”

 

B.      Yes, and, No.

 

C.     Sin, very simply, is the transgression of the law of God (1 John 3:4).

 

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law:  for sin is the transgression of the law.

 

1.       Is there a difference between a little white lie and committing murder?

a.       Lying is wrong (Col. 3:9)

b.      Murder is also a transgression of God’s Word (Rom. 13:9).

2.       Is there a distinction to be made between gossip and idolatry?

a.       Gossip violates God’s will (1 Tim. 5:13).

b.      Idolatry is definitely a sin against God (Gal 5:20).

3.       Is there a sharp contrast between cussing and homosexuality?

a.       Cussing is corrupt communication (Eph. 4:29).

b.      Homosexuality will keep one out of the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9-10).

 

D.     Note that in every instance we have just mentioned, the law of God is violated.  However, in our minds there are huge contrasts between the sins we contrasted.

 

E.      So, the question remains:  “Is All Sin the Same?”

 

I.                    SIN IS THE SAME

 

A.     All sin originates from the same source.

1.       There is one being who is behind all sin, Satan.

2.       The Bible refers to Satan as “the tempter” (Matt. 4:3).

 

And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

 

3.       The Bible also reveals just how evil Satan is (John 8:44).

 

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do:  he was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own:  for he is a liar and the father of it.

 

B.      The impact of all sin is evil.

1.       As we have already noted, sin is a violation of God’s will (1 John 3:4).

a.       A white lie violates God’s will.

b.      Failing to pay one’s taxes violates God’s will

c.       Being a false witness violates God’s will.

2.       All sin stains the soul (Isa. 1:16).

 

Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil.

 

3.       All sin separates man from God (Isa. 59:2).

 

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

 

C.     The payment for all sin is the same.

1.       The Bible tells us that “without shedding of blood is no remission” (Heb. 9:22).

2.       In order for the debt of sin to be paid, Jesus had to die on the cross of Calvary (Eph. 1:7).

 

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.

 

3.       If we stole just one piece of candy from the Dollar Store, the price for that sin would have to be paid. 

 

D.     All sin will be punished.

1.       Sometimes the punishment for sin happens in this life.

a.       David was punished for the sin he committed with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 12:10-14).

b.      Moses was punished by not being allowed to enter the Promised Land due to his disobedience (Num. 20:12).

2.       Spiritual death in the lake of fire and brimstone is the ultimate punishment for sins.

a.       The Bible tells us:  “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezek. 18:20).

b.      It also teaches us that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).

3.       If a person’s sin is not paid for by the death of Jesus, then, that person will be punished for his sins.

 

II.                 SIN IS NOT THE SAME

 

A.     Man’s perceives sins as being different.

1.       Even though man understands the nature of sin, that is, the transgression of God’s law, he still has the tendency to categorize sin.

2.       There are “bad” sins.  By this we mean “very bad” sins.

a.       Murder

b.      Abuse

c.       Blasphemy

d.      Drug addiction

3.       There are sins that are “acceptable” sins.  We know they are wrong, but we tolerate them and do not really think they will condemn us.

a.       Cussing

b.      Not putting the kingdom of God first

c.       Gossiping

4.       Problems with this view of sin.

a.       What is tolerated and accepted gets worse and worse (Ex., adultery, Gal. 5:19, from the scarlet A to multiple divorces and remarriages).

b.      Each person develops his own list of sins that are “bad” and “acceptable”. 

c.       We trust in our own heart.  Our hearts are deceptive.

1.       Jeremiah 17:9

 

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:  who can know it?

 

2.       Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

 

B.      The amount of the light of truth man has makes sin different.

1.       The light of truth shines more brilliantly today than it did in the days of Patriarch or during the Mosaic Age.

a.       Patriarchal Age (star light)

b.      Mosaic Age (moon light)

c.       Christian Age (sun light)

2.       Had some in the past had the same light that individuals have today, they would have acted differently. 

a.       In fact, many of them would have repented of their evil deeds. 

b.      NOTE:  What did not seem as bad to them would have been understood to be something extremely evil. 

1)      More truth causes man to have more understanding.  The more understanding one has, the better choices he usually makes.

2)      It is not that the sin is worse in one age than another.  It is that man’s understanding of his sin is different.

3.       Matthew 11:21

 

Woe unto thee Chorazin!  woe unto thee, Bethsaida!  for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

 

C.     God’s punishment of sin will be different

1.       This point follows closely on the heels of the previous point that we made.

2.       All sin will be punished, but not all sin will be punished in exactly the same way.

3.       More knowledge brings greater punishment. 

a.       Thus, it appears that there is a distinction between sin.

b.      It is not that the sin is really different.  It is that the knowledge of the one committing the sin is different.

c.       Luke 12:47-48

 

And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.  But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes.  For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required; and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

 

D.     The effects of sin makes it different.

1.       Lying as an example:

a.       Instead of going to a friend’s house, a child lies and goes to a party.  He has a good time and nothing happens.  His mom and dad find out, and he loses their trust in him for a period of time.  He has the car taken from him for a month.

b.      A person lies on a job application and gets the job.  About six months later, the lie is found out and the person loses the job.  Financially he is harmed.  Too, he makes it difficult to get another job.

c.       A husband lies to his wife about another relationship with a woman.  She finds out.  The marriage is destroyed.  The children are emotionally wounded.  Shame is brought on the church.  The adulterer remarries the adulteress and loses his soul.

d.      An individual lies by bearing false witness on another person.  Due to his testimony, the individual is convicted of a crime he did not commit.  The individual is sentenced to death by the electric chair.

2.       We all know that different transgressions bring different consequences.  Thus, we base our decision about the awfulness of the sin on the consequences.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     The reality is that all sin is the same. 

1.       It originates with Satan.

2.       Its impact is evil.

3.       The payment for sin was the death of Jesus on Calvary.

4.       All sins will ultimately be punished.

 

B.      Sins are really only different in two ways.

1.       In the effects they produce.

2.       In the manner in which God will punish them.

 

C.     We should never continue in sin, and we should never condone sin.

 

D.     Our only goal in life should be to conquer sin.  This can only be done through the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:56-57).

 

The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.  But thanks be unto God, which giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.