In God's eyes, is there a difference between kinds of sin?

[Jethro Bodine]

Where does the Bible distinguish between sins?

 

[John 8:32]

Where does the Bible distinguish between sins?

There is no difference, any and all sin results in death unless repented of and forgiven of.

 

[Deborah13]

Where does the Bible distinguish between sins?

There is no difference, any and all sin results in death unless repented of and forgiven of.

and James says if we have broken one we have broken them all, so it's a package deal.

 

[CORE]

Where does the Bible distinguish between sins?

There is no difference, any and all sin results in death unless repented of and forgiven of.

and James says if we have broken one we have broken them all, so it's a package deal.

Yet Hebrews 10:29 seems to suggest varying degrees of punishment...the most severe of which seems to be reserved for apostates.

 

[Deborah13]

Where does the Bible distinguish between sins?

There is no difference, any and all sin results in death unless repented of and forgiven of.

and James says if we have broken one we have broken them all, so it's a package deal.

Yet Hebrews 10:29 seems to suggest varying degrees of punishment...the most severe of which seems to be reserved for apostates.

That is an apostate yes. Returning to the blood sacrifices, rejecting the blood of Christ.

When James said this he was talking to the Jews about the Law of Moses, Torah.

 

[John 8:32]

Where does the Bible distinguish between sins?

There is no difference, any and all sin results in death unless repented of and forgiven of.

and James says if we have broken one we have broken them all, so it's a package deal.

Yet Hebrews 10:29 seems to suggest varying degrees of punishment...the most severe of which seems to be reserved for apostates.

To understand this, read the previous verse in conjunction with it...

Heb 10:28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Heb 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

Eternal life was not promised under the Old Covenant, nor did they receive the Holy Spirit. Their punishment was the first death, but not the second death. When one has God's Spirit and does despite to it by disregarding the sacrifice of Christ and treating it as a common thing, he is subject to the second death which is much worse than just the first death. Verse 29 is referring to the penalty those under the Old Covenant suffered compared to the New Covenant second death.

 

[John 8:32]

and James says if we have broken one we have broken them all, so it's a package deal.

Yet Hebrews 10:29 seems to suggest varying degrees of punishment...the most severe of which seems to be reserved for apostates.

That is an apostate yes. Returning to the blood sacrifices, rejecting the blood of Christ.

When James said this he was talking to the Jews about the Law of Moses, Torah.

You sure he was talking to the Jews? He was talking to the converted scattered within the twelve tribes. This was not directed at the "Jews"...

Jas 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

 

[Deborah13]

You sure he was talking to the Jews? He was talking to the converted scattered within the twelve tribes. This was not directed at the "Jews"...

Yes, he is talking to Jews, I did not mean he was talking to unsaved Jews. Sorry I should have been clearer.
And not that I should not learn for this scripture because I am not Jewish. That would be silly.

He goes speaking to those who may be of a mind to be thinking that they were obeying the law but were respecters of persons, etc.

10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

Once again the teaching that we are all found guilty by the Law and that we need a Savior.

 

[Guest]

Sin is death, no matter how small.

 

[CORE]

and James says if we have broken one we have broken them all, so it's a package deal.

Yet Hebrews 10:29 seems to suggest varying degrees of punishment...the most severe of which seems to be reserved for apostates.

To understand this, read the previous verse in conjunction with it...

Heb 10:28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Heb 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

Eternal life was not promised under the Old Covenant, nor did they receive the Holy Spirit. Their punishment was the first death, but not the second death. When one has God's Spirit and does despite to it by disregarding the sacrifice of Christ and treating it as a common thing, he is subject to the second death which is much worse than just the first death. Verse 29 is referring to the penalty those under the Old Covenant suffered compared to the New Covenant second death.

Well, that may have not been the best example to illustrate that God does see a difference between various sin.

All sin, no matter how "trivial" in the eyes of man leads to death, but that doesn't answer the OP's question. Scripture is full of examples that show varying degrees of punishment or loss of reward that suggest God in fact does see a difference between sins...which IMO is only common sense.

2 Peter 2:20-22
For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them.
​

Revelation 20:12-13
And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
​

John 19:11-12
Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me up to you has the greater sin.”


James 3:1-2
Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment.
​

Now, there is certainly more to these passages especially when read in context, and it may not be the sole purpose of these passages to convey the idea that there is a difference between sin but c'mon, it's quite clear that there is.

Furthermore, the Spirit is especially more grieved by certain sins we commit...we know this, we feel this. A slip of the tongue doesn't affect us as much physically/emotionally as lusting or drunkenness does. We certainly feel more convicted and ashamed for the latter.

 

[Slider]

There are two types: Spiritutual sins and sins of the flesh. Hebrews 10:25-31 and 38-39 are speaking of drawing back and forsaking of the assembling of ourselves. Hebrews 6:4-6 and 1 John 2:19 speak about this in the same manner.

 

[smaller]

Differentiating levels of sin is largely used to make us 'feel good' that believers don't typically do the real 'bad sins.'

I doubt if we measured from an external scale of sin i.e. through actions that Paul would have been the chief of sinners, post salvation. So obviously that points to 'other measures' of how Paul derived that understanding. Even as the blinded sinner Saul prior to belief we'd still have a hard time making that case that he was the chief of sinners.

Jesus shows us that this is what defiles us all, and where all sin originates:

Matt. 15:
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

Mark 7:
20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

It's difficult to derive how Paul saw himself as the chief of sinners after salvation. Our minds have a very hard time wrapping around that fact. We will naturally be led to find every excuse NOT to see Paul that way because we too are believers.

and that is just another good example of the twisted thinking of believers that hammers home the facts of SINS INTERNAL DECEPTION within every reader who has ever read that factual information. We just can't seem to believe our own eyes.

yet there it is in black on white.

How did that happen? If anyone simply sees that an Apostle is on the very front lines of attack by SATAN, internally, through temptations, then the chief of sinners was WHERE and in WHOM to make Paul said chief?

These matters of sin are not just about 'us' as believers or mankind in general. Mankind is subject to internal deceptions continually. And this fact will continue to the ending of 'them.'

The fact that we can't seem to speak truthfully about 'sin' and it's relationship to Satan and devils is again a testimony to our own internal deceptions.

It's very simple, once seem. But, the information takes time to digest and adjust to once acknowledged.

And at that point questions about sin are addressed by the Spirit of Truth in those in whom honesty dwells. Sin is sin. Sin is of the devil. They are all entirely bad 24/7 so there is no point in saying any of 'their activity' is any better or worse as if such things even deserve A SCALE.

enjoy!

smaller

 

[Elijah674]

Sin is sin! James 1:15 has it with and ending. (Full Cup!) When done over & over it looses it loses its conviction. Until the Holy Spirit can do nothing more
to awaken the person up. (thus becomes Fatal) And as David told us about inn Psalms 19:13 "The great Transgression" follows on!

And for ALL these of Rev. 17:1-5 who have had the Holy Spirit STRIVING with them for well past any 120 years, & still teaching the same old stuff I am wondering if there is any hope left? Such as Gen. 3:4's first lie, & an forever burning hell!

--Elijah

 

[Randy]

The one who is born of God will not continue to sin. So John seems to have had a scale in his judgment.

That leaves room for a argument on what is still sin (wrong doing) to a Christian.

(sexual immorality, breaking the commandments (9 of 10) Jesus, the Lord of the sabbath, stated the sabbath was made for man not the other way around. Paul also wrote about such things in Colossians 2:16

Though the commandments are fulfilled in keeping Jesus's commands to Love God with all your heart and Love one another. (remain in Him)

To answer your question in a different light God resists the proud (those that are proud in their innermost thoughts) and gives grace to the humble.

Randy

 

[smaller]

The one who is born of God will not continue to sin. So John seems to have had a scale in his judgment.

That leaves room for a argument on what is still sin (wrong doing) to a Christian.

(sexual immorality, breaking the commandments (9 of 10) Jesus, the Lord of the sabbath, stated the sabbath was made for man not the other way around. Paul also wrote about such things in Colossians 2:16

Though the commandments are fulfilled in keeping Jesus's commands to Love God with all your heart and Love one another. (remain in Him)

To answer your question in a different light God resists the proud (those that are proud in their innermost thoughts) and gives grace to the humble.

Randy

Randy, zero believers ever become 'sinless' so the convenient term 'continue' is a misnomer, as in 'well, I only sinned this particular sin a few times and then didn't anymore.'

We all 'have' sin as a present tense occupation of indwelling sin ala Romans 7. Whenever we do good, we are exactly as Paul was, we factually have 'evil present' with us.

Paul divided himself from that working, even while having it. That is also 'how' John saw this matter as well. As believers we understand the difference between ourselves and the internal working presence of EVIL.

Many believers hit the wall on this matter and just can not understand that sin is a continuing presence that is not us.

s

 

[Deborah13]

Where does the Bible distinguish between sins?

19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies

My dh has been working out of the area since last fall, 7 hr drive from home. I told ONE person that we had decided that I would move to stay with family that is closer to him so we could at least be together on weekends. Four days later he came home. He wasn't in town but 10 mins. in the store and a friend who was laughing (he knows us well) says, guess what I heard, you and Deb are getting a DIVORCE and she is moving away.

I called my middle daughter right away. All I said, poor wording, Did you hear the we are getting a divorce. There was dead silence and then when she tried to speak she was already fighting tears. Now what if she had heard that in town? Of coarse I had to apologize for the way I said it, no warning about gossip, I could have saved her that moment of distress.

Now some may say that the scripture is not talking about this type of "false witness" I think is. What comes out of our mouths can destroy other people lives. It can effect their relationship with God and others.

 

[CORE]

Sin is sin, yes...no excuse. It all leads to death, but the answer to the question posed is a resounding yes...God see's a difference between sin, otherwise there would be no reason to be judged according to our deeds and suffer loss of reward. the fact that some may use that as an excuse to minimize their sin doesn't change that fact.

 

[jasoncran]

and James says if we have broken one we have broken them all, so it's a package deal.

Yet Hebrews 10:29 seems to suggest varying degrees of punishment...the most severe of which seems to be reserved for apostates.

To understand this, read the previous verse in conjunction with it...

Heb 10:28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Heb 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

Eternal life was not promised under the Old Covenant, nor did they receive the Holy Spirit. Their punishment was the first death, but not the second death. When one has God's Spirit and does despite to it by disregarding the sacrifice of Christ and treating it as a common thing, he is subject to the second death which is much worse than just the first death. Verse 29 is referring to the penalty those under the Old Covenant suffered compared to the New Covenant second death.

uhm how could marth confess that lazarus would be raised on the last day or job with mine eyes shall in the flesh see the lord though I die?

 

[reba]

Where does the Bible distinguish between sins?

Seems I remember a whole lot of distinguishing in Exodus , Leviticus, A bird for this a lamb for that goof real bad and its a bull

 

[CORE]

hey Edward, the fact is that God does see a difference in sin...I've provided plenty of examples. This fact unfortunately leads people to minimize their sin, but thats their problem and God will judge them for it...We can't just lie and say all sin is equal in the site of God just so people take their sin more seriously - that is a distortion of scripture which is one of the more severe sins...it's false teaching.

Now even though I say it's false teaching, this type of false teaching is either done out of ignorance or "good intention." Do you think that ignorant false teaching is held in the same regard as deliberate false teaching intended to lead others astray?