SIN

[samuel]

Are there greater, and lesser sins?. Do some sins carry a greater penalty than others?. Charles Stanley says there are greater sins, and they carry greater penalties.

What say you?.

 

[glorydaz]

Are there greater, and lesser sins?. Do some sins carry a greater penalty than others?. Charles Stanley says there are greater sins, and they carry greater penalties.

What say you?.

Good question. I say yes, there are greater and lesser sins. I don't know if there are greater punishments for the unbelievers, hell seems to be equally bad for all, but I know there are greater and lesser rewards for the believer.

 

[archangel_300]

Are there greater, and lesser sins?. Do some sins carry a greater penalty than others?. Charles Stanley says there are greater sins, and they carry greater penalties.

What say you?.

Absolutely... I'm a firm believer that there are greater sins that carry a greater penalty than others. Also I believe the more you sin the more penalty you will experience under God's wrath.
It has to be this case otherwise God would not be just. I can't imagine the same penalty given to a child that died without coming to faith in Jesus Christ versus a full grown adult serial killer who was eventually put to death on death row.

As the word of God states in Revelation 20, mankind will be judged according to their works.
This means that every thought, every idle word, and every single deed we do will come under intense scrutiny by the Lord God Almighty if we are not saved. God is perfectly just in rewarding us according to our ways and God will not punish us for that which we don't do.

 

[JohnEboy1983]

Are there greater, and lesser sins?. Do some sins carry a greater penalty than others?. Charles Stanley says there are greater sins, and they carry greater penalties.

While there may be lesser and greater sins committed on earth, in example, murdering compared to stealing, the penalty for sin is all the same in the end, all will be cast into the lake of fire. I am sure there is a religion out there that believes in levels of hell that one can be sent to based off the sins committed in life, but as a Christian I believe there is one place for all sin in the end regardless of the acts. Perhaps on judgement day, the sinners who committed more wicked deeds will be temporarily chastised harsher than those who committed lesser sins before they go into the eternal lake of fire. Maybe thats what it is?

 

[archangel_300]

Are there greater, and lesser sins?. Do some sins carry a greater penalty than others?. Charles Stanley says there are greater sins, and they carry greater penalties.

While there may be lesser and greater sins committed on earth, in example, murdering compared to stealing, the penalty for sin is all the same in the end, all will be cast into the lake of fire. I am sure there is a religion out there that believes in levels of hell that one can be sent to based off the sins committed in life, but as a Christian I believe there is one place for all sin in the end regardless of the acts. Perhaps on judgement day, the sinners who committed more wicked deeds will be temporarily chastised harsher than those who committed lesser sins before they go into the eternal lake of fire. Maybe thats what it is?

I'm pretty convinced that each person's experience in the eternal lake of fire will not be the same.
Although the Bible seems to suggest they all go to the "lake of fire" which makes it seem like hell will be an over populated place and each person will go through the same thing... really what if it's not the same place for everyone? What if each person is in solitary confinement for all eternity each to suffer all alone in a seperate dimension of their own? Sometimes I ponder this...
Imagine this universe as large and almost infinite as it appears to be with absolutely nothing in it but one person existing in it all alone. Just utter darkness and solitary confinement with memories of the days of earth and paying for the transgressions committed while in the body.

Because the thing is I don't think "new sin" can exist in hell. That new sin would have to be judged by God Almighty and judgment day has already passed. So I'm wondering, can one really interact with another individual in hell? The whole purpose of hell anyways is to pay for the sins already committed while in the body on earth.

 

[samuel]

While there may be lesser and greater sins committed on earth, in example, murdering compared to stealing, the penalty for sin is all the same in the end, all will be cast into the lake of fire. I am sure there is a religion out there that believes in levels of hell that one can be sent to based off the sins committed in life, but as a Christian I believe there is one place for all sin in the end regardless of the acts. Perhaps on judgement day, the sinners who committed more wicked deeds will be temporarily chastised harsher than those who committed lesser sins before they go into the eternal lake of fire. Maybe thats what it is?

This is pretty much the way I see it. The Bible says the penalty for sin is death, then follows the second death, Hell! (or the lake of fire). While in this life the penalties for various sins (breaking the law) carry differing punishments, I don't see it makes very much difference afterward. Since there are only two final destinations, and you are going to be consigned to one or the other. I can't see the difference in a slow scorch, or a fast one. God does not judge for sin in the present life, otherwise it would be as before the Cross, instant and final. But now all sin awaits judgment day, (which has not passed).

Now as far as the Christian goes, there may be differing chastisements for sin, and the Bible seems to point to this. But that has nothing to do with a final judgment of sin. As for the Christian there is only one unforgivable and judgmental sin; that is Apostasy (1st John 5:16).

Stanly may have been speaking along these lines, but he failed to make it clear, and left it as there was a final and differing judgment for sin. But that is not my opinion, nor is it Paul's, John's, or James'.

 

[SmooLife]

Its an interesting question, but personally, I believe if you sin, you will go to Hell. If you dont sin, you will gain entry to heaven. Why overcomplicate things?

 

[Rick W]

Actually we are sin by nature. Our very nature condemns us to death, separation from God.
Repentance to believing Christ is the Son of God, that He died, was buried and rose again is basic Christian doctrine for our salvation, forgiveness of sin, that it will be "remembered no more."
So what of the weight of sin upon judgment? I'm thinking possibly in terms of rewards, some being withheld while others are bestowed. I don't really know for sure. I suppose I'll have to leave all that up to Him.
All in all it's best to accept Christ that He may take your sin upon His shoulders. I don't want what I deserve. No way.

 

[Danus]

Are there greater, and lesser sins?. Do some sins carry a greater penalty than others?

Yes to both questions.
I think we tend to get into a mindset that sin is sin (especially evangelicals) when disusing sin.

My view on this is; 1. we are all sinners by nature. 2. The division of salvation is laid between those who accept Christ and those who reject Christ. 3. There are degrees of reward in haven for those who accept Christ and degrees of punishment in hell for those who reject Christ. That seems just.

I have found a really good video from one of my favorite theologians and bible scholar, Dr. R.C. Sproul. This is probably;y from the late 80's early 90's. It takes about 20 min, but he addresses this subject in detail. Worth a look.

http://www.lightsource.com/ministry/ren ... /20100422/

 

[Joe67]

This witness must need be considered.

Rev 18:5-6
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. KJV

King David's numbering of Israel was a more spiritually wicked iniquity than even his transgression with Bathsheba and Uriah. When we are young in the faith of Jesus this is difficult to understand. When we are old, we see the agonizing truth of spiritual wickedness while seeking to do good. Romans 7.

Joe

 

[archangel_300]

Are there greater, and lesser sins?. Do some sins carry a greater penalty than others?

Yes to both questions.
I think we tend to get into a mindset that sin is sin (especially evangelicals) when disusing sin.

My view on this is; 1. we are all sinners by nature. 2. The division of salvation is laid between those who accept Christ and those who reject Christ. 3. There are degrees of reward in haven for those who accept Christ and degrees of punishment in hell for those who reject Christ. That seems just.

I have found a really good video from one of my favorite theologians and bible scholar, Dr. R.C. Sproul. This is probably;y from the late 80's early 90's. It takes about 20 min, but he addresses this subject in detail. Worth a look.

http://www.lightsource.com/ministry/ren ... /20100422/

Thanks Danus for sharing this.
Another great lecture and sound teaching from my favorite Bible teacher.
I totally agree with what Dr. Sproul has stated. I like his statement where he says "sin is not only complicated it is complex." It reminds me of the butterfly effect. Just one small sin can have drastic consequences on a multitude of people and have potential aftershocks we are not even aware of. Although to us it may be something very trivial it may be something that causes great harm to those we are not even aware of. All of this will be sorted out on judgment day.

The very essence of God is perfect justice and perfect justice demands different gradations of punishment/rewards for different behavior. :yes

 

[Danus]

archangel_300 Your welcome.

At first glance to your OP my thought was "isn't sin, sin?" I guess we have been trained up to think that way, but then I remembered some studies on this some time ago. Good stuff.

 

[elijah23]

Are there greater, and lesser sins?. Do some sins carry a greater penalty than others?. Charles Stanley says there are greater sins, and they carry greater penalties.

What say you?.

We have to live with the consequences of our actions, do we not? If I murder someone, the consequences will be greater than if I steal a candy bar, will they not?

That say I.

 

[samuel]

We have to live with the consequences of our actions, do we not? If I murder someone, the consequences will be greater than if I steal a candy bar, will they not?

Certainly, if you are looking at the civil penalties for crime (sin). But a thief, is no better in Gods eyes than a Murderer. I am nor even considering the civil penalties for breaking laws, just the spiritual implications. According to the scriptures hell is hell, not Danties Inferno, and all sinners will have their part in the Lake of Fire. There are not the mythical 13 or whatever levels of the Lake of Fire, just one very Hot One.

Or as that saying goes -- All for one, and one for all.

 

[Danus]

We have to live with the consequences of our actions, do we not? If I murder someone, the consequences will be greater than if I steal a candy bar, will they not?

Certainly, if you are looking at the civil penalties for crime (sin). But a thief, is no better in Gods eyes than a Murderer. I am nor even considering the civil penalties for breaking laws, just the spiritual implications. According to the scriptures hell is hell, not Danties Inferno, and all sinners will have their part in the Lake of Fire. There are not the mythical 13 or whatever levels of the Lake of Fire, just one very Hot One.

Or as that saying goes -- All for one, and one for all.

And we can thank God for loving us enough to have given us a savior from our ultimate fate alone.

However, I think an argument could be made for the idea that we suffer here for our sins as well to varying degrees.

Take adultery for example. It's not technically illegal in that you don't get punished for it by society (depending on where you live) ...It seems perfectly legal in the United States, but you do surfer spiritually for it. You end up hurting others for it as well. There are many sins that we commit, either in our hearts or actually acting them out.

I guess what I'm saying is that our sin does have degrees of punishment for what we do and degrees of reward for what we don't do while we are here. There is something edifying about that process that we are all subjected top; Rebellion, Sin, Repentance and forgiveness. That process takes place on many levels for the living. It has to. It's one of the strongest ways I know for people to turn to God.

 

[samuel]

Oh yes, I agree we reap what we sow. Many times I have remarked on this, "beware your sins will come to find you out". I certainly think we are chastised in varying degrees, for the sin we allow in our lives.

But I think it needs to be made clear, that as you said Sin is Sin in Gods eyes, no one will suffer anymore or less for being a sinner. Hell is also Hell. Not as Stanley left it, sort of undetermined. But that is something that is not very popular any longer, people would rather be left to their sin than be told about it.

 

[Danus]

Agree. It's become the new politically incorrect thing to do.