Question: Does all sin carry the same weight?

Question: Does all sin carry the same weight?

Answer: That is a great question. I feel I am being baited a little because the answer seems simple, but I feel like you may be wanting a little more.

Sin is humanity’s universal problem. We are all guilty on some level of committing cosmic treason against the Creator. We are rebels at heart. But, we are not rebels without a cause. We desire to replace God with our own gods. Ones of our own choosing. There are consequences for this. I believe that is what caused the Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, to pen these famous words:

“For the wages of sin is death,…” - Romans 6:23 NLT

This is a concept that is played out through the entire Bible. Starting in Genesis when God told Adam that he would surely die if he disobeyed the one restriction he was given. Eve was deceived into rebellion Adam walked right into it with both eyes open. They did not die physically that day, but now there was separation between them and their Creator. They had cut themselves off from the only Source of life. They died spiritually that day. 

However, God in His amazing grace and mercy pronounced judgment laced with the promise of redemption. Physical death eventually found Adam & Eve and every descendant of theirs after that and it continues to this day. 

So, the simple answer to the question is, “Yes, all sin carries the same weight, it keeps us separate from God. The Author & Sustainer of Life.”

While we walk this Earth, we will commit sin. And, whether you are a believer in Jesus Christ or not, your sins have consequences. But I believe that their are different weights in the consequences of our sins. 

For example, if I chose to have an affair and violate my marriage covenant, the consequences of my actions would cause “death” to the trust between my wife & I. It would likely cause separation in my family. It would destroy the confidence that my children have in me as a man of faith and as a father who keeps his word. 

However, if I choose to steal a car, the consequences are going to be quite a bit different if I get caught. My integrity would take a hit and I would likely face fines and jail time. 

There is quite a bit of difference in the weight of the consequences of my actions in those two examples. 

Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, we avoid the weight or wages of sins. But, sometimes we still have to endure the consequences of the sins. People who have not trusted in Jesus as Lord and Savior are still left to pay or bear the weight of sin. They receive justice for being rebels. People who have trusted and accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord do not have to pay for or bear the weight of their sin. They receive grace despite being rebels. 

That is why when I sin against God, I am quick t confess it to Him. Then I ask Him for help in dealing with the consequences of my actions. I am forgiven and He has forgotten it, but sin is very rarely personal in who it effects. It is like a rock thrown into a pond. Ripples radiate out from where the rock landed and the ripples closest to the entry point are the most intense. People closest to us feel the effects of the consequences of our sins. 

Thats what Paul meant when he wrote this from Romans 6:16-23 NIV

“Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness…Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

So, we must be sensitive to our forgiveness from God and allow that to shape our thinking so that it changes our actions to the kind of things that will benefit us leading to Holiness. Not shame us and lead to guilt. 

Great Question!