A SIN IS A SIN IS A SIN..
That's what we've been told...a sin is a sin is a sin... Very democratic. All sins are created equal. That's what so many believe. That's what I believed for most of my life. So, we had to get that idea from somewhere. So,...where?
James 2:10 helps us out there. "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." There you have it. One sin. All sins. Equal guilt. Equal sins. I rest my case.
But, is that what James is saying? No, I don't think so. In fact, James isn't talking about the equity of sins at all. His point is a simple one. Once we sin, we are sinners. We are guilty in the eyes of a perfect and holy God. Holiness and sin are like oil and water. They just don't mix. People who have been contaminated by the virus we call sin have a number of consequences directly related to that sin. The major one, being a broken relationship with the God who made us, loves us and desperately wants a relationship with us.
But, at the same time listen to what Paul writes to the church at Corinth..."Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body." Paul says, "Not all sins are the same. Not all sins have the same consequences".
Every sin has one thing in common...they break our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Every sin is different...they all have different consequences in regard to its effect on the world around us, the people around us, and on ourselves, as well.
Think of a sin as a stone dropped in a lake. Every rock has something in common...they send out concentric circles...ripples, if you will. But, likewise, every stone is different. The larger the stone, the farther the ripples go. Or, in our case, the more destruction happens and the more people's lives are impacted.
Sins are all the same. Sins are all different. It's that simple.
James 2:10 helps us out there. "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." There you have it. One sin. All sins. Equal guilt. Equal sins. I rest my case.
But, is that what James is saying? No, I don't think so. In fact, James isn't talking about the equity of sins at all. His point is a simple one. Once we sin, we are sinners. We are guilty in the eyes of a perfect and holy God. Holiness and sin are like oil and water. They just don't mix. People who have been contaminated by the virus we call sin have a number of consequences directly related to that sin. The major one, being a broken relationship with the God who made us, loves us and desperately wants a relationship with us.
But, at the same time listen to what Paul writes to the church at Corinth..."Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body." Paul says, "Not all sins are the same. Not all sins have the same consequences".
Every sin has one thing in common...they break our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Every sin is different...they all have different consequences in regard to its effect on the world around us, the people around us, and on ourselves, as well.
Think of a sin as a stone dropped in a lake. Every rock has something in common...they send out concentric circles...ripples, if you will. But, likewise, every stone is different. The larger the stone, the farther the ripples go. Or, in our case, the more destruction happens and the more people's lives are impacted.
Sins are all the same. Sins are all different. It's that simple.
This is great and sin is sin. Some people sin and never feel the consequence of their sins. Their lives are filled with their desires and wants but they never see the light. I feel sorry for them because they miss the true pleasure of serving God. I have to remember that we are all sinners thus I am not better than the man who lives in the streets. My students have a lot of problems in turn I need help them when god gives me the opportunity
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