Sin is sin. (Or is it?)

I was in a discussion with someone at work and as often it does, the discussion found its way into theology.

Sin is sin. God sees all sin the same, but we make the distinctions.

Difference between lying, stealing, cheating on taxes, adultery are all just seen as regular sin, but the church makes a huge deal out of homosexuality.

But that ultimately in God’s eyes, Sin is Sin.

I agree that we put out own prejudice on display when we are willing to forgive and forget one person’s sin, but attach a stigma to another because they sin differently.

If a deacon of a church has an affair that church should not deal differently with the deacon based on the sex of the person with whom he had the affair.

I can’t defend that.

But all sin is not the same in God’s eyes, and His Word says so. Not only does God not view all sin the same, there is different punishment based on the sin and the sinner.

At the end of this sermon, I’m going to show you in God’s word which sin you should be most concerned with.

SIN

Hamartia Miss the mark Archery term.

If sin is to miss the mark, what is the mark at which we are supposed to be aiming?

Romans 3:23 NASB95

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Our target if you will is the glory of God. So what is the glory of God?

What is the glory of God?

Making the invisible attributes of God visible.

The 10 commandments aren’t arbitrary. God didn’t pull them out of a hat. They are reflections of His Character.

Don’t commit murder - He is Just

Don’t bear false witness -He is Truth

Don’t commit adultery - He is faithfull

Love God. He is love.

Genesis 1:27 NASB95

27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Protrait tattoo good.

We are to glorify God by accurately reflecting who God in who we are.

When we sin, we distort and corrupt how accurately we reflect who God is.

So the question is. Does is matter how far we miss the mark?

Is there a difference in Sin?

Some sins are worse.

Jesus before Pilate

John 19:11 NASB95

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

Old Testament punshiments

Exodus 21:22–25 NASB95

22 “If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide. 23 “But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

Again in Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 25:1–2 NASB95

1 “If there is a dispute between men and they go to court, and the judges decide their case, and they justify the righteous and condemn the wicked, 2 then it shall be if the wicked man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall then make him lie down and be beaten in his presence with the number of stripes according to his guilt.

End Times

Revelation 20:11–12 NASB95

11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 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.

There is a difference in the sinner

Luke 12:42–48 NASB95

42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? 43 “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 44 “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 “But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; 46 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 47 “And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, 48 but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

Do you know enough to be dangerous to yourself?

2 Peter 2:20–21 NASB95

20 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. 21 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 handed on to them.

Teachers be warned!

James 3:1 NASB95

1 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.

Sexual Sin

Sex within the confines of marriage between a man and a woman is a wonderful thing.

Outside of that, it is a sin.

Genesis 2:24 NASB95

24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

Matthew 19:4–6 NASB95

4 And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

But look at this!

1 Corinthians 6:16 NASB95

16 Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall become one flesh.”

There is no such thing as casual sex.

1 Corinthians 6:18–20 NASB95

18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

Cardboard glued together.

Sexual sin is different.

Disregard for Christ

Hebrews 10:28–29 NASB95

28 Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

The worst sin

Matthew 7:1–5 NASB95

1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

I’m not talking about Judging others....

The worst sin in the world is your own!

All sin is the same when....

it is forgiven.

1 John 1:8–9 NASB95

8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

He will remember you sins no more

remove them as far as the east is from the west.