Does God Have a Sin Ratings List?

This is going to be a good thread, and basically I agree. The bad news for lots of people on this board is that in the eyes of God, drunkedness is the same as stuffing yourself like a turkey at a church pot luck dinner. (Its called gluttony, for those who ignore the term.)

It is hard for the world to understand, but both Hitler and Mother Teresa stand before God as sinners without the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins.

We as humans do assign penalties to sin, or breaking the law, by the severity of the crime as established by us. At the top of the pile is murder, rape, and theft, yet we turn our heads and even welcome leaders of our nation who condone abortion.

At church, drinking, adultry, and gambling have made it to the top, yet we look the other way when someone in the congregation is living together in sin.

Oh, and more bad news for the rule memorizers, gossip is a sin also.

 

There are levels of sin, or "ratings" if you will. Some sins lead to death

I John 5:16-18
If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that.
All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. 18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.

Heb 9:14
14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! (NIV)

Heb 6:1-2
1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,
2 instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. (NIV)

 

Sin is sin, but the consequences are different at times. We all know this from experience. :thumbs:

 

Jesus seemed to make implication of various "levels" of sin

In His confrontation with Piliate---certainly the Roman Empire was not going to be held "guiltless" in the crucifixion of Jesus---BUT Jesus made it clear to Piliate that

"he that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin" (John 19:11

Some say that God sees "sin is a sin is a sin"---and that there are no degrees

but thats not the implication here in Jesus' word

I would say that what Judas did to Jesus was a wee tad more than "stealin' candy from a baby!!!"---also a sin!!!

Know what I mean??!!

 

Degrees of sin are a mute point for someone who dies without Jesus.

 

I agree. All sin is NOT the same, though the do carry some of the same consequences such as it seperates us from God.

I noticed something else. See what I bolded in your quote. In this verse, he is referring to the people who delivered him to his death, not the one's who actually murdered him.
If we applied this to other sins then we could be almost as guilty as the people committing them- Here are a few that came to mind-

1) A thief goes into 7-11, pours a cup of coffee and walks out. You ignore him, didn't try to stop him, and don't say a word. Just pay for your items. You have "delivered" him to commit the crime?
2) Adultery- Talk flirty or nasty to someone (not while lusting) and you could have aided that someone to get into a different frame of mind, thus later, being flirty with someone else yet going further..

Thieving & Adultery are damning sins similar to Murder. It appears aiding others to commit these sins could be also. It's too bad these things can't be understandable.

 

Will there be sin in Heaven? The liar will be the same as the drunkard, without Jesus.

 

I believe there are depths in hell. I don't believe there is sin in heaven though.

Deut 32:22 FIRE IS KINDLED IN MINE ANGER, AND SHALL BURN UNTO THE LOWEST HELL-

Ps 86:13 THOU HAST DELIVERED MY SOUL FROM THE LOWEST HELL

 

That word should be spelled m-o-o-t. double-pagan, because this is not a point no one is incapable of speaking about.

 

Thanks for the correction. I never was good at spelling. Its also refreshing to see your genuine Christian spirit.

 

You're welcome.

For one thing.

Aw, now you're putting me on. How can anyone see a spirit.

 

1 Samuel 15:23 (KJV)
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

Leviticus 18:22 (KJV)
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

Leviticus 20:10 (KJV)
And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.


Proverbs 23:31:32 (KJV)
31: Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
32: At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

Isaiah 5:11 (KJV)
Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!

Galatians 5:19-21 (KJV)
19: Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20: Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21: Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Matthew 19:9 (KJV)
And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

Exodus 22: 19-20 (KJV)
19: Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death.
20: He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.

Leviticus 20:15-16 (KJV)
15: And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.
16: And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Read Leviticus chapter 20

 

However one can clearly see to point in space at the apex above your shoulders.

 

I've always wondered about the John passage. Is it referring to sins that lead to eternal death, or sins that were enforced by the laws at the time, as the legal system in the New Testament were obviously more moral than the one we have now.

 

It's always been funny to me...even in Scriptures that list the "really bad" sins...we'll pick one or two of those, and dwell on them.

i.e., lots of Baptist churches dwell on the sin of homosexuality. Sin? Yup. But let's be honest...more churches have been destroyed by gossip than by homosexuality. But many churches will dwell on the former...because it's "safer" to rail on a sin you don't struggle with.

No finger pointing here...and no insinuations toward any here. Just observations over the years........

 

Revelation 20:11 - 15 (NKJV)

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

If those who are not saved will be judged by their works at the great white throne, it infers the punishment will be determined by the works they committed. If all punishment was the same, the Lord would simply send them off to punishment when their names were not found in the book of life.

 

In all three of the synoptics Jesus pronounced "greater condemnation" on the scribes. Matt. 23:14; Mark 12:38-40; Luke 20:46-47. Since there is a greater condemnation, it is reasonable to assume that there is also greater (and lesser) sin.

 

Could this greater condemnation not be because of sin but that the scribes and pharisees were teachers of God's law and held to a higher standard, like Preachers are held to a higher standard today?