|
Danville Enlightener VOL. IX, No. 4
Which is the Greater Sin?“For which is easier, to say, your sins are forgiven you, or to say, arise and walk?” (Matt 9:5). How would you answer this question? A paralyzed man was brought to Jesus for healing. Instead of healing the man Jesus forgave him. “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.” (Matt 9:2). To say His words upset the scribes is an understatement. They immediately accused Jesus of blasphemy (vs. 3). This is what provoked the Lord’s question. He wanted to know which would have been the easier thing for Him to do. Jesus is not, in my estimation, asking the question with a literal degree of difficulty in mind. “With God all things are possible” (Mk 10:27); God can forgive sins as easily as He can heal the sick or raise the dead for that matter. It appears that Jesus is talking about which is easiest for those observing to confirm. In so far as observers are concerned there was no outward manifestation confirming His ability to forgive sins (thus easier to say). With a healing, however, the proof of His power would lie in the paralyzed man arising and walking. Using the Lord’s “which is” manner of asking a question, permit me the liberty of posing what I hope to be some penetrating questions. But first let me remind all of a fundamental Bible truth, sin, all sin, is equally damning before God. “All unrighteousness is sin,” (1 Jn 5:17). That is, all sin is sin; with God there are no big, as opposed to little sins. God does not distinguish sin as mortal or venial; with God all sin is damning; “For the wages of sin is death,” (Rom 6:23). To
drive
home
that
disturbing
point
all
we
have
top
do
is
survey
some
passages
where
a
number
of
sins
are
catalogued.
For
example,
in
Romans
1
we
find
idolatry,
homosexuality,
murder,
strife,
envy,
and
pride
all
listed.
Now,
men
and
women
might
tend
to
say
that
murder
is
much
worse
than
strife.
Perhaps
in
earthly
consequences murder is worse; no one gets a lethal injection for strife, but with God both strife and murder equally condemns the soul. “All unrighteousness is sin,” (1 Jn 5:17). Another example is Rev 21:8 that says, “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Liars are as condemned as murders and the cowardly are as lost as idolaters. Men might not so judge, but God does. “All unrighteousness is sin,” (1 Jn 5:17). With this in mind let me pose some questions using the Lord’s “which is” manner of probing. By asking these questions I am in no way excusing any sin or sinful behavior. To conclude such is not only wrong but it ignores my use of “All unrighteousness is sin,” (1 Jn 5:17). A man commits adultery, a sinful act; a work of the flesh (Gal 5:19). His wife of twenty years had refused him the marriage bed for the last ten years, which is also sinful (1 Cor 7:1-5). My question is: Which is the greater sin? A man views pornography on his home computer committing sin. He has eyes full of adultery (2 Pet 2:14) and he is lusting in his heart (Matt 5:28). Upon discovering his behavior his wife cusses him out calling him filthy names, and she gossips about it to their neighbors in an attempt to sully his character; all this contrary to the will of God (Col 3:8; 2 Cor 12:20). Which is the greater sin? One woman is wearing a short skirt with a split nearly to the top of the back of her leg. She is the subject of many comments because of her immodesty (1 Tim 2:9-10; Prov 7:10). However, some of those who approach her about her immodesty are wearing sweaters that are form-fitting accentuating certain voluptuous body parts. When did immodesty begin referring only to that which is revealing and not to the form-fitting? This is like Ashley Judd wearing her shirt four sizes too small reproving a Britney Spears performance. Which is the greater sin? Obviously the answers to these questions are all the same. There is no greater or lesser sin. There certainly may be greater consequences that we face on earth, but before God the consequences will be the same. Condemnation! The rebellious spirit that gives consent to the consumer of pornography is the same rebellious spirit that lets the gossiper spread his gossip. “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all,” (Jas 2:10). -- jrb Canceling Church Services Dan Williams tells the story of two preachers who were visiting over a cup of coffee. The first preacher said to the second, “I cancelled our Sunday night services about five months ago.” “You did?” the second preacher replied, “What do your church members think?” The first preacher said, “I suspect they’ll be pretty upset if they ever find out about it.” The meeting times for worship, study, and edification are not meant to be arbitrary requirements that test the spiritual discipline and commitment level of Christians. Rather, these opportunities are intended to be functional; to encourage, |