Are All Sins Equal in the Eyes of God? (What does the Bible say?)

🌺  Written by Brittany Ann

 Are All Sins Equal in the Eyes of God? (What does the Bible say?)Are all sins equal in the eyes of God?

Some Christians believe so.

And honestly, it’s not hard to see why.

Yes, there are Bible verses that seem to suggest that all sins are equal in the eyes of God.

Then there’s also the added benefit that: If all sins are equal, then no one is allowed to judge, right?

After all, if my sins are just as bad as your sins, who am I to judge you (or anyone)? So no one speaks up, and we all just go on living however we want and hoping we’ll make it to heaven.

After all, we’re ALL just sinners, right?

Pretty convenient.

 

Unfortunately, as popular as this belief may be in some Christian circles, it is not Biblical.

This is because, while you certainly could find a verse or two suggesting all sins are equal, you’ll also find a LOT more Bible verses about sin that prove they’re not.

Let’s look at what the Bible has to say about “Are all sins equal…”

 

 

Are All Sins Equal in the Eyes of God?

All sins are not equal in the eyes of God because sins vary in severity. According to Proverbs 6:16-19, there are seven specific sins that are detestable to God.

God doesn’t say that ALL sins are detestable to Him, but instead calls out this list of six sins including “haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who stirs up conflict in the community”.

Because these are the ultimate sins that God hates most, they come at a different price than some of the other sins that are committed. This does not mean that any sins are good to commit, but it does the answer the question, “Are all sins equal in the eyes of God?”

 

Related Reading:  How to Respond to an Adult Child Living in Sin

 

Does the Bible Say All Sins are Equal?

 

As far as I can tell, the most common argument for the belief that all sins are equal comes from James 2:10.

It states:

“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”

 

So, according to the argument, it doesn’t matter which sin you break. If you stumble on just one point you’re guilty of all of it. Therefore, all sins are the same, since they lead to the same end result.

And yet, when you go back and read these verses in context, this isn’t what these verses are saying at all. In the passage leading up to this verse, James is actually discussing favoritism in the church…

 

Back in those times, the idea that all people were created equal was VERY foreign to their way of thinking. In fact, women were second-class citizens, and if you were poor or had a chronic medical condition, everyone assumed you were cursed by God for some sin you (or your parents) had previously committed.

People didn’t help the poor or the hurting like we might today. They looked down on them and discriminated against them, assuming they were terrible sinners who deserved their punishment. So it was no surprise that first-century Christians were having trouble with it.

 

This is why, in James’ passage, he’s not answering the question “Are all sins equal?” at all.

James isn’t saying that all sins are equal, but that all people are created equal. We all fall short of the glory of God, and we are ALL sinners in need of a Savior (see also: Romans 3:23).

In other words — Stop discriminating against the poor and treating them unfairly, because you are sinners just like they are. Your sins may be different than theirs, but we ALL have sins we struggle with. You’re no better than them. We take this for granted today, but this was truly revolutionary at the time.

 

Related Reading:  You Can Find Freedom from Spiritual Strongholds (Here’s How)

 

Bible Verses About Sin and its Severity

 

Let’s take a look at some Bible verses about sin to see God’s answer to the question, are all sins equal?

Now we know that James chapter 2 isn’t actually about whether all sins are equal in the eyes of God. But thankfully, there are plenty of other Bible verses about sin that are.

 

Take these for example:

  • In Matthew 5:19, when talking about “the least of these commandments,” Jesus implies that some commandments are more important than others.
  • In John 19:11, Jesus says “the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin,” meaning there are lesser and greater sins.
  • Matthew 11:23 – 24 says, “it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you,” implying that their judgments will be unequal because their sins were unequal.
  • In Luke 12:47-48, Jesus tells a parable in which some servants are beaten with many blows while others are beaten with few blows. Again, different judgments imply different amounts/severity of sin.
  • 1 John 5:16  tells us that some sins lead to death, while others do not.
  • And most terrifying of all, in Mark 3:28-29, Jesus tells us that there’s something known as the “unforgivable sin.” In other words, not only are some sins worse than others but there is actually one sin SO TERRIBLE you cannot be forgiven for it. Yikes!

 

And these are just a few examples. There are tons more Bible verses about sin that we can reference to help us answer the question “are all sins equal?”

 

What if All Sins Were Equal?

 

So now that we know that Scripture tells us that some sins are greater than others, let’s take a look at some real-life examples of this.

  • Would you expect or even want the same punishment for someone who drove 5 mph over the speed limit and for someone who brutally murdered their own children?
  • Would you leave your husband for losing his temper once when he had had a very stressful day, the same way you would if you found out he had been committing adultery for years?
  • Would you expect someone who was a thief in order to feed his family to have the same penalties as someone who sells his own body?

I highly doubt it.

 

Yes, every sin separates us from God, but that doesn’t mean all sins are equal.

In fact, even the Old Testament Law showed this, although at that time a distinction was made between intentional and unintentional sins instead, with intentional sins being a more serious offense.

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses the law and makes it clear that any sin committed keeps us apart from the goodness of God and his plans for our lives. 

So, although we are wondering, “are all sins equal?” let us remember when we turn from our sinful ways to lead a life honoring God, we are saved from the wages of sin. 

 

Related Reading: How to Find Freedom From Past Sin and Shame

 

 

Have you ever wondered “Are All Sins Equal in the Eyes of God?” What were you taught on the matter?

 

Brittany Ann Equipping Godly Women

About the author

Brittany Ann is an ECPA bestselling author of “Fall in Love with God’s Word” and “Follow God’s Will” and the founder of EquippingGodlyWomen.com, a popular Christian-living website dedicated to helping busy Christian moms find practical ways to go "all in" in faith and family. Her work has been featured on CBN, The Christian Post, Crosswalk, and more.

  1. I understand what you’re saying, but aside from the “unforgivable sin” why does position of sin matter? If all sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ, why does it matter? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we go out and murder people(most people aren’t built that way), I’m just curious your thoughts.

    1. That is a fantastic question, and I can’t say I have a great answer. Some denominations may teach different eternal consequences (length of time in purgatory, for example). And, some people find it comforting to note (see previous commenters). Mostly, I just wanted to refute a piece of poor theology I’ve heard over and over and over again! The consequences may be equal, but the actions themselves are not equal (though some claim they are). Hope that helps.

    2. It’s important to distinguish between levels of sin to have justice in a society. If all sin is equal, then no one can judge another based on the severity of the sin. That means if a crime is committed, like you said “what does it matter?” Although not everyone is a murderer, some are, and without the ability to judge with nuance the. either everyone deserves the maximum punishment or no punishment at all. This allows evil and abuse to run rampant and for victims to have no recourse or protection. It allows adulterous and abusive pastors to be replatformed under the guise of “grace” and makes no distinction between wolves and sheep. That is why it is important to see difference between sins.

    3. the unforgiveable sin is denying our belief in Christ. but when we truly believe in Christ we are a changed person. you have the Holy spirit in us. that guide us the way Christ would have us to go. that is to love thine enemies as well as our friends. when you have that love inside of you it keeps you from doing all the evil things such as killing. and such that goes on among the non believers. be blessed

  2. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

    Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—

    Sounds like they’re equal to me because all result in death but if it were not for our lord And savior Jesus Christ.

  3. I think you applied scripture to your point of view,… but we’re called to give Gods ,.. to fail in 1 area of Gods commands without true heart felt repentance is sinful. A daily account of our actions,thoughts is a must. We can only fall on Jesus sacrifice if we’re truly repentant and do our best to NOT sin again,we can just think “ I did this but the other did THIS which is far worse” we’ve all fallen short!! There is no level of sin in Gods eyes ! Yes we’re not to treat one better than the other and we’re to stand for those weaker than us, and yes we’re unable to keep all Gods commands as we’re driven by our flesh but there’s no level of sin cause any transgressions is a sin and only Jesus was able to tame his flesh and lead a sinless life. To think there’s levels of sin in Gods eyes is a slippery slope,a hill I’m unwilling to die on. I’d look to the full meaning of James 2:10 , yes weee to treat others equally with respect &love (while we ourselves are in a tempest of temptation to sin) Matt 15:1-7 sin is a violation of the perfect laws for living ,James 2:11 there’s no difference to God if you commit adultery or you murder or a simple lil lie,(a white lie?)

  4. I personally believe it still states that all sins are equal, but to be specific "in the eyes of God" hence I believe there is a separation between the punishment for sin in heaven and the punishment for sin on earth. We humans do not view sins as equal hence God in the old testament gave the Jews laws based on severity of sins. Like how is stated in Matthew 22:35-40, The first two commandments are the most important, for if you love God and you love your neighbor you obviously would not even think of killing someone. So why even create laws, why even have the other commandments. I don't believe we should equate the human laws to heavenly laws, our primary goal is to get to a point where we do not sin.

    As is stated in 1 Peter 2:21 and 1 John 2:6, it does not say "try your best to be like Jesus but you're still human and you sin so you will never get there" so if we are called to not sin in any way, then what is even the purpose of quantifying sin? It has meaning when we talk of human laws and human punishment, but I wouldn't want to stand in front of God on judgment day and attempt to make excuses based on an idea that my sins are "not so bad" there is no lesser heaven for those with only a few "lesser" sins, God has only one result for sin and that is death, Romans 6:23.

    But I hope the best and love for all, for we are all just doing our best to reach God and exactly how he will judge us in the end we will only know in the end.

  5. I myself am not a Christian, I believe that whatever you believe in is true for you and have no problem with those who are Christian (or any other religion) as long as they don't treat me as lesser or like I'm a bad person for not believing what you believe in. I came upon your article while doing some research on 'the seven sins and virtues' for a book series I'm writing involving the trauma I have experienced in my life and a lot of it was caused by extremists who haven't actually read and understood the Bible and used it to tear me down as a person. I wanted to let you know that what you have written is very compelling and thought-provoking. Reading it was very informative and is helping me better understand where those who have harmed and traumatized me under the guise of 'this is what God wants for you' are coming from and how they likely misunderstood. Thank you for your work, you've inspired me, and may God bless you and those you love!

    1. Thank you for being so open. I am so glad to hear that this article has been helpful.

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