What Does the Bible Say About..? Logo

What Does the Bible Say About..Degrees of Sin?

What does the Bible say about all sins being equal?

Answer

The Bible does not say that all sins are equal. Jesus told Pilate, “He that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.” (John 19:11) James said, “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.” (James 3:1) The idea is that some sins may be greater than others, and that the condemnation (the Greek word transliterates to “crime”) for some may be greater than for others.

The bad news is that, whether or not there are greater sins or lesser sins, any one sin separates us from God. The good news is that any sin can be forgiven through Jesus the Messiah, if we will just obey him.