What is Sin? Is all sin the Same?

Is all sin equal? Is it all the same? We must first understand the origins of sin by looking at how it came into the world.

The military has an interesting saying: “No plan survives the first contact with the enemy.” God had a perfect plan for creation, and it didn’t survive when it came into contact with His enemy, Satan. When God first created the world, Adam and Eve were perfect: they knew only what was good. Then a sneaky little snake convinced one of them that they were not truly complete, that they needed to “know” good and evil:

But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5 ESV Strong’s)

The word “know” is the Hebrew word yāḏa`, which has a variety of meanings. It can mean to know (a person carnally) or to have knowledge, be wise. Both of these happened when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit: evil entered their beings. They knew, they became intimately acquainted with, both good and evil.

Evil is the Hebrew word raʿ, which means bad, that which is disagreeable to God, causes harm, pain, misery, or injury. God knows all things; He can see every possible future outcome. He is the only one who can know if something is truly going to be good or evil.

Take a nuclear reaction, for example. It can be used to power a city, or it can be used to create a bomb. It can be good or evil. Mankind now had the same choice. They have both the power of good and evil inside them, which wasn’t God’s intention for His creation. We know this because of what happened next:

Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” (Genesis 3:22 ESV Strong’s)

Only God can see all possible futures. Only God knows how actions or lack of action will affect future events. Lucifer is an archangel who is an eternal being and knows both good and evil. He is called Satan, a word that means adversary or accuser, because he chose to rebel against God and accuse mankind.

Our Heavenly Father is very wise. He didn’t want mankind to live forever knowing both good and evil. The angels in Heaven do, and one-third have chosen to rebel against Him. We have a limited life in which to demonstrate our choice, by choosing to follow God, or be like Satan and do that which is evil.

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. (Mark 10:18 ESV)

Since God is good, and we are supposed to listen to God, who is the only one who can see all the future effects of our actions, rebelling against God’s directions is sin. Eating the forbidden fruit was the first sin by mankind because they rebelled against God’s instructions, and it brought evil into the world. These two items represent sin and are essentially the same: Not doing what God says and doing that which is evil. The first mention of sin was with the offspring of Adam and Eve:

And the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why do you look sad and depressed, and dejected? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.” (Genesis 4:6-7 ESV Strong’s)

Cain was angry and upset because Abel, his brother, had presented an offering to God that was accepted, while his offering was rejected. God knew Cain had thoughts of sin and warned him not to act upon them. The first time man sinned against man, not only against God, was when Cain murdered his brother Abel.

Over the next few thousand years, mankind walked in ways that were evil so often that they couldn’t tell the difference between what was good and what was evil. To help His children understand some basic concepts of evil, God created ten laws, the Ten Commandments. These Laws are “abominations” to God:

But you shall keep my statutes and my rules and do none of these abominations, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you… (Leviticus 18:26 ESV)

Violating any one of the Ten Commandments is an “abomination,” which is a Hebrew word tôʿēḇâ (to-ay-baw'). It means something disgusting, like a big pile of dog poop: if it was ten feet wide, you would gladly walk ten feet to avoid it! All sin is an abomination to God. In this way, it is all “equal” in His eyes.

Types of Sin

In God’s eyes, sin is that which brings harm into the world, which is nearly all people since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Jesus was the only perfect person whose actions never contradicted God’s plan for His life. The rest of the world has a few issues!

…but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. (Isaiah 59:2 ESV)

Iniquity is continuing in sin and creates a separation between us and God. In that way, all sin is equal. It doesn’t even have to be one of the Ten Commandments. Anytime we continue to refuse to do as God is telling us to do, it is iniquity. Eventually, God will “hide His face” from us, meaning He will refuse to hear our prayers. This is why all sins can be considered equal. The half-brother of Jesus confirms this:

Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. (James 2:10 ESV)

When God gave the Ten Commandments, anyone who had broken any part of them had to make a sacrifice every year to be restored to a right relationship with God. It doesn’t mean there may not be stronger consequences for some types of sin, both in this life and for all eternity. Jesus showed us there are two types of sin:

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40 ESV)

All sin can be categorized as one of these two types of sin:

1. Sins against God

2. Sins against mankind, including ourselves.

The first four commandments are about sins against God: having no other gods, making or worshiping idols, misusing the name of the Lord, and honoring God on the Sabbath. When we violate any of these, we have sinned against God.

The next six commandments are where we sin against mankind: not honoring our parents, murder, adultery, stealing, lying, and craving and longing for what others have. These are sins against other people.

Within these two types of sin are two levels of sin: known and unknown. All sin has consequences; however, when Moses taught Israel God’s ways, he gave different paths to redemption for those who had sinned unintentionally (Leviticus 4-5). The New Testament confirms this principle:

And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. (Luke 12:47-48 ESV)

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. (James 4:17 ESV)

Sin isn’t just the “Big Ten” (commandments); it is also not doing what we know is right. When we don’t know what is right, the consequences are less severe. But do some sins bring harsher effects?

Consequences for Sin

There are three types of consequences from our sins:

1. Correction from God

2. Natural Consequences

3. Spiritual Affliction

Not all sin brings all three types of consequences, nor does the level of the consequences remain the same for all sins. This is why all sins don’t have the same effect on our lives.

1. Correction from God

All sins bring correction from God. Just as we discipline our kids to show them they are wrong and need to change their behavior, our Heavenly Father will also bring correction into our lives to let us know when we are going in a direction that will lead to evil.

My son, do not think lightly or scorn to submit to the correction and discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage and give up and faint when you are reproved or corrected by Him; For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes. (Hebrews 12:5-6 AMPC)

Correction from God is often mild at first, but just like with our children, if they continue doing what is wrong, punishment becomes worse. If an unpleasant situation arises, it should send us toward God, looking for where we have gone wrong or need to improve. These “sins” don’t have to be one of the Big Ten. It can be simply refusing to do something God has planned for us to do. One thing we can rely on is that the punishment will fit the sin:

But, O LORD of hosts, who judges righteously, who tests the heart and the mind… (Jeremiah 11:20 ESV)

My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. (Psalms 7:10-11 ESV Strong’s)

God sees our hearts. He will always know what is really at the core of any sin. This is why He is a righteous Judge, but there are two sides battling against each other in Heaven.

Sin puts us in agreement with the enemy. Satan, the accuser, then goes before God to ask if he can do this or that to us because of the sin. To remove the attack of the enemy, we must remove the sin that is giving him access to attack us.

God is merciful. Sometimes, a prayer of faith will remove an attack before the sin is removed. If we do not begin seeking God and His ways, the attack of the enemy may return and even become worse!

Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” (John 5:14 ESV)

2. Natural Consequences

Some sins have a natural consequence. When God taught His people His ways, He knew more than mankind did, which is why He established certain guidelines. A couple of prime examples from Leviticus 11 are:

• God tells us to only eat fish with scales and fins

  • Mankind didn’t know that some fish had heavy metals which are poisonous

• God tells His people that pigs are “unclean” and not to be eaten

  • Pigs carry disease and parasites that are harmful, even deadly to mankind

If we go against God’s ways, there may be an unknown natural reason for the restriction that will cause negative consequences. The New Testament puts it this way:

 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything… (1 Corinthians 6:12 ESV)

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? (Romans 6:13 ESV)

Because of Jesus, sin doesn’t send us to Hell, but it can bring suffering into our lives. If we repeatedly, knowingly sin, are we really submitted to Jesus as our Lord, which is what gets us into Heaven?

An example of permissible actions with natural consequences is smoking. It isn’t one of the Big Ten, but we know it damages our bodies. Because our bodies house the Holy Spirit and are God’s new temple, we should try to keep them in good order, in good health. God was probably urging you to stop smoking, but you are ignoring it, which makes it a sin, something that is damaging. There will be natural consequences to this sin, such as cancer or heart disease. As Paul continues speaking to the Corinthians in his first letter, we see that there is a sin that is against our own bodies:

Do you not see and know that your bodies are members (bodily parts) of Christ (the Messiah)? Am I therefore to take the parts of Christ and make [them] parts of a prostitute? Never! Never!

Or do you not know and realize that when a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? The two, it is written, shall become one flesh. But the person who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.

Shun immorality and all sexual looseness [flee from impurity in thought, word, or deed]. Any other sin which a man commits is one outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:15-18 AMPC)

Sexual sin is evil against our own bodies. Perhaps that is why certain diseases are only transmitted through that act! It is a natural consequence. Just as anger can lead to murder, focusing our thoughts on lust can lead us into sex outside of marriage and should be avoided!

When we sin against people, it may have natural consequences. When we act upon anger and attack someone, they may resent us or try to get others to hate us. If we commit murder or theft, we may go to jail. The last six commandments may have consequences in this life; they are natural results of our sins.

3. Spiritual Consequences

Some sins have additional spiritual ramifications. As quoted earlier, we become a “slave” when we repeatedly obey someone. This means any sin that is repeated over and over will allow the enemy to have a place in our lives to afflict us. This brings additional consequences for a sin into our lives that may negatively affect us.

Any sin that interacts with the spiritual realm can cause a spiritual door to be open through which the enemy can easily attack and afflict us. The only place we should seek guidance from spiritually is God. To do otherwise is to place that spiritual practice above God: it is an idol and a sin.

Shedding blood also has consequences from God that must be removed:

Lest innocent blood be shed in your land, which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, and so blood guilt be upon you. (Deuteronomy 19:10 AMPC)

You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. (Numbers 35:33 ESV)

God gave this commandment after he spoke about the punishment of murder, which is the taking of an innocent life. When innocent blood is shed, it cries out from the ground, just as the blood of Abel cried out for vengeance when his brother killed Him. To remove the cry of the blood, someone in the bloodline who was involved must make atonement for the sin. Praise God, we have the blood of Jesus!

And to Jesus, the Mediator (Go-between, Agent) of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance]. (Hebrews 12:24 AMPC)

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace… (Ephesians 1:7 ESV)

Jesus’ blood still cries out from the ground. Unlike other blood that was shed, His cries out for mercy. This is why we can use His blood as payment for any sin…except one.

Unforgivable Sin

There is only one sin that the precious blood of Jesus cannot pay for.

And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. (Luke 12:10 ESV)

The Pharisees were teachers of God’s way. They didn’t like what Jesus was doing, though they knew it could only be done by the power of God. Knowing all this, they still said that Jesus was doing miracles through the power of Satan.

The Greek word blasphēmeō means to speak evil of. Those who were leaders, who knew that it was God’s power, but chose to publicly denounce it as a work of Satan. We know that for those who sin unintentionally, there is a lesser consequence. Perhaps those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit unknowingly receive forgiveness if they repent!

Have you ever thought, “How can God let this happen?” Well, it isn’t God doing it. God had a plan, and mankind fell for the trap of the enemy. Things went so far downhill, just before He sent the flood… God felt the same way about things.

And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. (Genesis 6:6 ESV)

God knew what it would take to save mankind. He knew all the horrible things that would come in the future, and He had the answer. HE would have to make the ultimate sacrifice. The blood of Jesus is what redeems us from all sin. It is the ultimate expression of God’s grace and mercy. If there are hindrances in our lives, we should learn God’s ways. Perhaps there is an unintentional sin that, once removed by the blood of Jesus, will remove the attack.

For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2 ESV)

But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. (Romans 8:17-18 ESV)

Through Jesus, we have been set free from sin; sometimes this means learning, then applying what we learn, so that we can attain that freedom. For this purpose, there are free online classes at the OnlineChristianChurch.com. I hope you will continue learning there today!