No, all sins are not equal.

Corollary: Some sins are worse than others. Our entire justice system is built on this concept.

But Christians have been conditioned to think that it’s false.

Jesus said lusting was heart adultery. So then, many extrapolate, it must be that lusting after a woman is just as bad as committing unspeakable atrocities against her. And then . . . you’ve got to draw the corollary. That means that committing unspeakable atrocities against a woman is no worse than lusting after her in your heart.

Really?

Jesus reserved his strongest language for the religious leaders who looked good on the outside, who acted holy in public, who laid rule after rule on the backs of the people, but in secret were practicing terrible sins and refused to be corrected, who considered their minutiae of outward-rule-keeping to be their ticket to holiness. You can read His scathing words in Matthew 23.

So now, another pastor of a fundamentalist megachurch (a megachurch full of minute rules) has committed atrocities. A pastor who, like his predecessor, wrote books and preached vigorously against these very sins, while covering them among other leaders of his church. Would we dare cry out with Christ against those like him, “Whited sepulchres! Full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness!”

 

 

 

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This article has now been incorporated into the book Untwisting Scriptures to Find Freedom and Joy in Jesus Christ: Book 4 Wolves, Hypocrisy, Sin Leveling, and Righteousness. You can find that book here.

 

 

 

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Go here to download your free Guide, How to Enjoy the Bible Again (when you’re ready) After Spiritual Abuse (without feeling guilty or getting triggered out of your mind). You’ll receive access to both print and audio versions of the Guide (audio read by me). I’m praying it will be helpful.

 

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