Content taken from Daily Doctrine by Kevin DeYoung, © 2024. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, crossway.org.
Many Christians hold to the mistaken notion that every sin is the same in God’s eyes. Some Christians embrace this conviction by way of a misguided theological calculation: ‘If every sin deserves eternal judgment, then every sin must be equally heinous.’
Others promote the idea for apologetic reasons: ‘Don’t worry, friend, your sins are no worse than anyone else’s sins.’ Still others believe in the equality of every sin out of a genuine sense of humility: ‘Who am I to think that my sins are less vile than anyone else’s sins?’
While these reasons are understandable, and in some sense commendable, the witness of Scripture tells a different story. Consider several examples: the Mosaic law prescribed different penalties for different infractions and required different sacrifices and payments to make restitution. The Mosaic law also distinguished between unintentional sins and high-handed sins (Numbers 15:29-30).
