One of the most frustratingly annoying statements that I used to hear repeated over and over again by Christians is this one: “Sin is Sin.” Even before I became a convinced believer in the truly good news that 95 percent of the human race is not going to be eternally tormented or annihilated, I would cringe as I heard that phrase repeated. Often I would feel an urge to speak up and would gently but very clearly say , “no, sin is NOT sin,” and then make the case.
Why isn’t this a valid statement? Because the statement in its clear meaning is that ALL SINS ARE CREATED EQUAL. Believers in eternal torment think God sends you to this “hell” forever because you disobeyed – no matter whether you stole a piece of candy, cursed at a rude driver and gave him the bird, or killed someone – and didn’t believe Jesus died for your sins prior to your death. You see, they have to maintain that “sin is sin” or else the doctrine of eternal torment goes down the drain. As it very well should! They would have to say that there will be different levels of punishments in this “lake of fire,” taken literally from the book of Revelation, if gradations of sin are admitted. For this reason, you’re going to hear a lot of silence if you challenge the statement “sin is sin.”
But sooner or later, someone will attempt to justify it. For many, they will resort to the old misuse of Isaiah 55 that tells us that Gods ways are higher than our ways (they use it to attempt to show that God is merciless and that this mercilessness is justice because God is smarter than we are), and some will even pull things out of the book of James, such as where he states in Chapter 2 verse 10 that a person who has failed at the law at one point is guilty of all! Really? Does this mean me having a lustful thought is the same as committing rape? I sure hope not. That’s not James’s point at all. The point is only that all have sinned, not that all people have sinned equally!
So, before the fulfillment of what God has promised concerning the universal salvation and mercy on every human being that he has created happens, it is clear from the Bible and common sense that there are different levels of sin. The Bible states even that punishments (and rewards) will be different in a number of cases. These are good to keep in mind when you hear that phrase “sin is sin” tossed around as if you are just as guilty as a serial murderer because you don’t happen to be a perfect person.
I just want to give a couple examples to show gradations of sins in the Bible. First, in the parable in Luke 12, we read the conclusion in verses 47 and 48: “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
So then, the servant who did not know was not only beaten with few blows, the blows came to an end. The blows also came to an end for the servant who did know the master’s will! Eternal torment doctrine would have the servants both equally receiving blows, for no corrective purpose other than to satisfy God’s anger, forever! The blows would not be few or many, they would never end! Think about that. That’s utterly merciless. So this is one example of different levels of punishment. Bring this up in church and you’re going to get a lot of silence most likely before they change to a cherished passage that seems to teach eternal torment (but really doesn’t). Don’t let them get away with this!! Point out the gradations of punishments for gradations of sin, and that the punishments come to an end. Repeat until the point is hammered home.
Then, we have Jesus talking warning a couple cities in Matthew 11:21-24. Concerning the town of Capernaum (where they tried to toss Jesus off a cliff), he says: “And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
Now, a big mistake I believe people make in coming up with the doctrine of eternal torment is to take Jesus literally, especially when he’s giving warnings and so forth. But what does this passage mean? One thing that can be said for certain is that Jesus is saying that in some sense, the city of Sodom is going to have an easier time of it at the judgment day than Capernaum is! Without getting too much into the why or how, the point is, Sodom was considered and still is, the epitome of evil! It was destroyed by “eternal fire” according to Jude. (Note: where is that fire now? “Eternal” fire should still be burning according to eternal torment doctrine).
Now we see different levels of punishment being taught again, by Jesus. Sodom gets an easier time of it than Capernaum does. It’s not equal. Sin is not sin here.
But other than being an evil city, what else has been said about Sodom later on in the Old Testament? This is a really amazing part that a lot of people might skip over because Ezekiel isn’t the most exciting of books to read. But what it says is that GOD IS GOING TO RESTORE SODOM, and not only that, he is going to restore Israel (who he says committed sins that were “more vile” than the sins of Sodom and Samaria). So here we see clearly that some sins are more vile than others, the phrase “sin is sin” is once again just flat wrong.
Here is this final passage showing differing levels of sin, which also shows how God will ultimately restore all of these places. Just to make it clear, there is clearly going to be some pain, in this life or the next for sins. But to say all sins are equal, and all sins warrant the sending of a person to be eternally tormented is irrational, unbiblical, and just a monstrous lie that people often are made to believe. If a person questions this, their fellow church-members might start giving them strange looks at church, wondering if they are straying from the faith. They might even be questioned as to what they believe about Jesus and the Trinity to test and see if they are really Christians or not. What a brainwashing people are given on Sundays in many churches today!!
To sum this up, here is the passage of restoration from Ezekiel 16, verses 52 – 53. At first, Ezekiel is speaking for God in warning the remaining kingdom of Judah (Israel, the northern kingdom with its capital at Samaria had been virtually destroyed by Assyria already)
52 Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous than you. So then, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.
53 “‘However, I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them….”
So in verse 52, Ezekiel says that Judah’s sins are greater than Israel’s were, and so Israel had been made to “appear righteous” since Judah’s sins were so much more heinous, evidently.
But then, check out the shocker in verse 53! God says he will restore SODOM (and her daughters – as in, the cities like Gomorrah around there that were probably wiped out in an eruption or whatever constituted the “eternal fire”). Note that this has not happened yet. Sodom is thought to have been in the general area of the southern Dead Sea. Then, Israel is to be restored as well, Ezekiel says, and “your fortunes along with them,” meaning the kingdom of Judah which had been divided after King Solomon’s sons bickered over some internal political issues. Anyway, we see the restoration of EVERYTHING here after whatever judgment and punishments are meted out for the sins of these nations and their people.
And so, there are many different levels of sin. Punishments will be perfectly just. Some are promised to be painful, whether in this life or the next. Stealing a piece of candy – slap on the wrist. Harm someone, a child perhaps in some way? I would expect some serious and very painful punishment, perfectly just, but not merciless. There are Bible passages to back that up but I won’t give examples unless someone would like them.
Eventually, all will be restored. It might take a long time for some! (Romans 11:32 is but one of many, but particularly clear passages telling us the grand purpose of God: “For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.” The ULTIMATE purpose is that God may have mercy on ALL!! That’s everyone. That is the gospel, folks, not: did you make Jesus your personal Savior before you died? (never mind if you grew up in Burma or the Congo or wherever) If not, you’re going to the same place Hitler and the Jews and the Devil is going where you will be tormented forever. That’s bad news, not good.
The good news is that God will eventually have mercy on all his creatures. We are told to try to be like God, who we see most clearly in Jesus, as believers. If we believe God will be merciless to some; well then, we are more likely to also not show mercy to certain people: homosexuals and people in other religions are special targets for many fundamentalist-type churches. The “sin is sin” mantra is used when it is convenient, but ignored when it is not.
The truth is, sin is NOT sin. All sins are not equal by the Bible and the law of common sense! And, God is going to have mercy on all his creatures. THAT is the good news. Jesus is the Savior of the whole world, not just a few. So, love wins and God is not defeated by anything. If most people go to hell forever, God as the heavenly parent of all (Acts 17 states we are all God’s children), seriously loses. Folks, God doesn’t lose. He loves us, all his children. Think of those parables where God doesn’t rest until he finds the last sheep, or the lost penny. He’s the Savior of everyone!
God bless,
David
