Degrees of Sin

Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin. – John 19:11b

Question 150 of the Larger Catechism asks, “Are all transgressions of the law of God

equally heinous in themselves, and in the sight of God?” It gives the answer, “All

transgressions of the law of God are not equally heinous, but some sins in themselves,

and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.”

Last time we examined the impossibility of perfectly keeping any of the Commandments.

This morning we consider the various degrees of sin.

Protestants have a well-documented tendency to get a little too reactionary in theology,

often resulting in the loss of allowable or wise practices, and sometimes to the point that

even the clear teaching of the Bible is rejected. Today’s question provides an example of

the latter. Because Roman Catholicism has introduced the unbiblical distinction

between venial and mortal sins, whereby only those guilty of mortal sin will have to face

everlasting torment in hell, some Protestants have overreacted by denying the clear

Biblical teaching of degrees of sin and punishment. They insist that because every and

any sin is worthy of God’s eternal wrath, therefore it must follow that all sin is equally evil

and there are no degrees of sin or of judgment. Here, though the premise is correct in

that every and any sin condemns a man before God, the conclusion that there are no

degrees of sin or of punishment is both unbiblical and unjust.

Because any one sin is an offense and insult to God’s eternal majesty and infinite glory,

nothing short of an everlasting punishment in hell can suffice to restore to God the honor

and respect owed to Him by the reasonable creature. Thus, with respect to its

condemnatory nature, all sin is the same, for all sin results in the sinner’s condemnation

before a holy God. However, such equality does not deny the fact that some sins are

more evil and give much greater offense to God than others. In our text above, Jesus can

speak of a “greater sin,” in that the Chief Priests and Sanhedrin, who willfully sought His

condemnation to death though they knew He had done nothing wrong, were doing

more evil than Pilate was. Thus, Scripture teaches that some sin is “greater” meaning,

more evil, than others.

As moral creatures, all human beings know that some evil acts are more wicked than

others. “I may be a thief, but I’m no murderer.” We immediately understand why a

person on trial for robbery and murder might make such a statement. All civilized

societies’ laws reflect the fact that some criminal acts are more heinous than others in

the degrees of punishments meted out according to the severity of each crime. So we

recognize how unjust it would be to sentence a jaywalker with the same punishment

given to a serial killer and vice versa. Now if even sinful human beings understand and

incorporate such justice into our laws, how much more must that be true of God, whose

justice is perfect? Accordingly, when God gave His laws to His people Israel, greater sins

such as murder, rape, and kidnapping warranted capital punishment, whereas lesser sins

like stealing or destroying property sanctioned less.

In the New Testament we see Jesus confirming greater and lesser degrees of

punishment in hell according to the nature of the sins committed: “Assuredly, I say to

you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment

than for that city!” (Matt. 10:15). Sodom and Gomorrah were and will be condemned for

gross sexual sin, yet to refuse the clear preaching of the gospel by Christ Himself will

bring a greater condemnation. Here we can also see the principle of aggravations to sin

come into play. This principle is simply, “to whom much is given much is required.”

Though Sodom and Gomorrah sinned against the light of nature they could not be held

guilty for rejecting the brighter light of Jesus Christ and His gospel, which they never saw.

To choose darkness in the midst of greater light is to be guilty of a greater act of evil, and

as such it will be eternally punished by god with greater severity. May God grant that you

and I, to whom so much light has been given, rightly judge ourselves according to the

true nature of our sins, so that we would be quick to daily confess them and repent!