Are there gradations of sin?

Tricky question! I found this information on the subject of whether all sins are equal or if there are degrees of sin:

In Matthew 5:21-28, Jesus equates committing adultery with having lust in your heart and committing murder with having hatred in your heart. However, this does not mean the sins are equal. What Jesus was trying to get across to the Pharisees is that sin is still sin even if you only want to do the act, without actually carrying it out. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day taught that it was okay to think about anything you wanted to, as long as you did not act on those desires. Jesus is forcing them to realize that God judges a person’s thoughts as well as his actions. Jesus proclaimed that our actions are the result of what is in our hearts (Matthew 12:34).

So, although Jesus said that lust and adultery are both sins, that does not mean they are equal. It is much worse to actually murder a person than it is to simply hate a person, even though they are both sins in God’s sight. There are degrees to sin. Some sins are worse than others.

At the same time, in regard to both eternal consequences and salvation, all sins are the same. Every sin will lead to eternal condemnation (Romans 6:23). All sin, no matter how “small,” is against an infinite and eternal God, and is therefore worthy of an infinite and eternal penalty.

Further, there is no sin too “big” that God cannot forgive it. Jesus died to pay the penalty for sin (1 John 2:2). Jesus died for all of our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). Are all sins equal to God? Yes and no. In severity? No. In penalty? Yes. In forgivability? Yes.

How do you graduate from one sin to a worse sin? By pretending it doesn't matter, that a "little" sin (like telling a "white" lie) doesn't hurt anybody. By failing to confess your sins before God, seeking His strength and help to overcome your sinful nature. By failing to immerse yourself in God's Word which guides us in the path we should follow. Ultimately, it boils down to rejecting God's provision to save us from the consequences of sin and reaching the conclusion that (a) God doesn't exist, (b) there is no such thing as sin and (c) we can do whatever we like because we are not accountable to a higher authority.

I think the more important idea we seldom consider is "why God allowed and permitted sin" in his observance . The answer we may never know. But we do know some things about sin. We know that in the secular world there are degrees of wrong doing . And we as Christians "Believe" that many of these wrong doings whether they be by our own admission or incurred from others affect us in some way or form whether it be psychologically or physically. All this can be tested as a crucible in our lives by how our lives are played out.

God tells us that when we disobey his Laws without repentance there is recompense to be paid. We are responsible for all of our actions. When we do "good" God rewards and when we do "wrong" God reprimands.

We also know that the "Greatest Sin" is to not believe or revere God. What many don't know or understand is what it means to believe and revere God. Certainly, we can pray and say that we love and revere God. To prove and acknowledge this matter is quite another thing. When we sin knowingly and purposefully we are not living up to God's standards as being good Stewards of HIS Law. This is called "being disobedient". When we disobey God's Laws we are purposefully showing a lack of reverence , love , and respect for God. God only wants us to acknowledge that we know we are sinning and we must make the effort to not repeat that or those sins again. THAT is the greatest tribute to God ! When we acknowledge that we have sinned and we will make every effort NOT to repeat that sin(s) again this makes God happy because we are learning how to revere God.

Good question, No, all sins are not equal. We can quickly see this from Jesus' own words when he said in John 19:11, "You would have no authority over me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered me up to you has the greater sin."

Other Scriptures that verify this are also taught by Jesus when he said the following:

"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 "Nevertheless I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you." (Matt. 11:21-22).

"the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 47 “And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, shall receive many lashes, 48 but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. " (Luke 12:46-48).

Jesus clearly taught that there is a difference in the level of sins that we can commit. So, we can conclude there are sins that are worse than others by nature. We could easily say, for example, that stealing a paperclip is not as bad as murdering a group of people.

However, it also seems to be the case that knowledge affects the severity of sin as well:

"For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them." (2 Pet. 2:20-21).

Peter says that awareness of sin and intent are factors that affect whether or not sin is greater or lesser. This is supported by the Scripture that says, "Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin," (James 4:17).

All sin leads to damnation

Even though there are sins that are greater than other sins, all sin leads to eternal damnation. The reason sin does this is not because of the severity of the sin but because of whom the sin is committed against. Since it is God who gives the law and when we sin, we break his law. Therefore, we are offending God; and our sin is against him. Since God is infinite, our sins take on an infinite quality.

This is why we need an infinitely valuable sacrifice, which is found in the person of Jesus who is God in flesh (John 1:1, 14).

John 19:11

Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the GREATER SIN.

Leviticus 4:2

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall SIN THROUGH IGNORANCE

Luke 12:47

And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with MANY STRIPES.

48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with FEW STRIPES.

James 1:15

Then when LUST hath CONCEIVED, it bringeth forth SIN: and SIN, when it is FINISHED, bringeth forth DEATH.

Mark 3:29

But he that shall BLASPHEME against the HOLY GHOST hath NEVER FORGIVENESS, but is in danger of eternal damnation.

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Is this sufficient for the question on hand?

R.C. SPROUL answers from his book: Now - That's a Good Question!

I flinch a little bit when you ask me that question because I have in my memory not so fond recollections of having answered that question in the past when people got very upset with what I said. What mystifies me is that it seems that there are a lot of Christians who hold the position that there are no gradations of sin, that all sin is sin and there's no difference between less serious or more serious sins.

The Roman Catholic Church historically makes a distinction between venial sin and mortal sin, meaning that some sins are more heinous than others. Mortal sin is so called because it's serious enough to destroy the saving grace in the soul. It kills grace, and that's why it's called mortal.

Protestant Reformers in the sixteenth century rejected the concept of the distinction between venial and mortal. Calvin, for example, said that all sin is mortal in the sense that it deserves death, but no sin is mortal, save the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, insofar as it would destroy the salvation that Christ has achieved for us. In the Protestant reaction to the Roman Catholic distinction between venial and mortal sin, the Protestant Reformers did not deny gradations of sin. They still maintained a view of lesser and greater degrees of sin. What I'm saying is that in orthodox Christianity, both Roman Catholic and Protestant denominations have taken the position that there are some sins that are worse than other sins. They make these distinctions because it's so plainly taught in the Scriptures.

If we look at the Old Testament law, we see that certain offenses are to be dealt with in this world through capital punishment and others through corporal punishment. Distinctions are made, for example, between murder with malice aforethought and what we would call involuntary manslaughter. There are at least twenty-five occasions where the New Testament makes a distinction between lesser and greater forms of evil. Jesus says, for example, at his own trial, "Those who have delivered me to you have greater guilt than you have."

There is abundant evidence in the Scriptures to postulate a view of the gradations of sin. Not only that, but the very simple principles of justice would indicate that. But I think that people stumble on this point for two reasons. One is Saint James's statement "He who sins against one point of the law, sins against the whole law." That sounds as if James is saying that if you tell a little white lie, it's as bad as killing somebody in cold blood. But James is actually saying that all sin is serious insofar as every sin is an offense against the lawgiver, so that in the slightest sin I'm sinning against the law of God. I have violated the whole context of that law in many ways. So all sin is serious, but it doesn't follow logically that all sin is equally serious.

People also refer to Jesus' statement that if you lust after a woman, you've violated the law against adultery. Jesus doesn't say that it is as bad to lust as it is to commit the actual act. He's simply saying that if you merely refrain from the actual act you're not totally clean; there are lesser elements of the law that you have violated.

Read 1 John 3, the whole chapter, and it will give you the gravity of what sin is, and who practice it. When God sent His Son, the grip of sin was loosened on us that believe, and receive the engrafted Word of God. When God call you home, or when Jesus comes back, then that is when sin will no longer rule our bodies. (1 Corinthians 15;33,34,42-44,47-49,53-58)

The correct definition of sin is first required. God is the one who is sinned against - all rebellion and disobedience against God being sin. In the Bible, to sin is to miss the mark of God's requirements and God's holiness.

"All that is not of faith is sin" - Romans 14:23

Jesus said there is one, unforgivable sin - to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit - Matthew 12:31

To break God's law at one point is to break all of it - James 2:10

I just raise those 3 scriptures to show the enormity of this subject. Those truths stop me in my tracks. Who am I to declare about gradations of sin? I am a sinner. I am silenced before God's perfect and holy standards of sinlessness. Only He is qualified to answer such a question, and I believe He has done so, through sending Christ to become "the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world" - John 1:29.

ALL sin is dealt with by God, so we have to turn to God to seek His declarations on sin in general, and our sins in particular. The Holy Spirit alone convicts people of their sin, from God's point of view, to lead them to repentance, and to be 'covered' by the atoning sacrifice of Christ for sin. I do know this after 30 years trying to learn about this - I now see sin in a very different light to how I used to see it, even at the point of my repentance and conversion to faith in Christ. I am far more sensitive to the horror of sin than I used to be. And I know that there will be absolutely no sin in Heaven. I will leave it at that. AiH

Well, I'm as qualified to make up arbitrary rules on what's good and bad as anyone else, like the writers of the bible, or any other books like that.

I'd say physical pain is more of a crime than psychological pain, and if someone's doing something like being gay, that's not even anything, because it has nothing to do with you.

Some sins are worse than others. In the Catholic Faith, great sins are known as mortal sins, and lesser sins are known as venial sins. That said, some mortal sins are worse than other mortal sins, and some venial sins are worse than other venial sins.

Sins are judged according to their gravity.