Love it when the Lord reminds me of “things”. The other day I shared some thoughts on the prodigal son and this morning I was still going over the lessons I have learned from that story when the Lord added one more.
Sin is sin! To God there is no big or little sin, it’s sin. The younger son in the story was guilty of some pretty “big” things while the older son looked respectable, he was obviously holding bitterness in his heart toward his younger brother. So which was worse?
Neither! Sin is sin. Kind of like a broken window; if you throw a rock through it and it shatters or shoot it with a bb and leave a little hole it’s still broken.
“One law rules over all other laws. This royal law is found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.” If you obey this law, you are doing right. 9 But if you are treating one person as more important than another, you are sinning. You are guilty of breaking God’s law.
10 You might follow all of God’s law. But if you fail to obey only one command, you are guilty of breaking all the commands in that law.” James 2:8-10 ERV
The Old Testament teaches us that gossip and murder are both hated by God yet we find one as more socially acceptable than the other.
Sin is sin and we are all guilty. The penalty for sin is not on a sliding scale.
“All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.” Romans 3:23 CEV
“When people sin, they earn what sin pays—death. But God gives his people a free gift—eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 ERV
That’s why Jesus words were so powerful when he spoke to the Pharisees about the adulterous woman that they wanted him to stone.
“They were saying this to trick Jesus. They wanted to catch him saying something wrong so that they could have a charge against him. But Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger. 7 The Jewish leaders continued to ask him their question. So he stood up and said, “Anyone here who has never sinned should throw the first stone at her.” 8 Then Jesus stooped down again and wrote on the ground.” John 8:6-8 ERV
How many times have we played the role of the Pharisees or the older brother? We condemn “the idiot driver”, the person holding up the line, the unintelligent cashier, the negligent phone representative, the ill-informed newscaster or the worst of all the person with an opposite view.
What they are doing may certainly be wrong but our attitude about the situation is equally as wrong. We are to do all that we do from a loving and compassionate heart.
The wonderful news is since God sees all sin the same, He makes the payment for that sin the same as well.
“So that one sin of Adam brought the punishment of death to all people. But in the same way, Christ did something so good that it makes all people right with God. And that brings them true life.” Romans 5:18 ERV
We have forgiveness, payment for our sin, with the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That sacrifice is available to all – we simply need to receive it!
“12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” John 1:12 KJV
So glad that God doesn’t grade on a curve but He accepts us all based not on what we’ve done but on what Jesus did!
Now that’s called grace!!!