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Tackling the ControVerse Pastor Sam Manyika
THE general thinking among Christians and society as a whole is that the following sins are the most serious and the most likely to incur God’s wrath than others. These are murder, adultery, fornication followed by those which are labelled as perversions manifesting as incest, homosexuality etc.
It is not uncommon to hear such self righteous statements as “At least I have never killed anyone…….” among those justifying the commission of what they may consider to be smaller sins.
A word normally used to define or imply that a sin falls in the most serious category is the word “abomination.” Something which is abominable arouses “hatred’ or “disgust.” So an abomination is a sin that God hates or finds disgusting.
A quick scan of several scriptures in the Bible however may shock or disappoint those who may have felt they were not so far gone in their sinning habits.
Outside of the perceived worst and most common four “abominations” which are murder, adultery, fornication and perversions like homosexuality, incest and bestiality, let us list other abominations which are also mentioned in the Bible. The following passage in Proverbs mentions seven:
These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19
From this passage we find seven abominations which are a proud look; a lying tongue; hands that shed innocent blood; a heart that devises wicked plans; feet that are swift in running to evil; a false witness who speaks lies and one who sows discord among the brethren.
The mentioned seven are referred to as “abominations” or sins that God hates or finds disgusting!
We will add a few other abominations so as to compare their gravity and have a better picture of how God perceives sin.
Idolatry or the worship of man-made images is referred to as an abomination
15 ‘Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ Deuteronomy 27:15
Homosexuality is also referred to as an abomination
22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Leviticus 18:22-23
Bestiality is also another abomination
23 And thou shalt not lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith; neither shall any woman stand before a beast, to lie down thereto: it is confusion. Leviticus 18; 23
Divorce is also an abomination
16 For the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I hate divorce and marital separation and him who covers his garment [his wife] with violence. Malachi 2:16
A quick analysis of the mentioned lists will immediately dispel the myth that some sins are greater than others. When you have adultery, murder and bestiality being put in the same category as something as seemingly mild, innocent and harmless as a “proud look” or a “lying tongue,” your established theology or doctrine of sin goes out through the window.
This demonstrates that we have to define sin from a scriptural perspective or the way that God views it not the way we perceive and comprehend it.
As we use God’s measuring stick or standard for defining sin, we also begin to realize that there has been a confusing of issues here between consequences of the commission of individual sins and the actual level of seriousness with which it can be categorized.
We need to understand that some sins have more serious consequences and implications on the individuals who commit them than others.
The fact that the consequences of a sin are dire does not necessarily mean that the sin itself is greater or worse than one where the immediate consequences are negligible.
A young man and woman can commit fornication but both experience different consequences. The girl might fall pregnant, be expelled from school and spend the next twenty years stuck with support and upkeep of the child while the young man just walks away and disappears.
Both committed the same sin of fornication and transgressed the law of God, but the immediate consequences outside of what we would call God’s judgment were greater and heavier on the girl.
The Hebrew and Greek words translated “sin” throughout the Bible imply that to sin is to fall into transgression. To transgress means “to step across” or “to go beyond a set boundary or limit.”
Most of the other words translated “sin” in the Bible also imply another definition which is “to miss the mark.”
In other words to sin is simply to go beyond a set boundary or to miss a set mark.
The Bible also shows us the standards that God has given us, so this way we know what measures up or falls short of those very standards.
In other words if twenty people were to attempt to jump over a pit measuring twenty metres across, the following would happen, some would jump a distance of two metres, some three, maybe some four and so forth. But the truth is none would be able to jump twenty metres! This means at the conclusion of all their efforts all these people would end up in the pit although some would have jumped further or performed better than others in terms of the distance they will have jumped.
Romans 3:23-24 declares that all men have failed to reach God’s standard of righteousness.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23-24
All humanity falls short of God’s standards of righteousness and holiness even though some may be considered “good” or better than others. “Good” and “better” still falls short of God’s standard of righteousness and holiness.
When sins are put in categories of seriousness a hypocritical, self righteous, judgmental and I am not so bad deluded attitude arises. We all should appreciate that when one misses a turn no matter by how many centimetres or metres, they will end up in a place they did not intend to go to.
People who think they have committed big sins struggle with guilt and self esteem.
Finally and most importantly we all need to know that there is no sin too big or serious for God to forgive and for the blood of his son Jesus to wash. When we come before him in humility and sincerity he is faithful to forgive and clean us from all unrighteousness.
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