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Are Some Sins Worse Than Others?
Sermon delivered by Thor Carden
May 4, 2003
Love One Another Gospel Church
Madison, Tennessee
Outline:
I. No, they are all the same.
How does God see sin?
A. Rebellion against God
B. Relationship breaking
C. Repentance required
II. Yes, some are worse than others.
So what? - Josh 9, 1 Pet 2:13-14, Rom 13:1-6,
A. Reason - Why was the sin committed?
B. Results - What are the consequences?
C. Repairs required - Can the results be repaired?
III. What are the worst sins of all?
A. Unbelief
B. Hypocrisy
Are Some Sins Worse Than Others?
Sermon Notes
YES and NO. In some respects they are all the same and others they are very different.
I. No, they are all the same.
James 2:8-11 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
How does God see sin?
Matthew 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
A. Rebellion against God
Nehemiah 9:16 But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments, 17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.
Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
B. Relationship breaking
Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
1 Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
C. Repentance required
1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. Chapter 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
II. Yes, some are worse than others.
But we have our own hierarchy of sinfulness.
Yours are worse than mine.
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.
Jeremiah 7:26 Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers.
So what?
But we live in a lost and dying world that is full of sin. Sometimes we are forced to answer difficult ethical questions. We must understand the mind of God about which sins are worse than others.
Some are easy. Suppose you are hiding Jews in your attic to keep Nazi's from hauling them off to a death camp. Should you lie when the authorities come knocking on the door?
Or a more commonplace one is it OK to leave the lights and TV on to deceive a possible burglar into thinking you are home when you are not.
Some are more difficult:
If you sign a contract with someone and they have deliberately withheld information from you that they know would have made you not sign it are you still obligated to keep that contract? What if it is a verbal agreement? Do their lies relieve you of having to keep you word? When the Gibeonites did this to the Israelites they kept their word anyway. Joshua 9.
1 Peter 2:13-14 and Romans 13:1-6 tell us to obey earthly authority. Do you obey a bad law?
Acts 4:19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
Daniel 3 - Nebuchadnezzar commanded worship of false Gods and Daniel refused.
Daniel 6 - Darius outlaws prayer and Daniel disobeys.
Exodus 1 Moses mother put him in a basket to hide him from Pharoah.
Or something more commonplace like your wife asks you what you think of her hideous dress or your friend asks you to confirm how cute her ugly baby is.
1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Of course, there is an easy escape from the dress and baby problems. "I like the way that dress brings out your smile" or "that baby looks just like his father."
Romans 7:14-25 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
A. Reason - Why was the sin committed?
What do you think about these people?
A man running from the authorities who took the unleavened bread meant to be used in worship service right from the altar. (point to the Lord's supper table)
What about the Judge that knowingly condemned an innocent man and let the guilty go free?
A prostitute who hid from the authorities enemy spies bent on destroying her nation.
The last one is easy. That is Rahab - Josh. 2; Heb. 11:31, James 2:25
The first one was David. David took the show bread from the altar (I Sam 21) but Jesus used that as an example to explain that the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath. (Matt 12, Mark 2, Luke 6)
The middle one is a little more difficult. Is God's plan of redemption is immoral because it required the punishment of an innocent person and pardon of the guilty? (God's love for men outweighed his commitment not to punish the innocent--
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Isaiah 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.)
B. Results - What are the consequences?
John 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
[Thief on drugs example. It starts out with, "Why can't I take drugs if I want to. I'm not hurting anyone but myself. Before long he becomes a thief to support his habit.]
C. Repairs required - Can the consequences be fixed?
Luke 19:8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
Which is easier to fix, murder or thievery? Drug addiction or gossip? Insulting a friend or stranger.
Proverbs 6:30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; (Reason) Proverbs 6:31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house. (Repair) Proverbs 6:32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. (Results)
III. What are the worst sins of all?
In terms of results this one is clearly the worst. Hell is the consequence.
B. Hypocrisy - The sin of unbelief is made worse if you add to it the lie of pretending to believe.
Matthew 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. (Also Luke 20:47, Mark 12:40)
Motives for hypocrisy in large churches.
Business contacts
Activities for children
Motives for hypocrisy in small church
Big fish in little pond
In terms of repairs, hypocrisy is worst. How are you ever to come to a place of belief if you have sat in the pew and made a habit of hardening your heart to the Gospel for years? A reprobate, homosexual, lying, cheating, adulterous, serial killer has a better chance of coming to repentance than you do.
REVIEW SERMON OUTLINE
INVITATION
Are Some Sins Worse Than Others?
Berean List (Acts 17:11)
I. No, they are all the same.
1 John 3:4, James 2:8-11, Romans 3:23
How does God see sin?
Proverbs 6:16-19, Matthew 5:19, 5:48
A. Rebellion against God - Nehemiah 9:16-17,
Colossians 3:5, Matt 25:41, Matt 5:19
B. Relationship breaking - Isaiah 59:2,
John 15:5, Leviticus 11:45, James 4:1-6,
Ephesians 5:3, 1 Cor 6:9, Matt 10:37
C. Repentance required - 1 John 1:8-2:2, 2 Pet 3:9,
Rom 6:23, 1 Cor 3:11, 2 Cor 5:10, 21, Acts 2:21,
Deut 5:10, Ezek 33:11, Gal 5:19-21, Heb 4:15, 9:27,
Isaiah 1:18, Rev 20:12-15, Rom 5:12, 8:19, 14:10
II. Yes, some are worse than others. - John 19:11,
Jer 7:26, Matt 23:23, 1 John 5:16, 1 Sam 2:17,
Ex 22:15, 32:21,30-31, Lam 4:6, Matt 11:23, 22:34-40
So what? - Romans 7:14-25, 1 Cor 10:13, 1 Pet 2:13,
Rom 13:1-6, Act 4:19, 5:29, Dan 3, 6, Ex 1,
1 Cor 10:13, Rom 7:14-25
A. Reason - Why was the sin committed?
Josh 2, Heb 11:31, Jam 2:25, 2 Cor 5:21, Is 53:4,
1 Sam 21:6, Matthew 12:4, Mark 2:26, Luke 6:4,
Exod 22:2, Jam 1:13, 4:17, Luke 12:47, Matt 5:27
B. Results - What are the consequences?
John 8:34, 1 Cor 6:18, Exod 21:23
C. Repairs required - Can the results be repaired?
Luke 19:8, 1 Cor 5, 1 Tim 5:20, Prov 6:30-32
III. What are the worst sins of all? - Matt 12:32,
Heb 6:4, Mark 3:28, Matt 12:31, Heb 10:26
A. Unbelief - John 3:18, Rom 1:26-32
B. Hypocrisy - Matt 23:14, Luke 20:47, Mark 12:40,
Matt 9:13, 12:31, 23:13-36