Does God see all sins as equal? Aren't some sins definitely worse than others?

No one better to interpret the word than the Word Himself. Christ shows us in His conversation with Pontius Pilate that sin has degrees of greatness; John 19:11 -

“10 “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?” 11 Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.””

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Those who selectively shun/condemn others for their “greater" sins and are more acceptable of sins like lying on the phone for a good reason or killing in self-defence are probably unaware of Deuteronomy 28:15:

“But it shall come about, if you do not obey the Lord your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:”

The Law is not concerned with backstories of child abuse causing one to curse or rebel against his parents (punishable by death according to Leviticus 20:9.) It will punish every deviation from it to the uttermost. Plus, notice “observe to do all.” A host of curses follow in the event that all of the commandments aren't observed by those who depend on their non-existent will-power to obey God's law or believe that their lack of “worse" sins mean anything before God. Such reasoning only nudges its followers higher up on the ladder of Pride and (self-)righteousness. Proverbs 16:18 says:

“Your boast becomes a prophecy of a future failure. The higher you lift up yourself in pride, the harder you’ll fall in disgrace.”

Also James 2:10– “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”

This means that for those who think that they are not that bad because their variety of sins aren’t so bad, the one who only lied about his location on the phone is just as guilty as the vilest offender. Not fair…until we realise that if God took away His restraining hand that restrains man from committing sins and which makes many churchgoers believe that they are or can be good by themselves, we would all devolve into committing the worst sins - collapse into the useless and helpless heap of flesh that we are of ourselves. There is no good in man of himself. God's word addresses this truth in Romans 1 where a group who “suppress the truth” of righteousness by faith (verses 16-19) devolved into sin after “God lifted off His restraining hand…” —

“24 This is why God lifted off His restraining hand and let them have full expression of their sinful and shameful desires…”

If God lifted off His restraining hand that restrains us from devolving into committing heinous sins and let us rely on our human effort and will-power (arm of flesh) at keeping the law in order to be saved or for whatever reason, like Peter who pridefully trusted in his strength to stand but ended up falling flat on his face three times, we would all devolve into sin and see how utterly lacking in works we are. Man calls Peter's then good intentions noble. But God whose ways and thoughts are infinitely higher than man calls it arrogance, superiority, and pride - exalting oneself against the knowledge of God; Proverbs 21:4 says:

“Arrogance, superiority, and pride are the fruits of wickedness and the true definition of sin.”

How so? Peter pridefully presumed that he had superior knowledge and was better than whom Christ told him he was when Christ told Him about his then upcoming denials. He would have been devoured by Satan as Judas was had Christ not prayed for him that his faith should not fail. He needed to get a glimpse into his true sinful nature aka fail in action in order to see the weakness and futility of trusting in the arm of flesh that will fail.

To humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God is to totally accept His word that says that there is no good in man of himself; and utterly casting all our care (including sins) upon Christ who cares for us. This is humility before God. It is what makes our adversary the devil unable to devour. But instead of humbling himself under the mighty hand of God, man responds to God's "No one can..." with that boastful "I can." Just as it was with Peter who exalted himself against the knowledge of God when he told Christ that He was wrong about his then upcoming denials. After he failed, Peter was humbled. Did you know that he wrote I Peter 5-

5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for

“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."

Only those who have failed need God to “perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle” them. Peter was writing about his experience of denying Christ and his restoration through God’s saving Grace.

After he sinned, Peter realised that Christ was right. He saw the utter foolishness of trusting in human effort aka arm of flesh at accomplishing anything much less keeping God's law, looked utterly to Christ for salvation and restoration and went on to do exploits in Christ.

Judas committed a similar sin of betraying Jesus as Peter did. But unlike Peter, Judas looked to himself to make things right. He sought his redemption from his sin by trying to return the 30 pieces of silver in line with the law's dictates on restitution which he could not even carry out properly. A seemingly noble thing to do in man's fallen logic. But the arm of flesh will fail. God's word whose ways and thoughts are infinitely higher than man's calls Judas' action Pride and Foolishness.

Like many churchgoers today who still think that God is out to get them for and not save them from their sins, Judas got depressed and suicidal- two key issues that plague the world today. What do we think is the major cause of depression and suicide even among non-believers? It is guilt for sins, fear, anxiety, sorrow in the heart for sins aka not measuring up to particular standards and the hopelessness that follows after the arm of flesh (human effort) fails as it always will - no different from what happened to Judas who was full of remorse, blamed himself for his sin and was despondent at his inability to make things right. The word "sin" is translated from the Greek word Hamartia- literally "miss the mark." All have missed the mark.

All it takes to get the cycle of depression that leads to death rolling is Satan the accuser coming to accuse in the court of law that is the mind as he did Judas who was his own advocate/defense attorney and witness. Like any earthly courtroom, everyone has done something that they should be on trial for but only the plaintiff who stands accused is anxious. Even people with worse crimes are relaxed because they are not the ones on trial.

Ha Satan is literally prosecutor at law in Hebrew. In Israel today, prosecuting attorneys are referred to as Ha Satan. The only way to escape death sentence that Satan the accuser pushes for is to have Christ as your Bearer of sins and Advocate. In Him, the Holy Spirit witnesses to all who believe in Jesus that God does not remember our sins and lawless deeds (Hebrews 10.) God the Righteous Judge has declared us “not guilty:” Romans 8:33-"

“33 Who then would dare to accuse those whom God has chosen in love to be His? God Himself is the judge who has issued His final verdict over them—“Not guilty!””

Law. Judge. Advocate. Witness. Not guilty. These are all judicial terms. Spiritual warfare is a battle that takes place in the mind. Like any prosecuting attourney, Satan's weapon is the Law which he uses to accuse and which condemns the best of us. We overcome by bringing those accusations aka imaginations, thoughts and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (e.g. says the witness of the Spirit to us isn't true) into captivity to the obedience of Christ. And what is the obedience of Christ? See Romans 5:19-

“By one man's disobedience many were made sinners. So also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.”

This is how God sees all who believe in Jesus- Romans 5:9-

“And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God."

Anyone outside this covering of God's gift of righteousness to us in Christ is subject to being devoured as Judas was. Eventually he was devoured by Satan who came to "steal, kill and destroy." Before Satan can kill and destroy, he has to steal the word that we are righteous in God's sight through the blood of Jesus alone and not through any percentage of human effort at trying to be godly. Good works are fruits/evidences of salvation in Christ. They are not conditions. It is sad that when some pastors preach 1 Peter 5 (Be sober, be vigilant...,) it is usually in the context of:

"Do your best to not sin and keep the law in order to be godly (be like God) so that the devil will not catch you napping and devour you."

This same false doctrine that was preached to Eve in Eden and which Judas followed is the shortcut to being devoured by Satan. This the way that seems right to a man but its end is the way of death (Proverbs 14:12.)

Satan knows something that many churchgoers are yet to realise: that there is absolutely no good in man of himself. Peter realised this after he failed in his mission to not deny Christ and follow Him to prison and to death. Also, God's word tells us through the experience of Paul in Romans 7:18-

"For I know that nothing good lives within the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do what is right are within me, but will-power is not enough to accomplish it."

But Satan preys on man's Pride in the arm of flesh that will fail and deceives man into doing the seemingly good thing of trying to be sinless like God (be like God) through his non-existent will-power as Eve tried to do. In response to this baiting, the one who thinks he can keep the law exalts himself against the knowledge of God by challenging God with:

"No, I can. God must be wrong. I have some good in me and enough will-power to keep the Law and live a godly life."

This is the only reason why you and I are not the most hated criminals on earth right now: 1 Corinthians 10-

12"So beware if you think it could never happen to you, lest your pride becomes your downfall. 13 We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face ao that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust Him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out of it victoriously."

Shunning particular sins and tolerating others is pointless. Christ is all that matters. This is why, at Christ's word “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her,” the law-brandishing Pharisees whom no one alive today can match in terms of obeying the law could not stone the woman that was caught in adultery. All have sinned and the wages of sin is death. They saw that they too deserved to die according to the law that they thought they were doing a good job of keeping.

The wages of sin is death.

So, a slow and painful death by blunt machete and the hottest corner in hell for the murderous pedophile because of the “gravity” of his sin. A quick and painful death by a sharp machete for the occasional thief. A painless death by lethal injection for the one that only told a small lie. Also different classes of lodgings regarding the second death in hell. All sinners will die. But many among us are more concerned about the kind of sins that other people are committing and the method of delivery of death rather than death itself. A death that Christ died for all.

Point the sinner to Christ as Saviour from sins and not punisher of sins and the sinner will go and sin no more. Saviour from sins is His job description: Matthew 1:21-

“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

This is Grace- undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour.

Beloved of God, Grace is a Person. His name is Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11 says of Him:

"God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person, bringing salvation for everyone."

Verse 14 of the same Titus 2 says: "He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

Beware of antichrist pastors who respond to the Truth that is Grace with questions such as:

"So because we are under Grace and the righteousness of Christ covers us we can continue to commit sin as we like?”

How can one be immersed in the Medicine that will make him well and still continue to be sick? How can one have Christ as Saviour from sins and continue to produce sins? How could the Israelites that were infected with the sting of death (sin) continue to produce snakebite symptoms (acts of sin) that lead to death and be lacking in wholeness when their entire focus is on Christ and not what they could do to save themselves?

Those false doctrine peddlers who ask such questions only expose their unbelief in the message of Christ and His power to utterly save the sinner who believes from sin and its deathly effects. They trust in their arm of flesh to overcome and distrust the power of Christ to transform even the vilest offender to godliness and right living. Doesn't get more antichrist than that.

Beloved of God, by His Grace, let's not be deceived with the same horrid and deathly doctrine that Satan preached to Eve in Eden- that man can do anything at all by his own power in order to live a godly life or be godly like God by depending on the knowledge of good and evil. It seemed good to Eve to eat, just as it right good to many to depend on their human effort in their desire to be godly, but Proverbs 14:12 counsels us-

"There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death."

Satan knows this. He knows that the road to hell is paved with good intentions- which is the best that man has, just like Peter when he swore to not deny Christ but fell flat on his face three times when it came to the time to activate his useless strength. Satan knows something that many churchgoers are yet to realise: that there is absolutely no good in man of himself. Peter realised this after he fell. Also, God's word tells us through the experience of Paul in Romans 7:18-

"For I know that nothing good lives within the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do what is right are within me, but will-power is not enough to accomplish it."

But Satan preys on man's Pride in the arm of flesh that will fail and deceives man into doing the seemingly good thing of trying to be sinless like God (be like God) through his non-existent will-power as Eve tried to do. So, exalting himself against the knowledge of God, man says:

"No, I can. God must be wrong. I have some good in me and enough will-power to keep the Law and live a godly life."

Reminds one of Peter believing that Jesus was wrong concerning the issue of his then upcoming denials.

Satan knows too well man's desire to be godly so he and his pastors do their best to keep the flock focused on doing the seemingly good thing of trying to be righteous like God by obeying the law which gives the knowledge of good and evil and which kills like the tree of the same name. But this way kills. It is not God's way. God's way of making us righteous like Himself is only through the obedience of Christ. His righteousness is a gift and it is free for all who believe.

The spirit of the antichrist is not necessarily anti-God. It is anti-Christ aka seeking to replace the finished work of Christ in making the helpless sinner who believes godly/righteous with human effort at attaining godliness- same doctrine that Satan preached to Eve in Eden.

We who believe are saved from the issue of sins/ungodliness the same way that the woman with the issue of blood was saved from her issue- stopping our silly efforts to save ourselves and putting utter trust/faith in Christ. God Himself counsels us in Isaiah 30:

“God, the Master, The Holy of Israel,

 has this solemn counsel:

“Your salvation requires you to turn back to Me

 and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves.

Your strength will come from settling down

 in complete dependence on Me—…”

But save ourselves from what? See what He saves from in Matthew 1:21-

“”She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Beloved, hear the message of Christ: we are saved from sin and death the same way as were the Israelites that looked to the bronze serpent for salvation from the sting of death (sin) and its deathly effects (acts of sin that lead to death.) All those futile efforts running around looking for salvation from sin and death by human effort (arm of flesh) as some "pastors" teach will only strengthen the hold of sin in a person's life.

The church is not a collection of holy people who don't commit sins neither is it a place for people who think they can manage to keep the law and live a sins-free, godly life by human effort. We are like patients in a hospital looking utterly to Christ as our Doctor for salvation from all our care/issues which we cast upon Him. Jesus did not come to tell bad people to try to be sins-free/godly by human striving. He came to raise the dead in sins to life in Himself and that we might have life more abundantly. That we might live in triumph over sin and death. Acts of sin, sickness, lack, stupid mistakes - all earthly ills are “death begun" and culminate in the second death in hell. Recall Adam did not die bodily immediately after his death sentence came into effect. The death that is the wages of sin is a process. Christ was speaking to living, breathing people when He said:

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Here's an analogy for the living who are dead in sin: Some dead bodies look like a healthy person that is only asleep (people who seemingly have no sins.) Others are missing limbs (obviously has sins.) Others have decomposed so much that they are scary and unsightly (pedophile serial killer level of sin that we all view with horror and disgust.) But one thing defines them all: they are all dead, no matter their level of decay. This is what comparing sins on man's scale of godliness is like. Apart from the life that Christ supplies, all are equally dead, no matter how decadent or acceptable their sins are. Those who try to enliven or pretty themselves up with their human effort at obeying the law and doing its works are no different- still dead. But such usually think that they are better than the dead whose flesh is rotting away or even the one who is alive but is missing all of his limbs.

None of self; all of Christ is how we get to live.

All of us who believe in Jesus were formerly dead in sins and were in various stages of decay. Christ raised us from death to life and now, we are in different stages of recovery, some more recovered than others and not that we had anything to do with our freedom from death and earthly ills; Christ saves us from them all. Only people who are imperfect of themselves need transformation. The church is made up of people with varying degrees of imperfection and whose perfection and transformation to godliness is found in Christ alone- much like how the many patients in a hospital suffering from different ailments, some worse than others, utterly depend on their doctor to make them whole.

When your believing is right, the sins will disappear by the power of Christ in you. Right living and an abundance of works of faith will follow. Recall Christ's typology concerning how we are saved from sin and death in John 3-

“14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Christ Himself gave us this typology. But saved from what? See what He saves from in Matthew 1:21-

“”She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

As we are utterly and continually looking to/believing Christ for salvation, there might still be symptoms of snakebite (acts of sin) present after we are saved but with the "sin nature" that all of mankind inherited from Adam removed and replaced with God's "righteousness nature," our path can only get brighter and brighter like the morning sun.

Trying to curb sins in order to be made whole is akin to the affected Israelites focusing on treating their snakebite symptoms to prevent death instead of focusing on the bronze serpent. Again, the mildness or severity of the snakebite symptoms (acts of sin) that were presented by the Israelites was neither here nor there. Their symptoms depended on the snake sting and other factors that they had no control over- location of the bite, age, how much venom was deposited, etc. - the same way people who trust themselves fail because they were tempted beyond what they can bear. Some had internal symptoms. Others, external and quite severe. Without the bronze serpent, all would have perished. Likewise, those people that lead us to believe that they are or can be good, disciplined and pious by their own strength are just adept at hiding their sins- no different from the self-righteous Pharisees that could not stone the adulteress when push came to shove. There is none good but God. Without the bronze serpent (a picture of Christ,) all would perish.

In Christ, God still sees us as righteous, "even though we are guilty of many sins." And in Him, we never remain the same. Never. Instead, through Christ, we get to live in triumph over the sting of death that is sin and its deathly effects aka acts of sin that lead to death. See this in Romans 5:16-17-

"And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ."

The Law condemns the best of us. But Grace saves even the worst of us.