There is a common misconception that all sin is equal because the Bible does in fact say in reference to the Law of Moses:
If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 10For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill(murder). Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill(murders), thou art become a transgressor of the law. 12So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. 13For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment— James 2:8–13.
THE KEY PHRASE IN THIS PASSAGE IS: in verse 12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty —NOT THE LAW OF MOSES— If you fulfill the royal Law according to the Scripture; In other words, if you are still trying to fulfill the Law of Moses to ACHIEVE RIGHT STANDING WITH GOD YOU HAVE TO FULFILL ALL THE LAW; The Law was strictly pass or fail — but we in Christ Jesus need to think, speak, and act as ones who will be judged by the Law of liberty.
Therefore we can understand why Scriptural illiterates will say such foolish things like — “ALL SIN IS EQUAL IN THE EYES OF GOD”.
[THIS IS WHY IT IS SO PARAMOUNT TO FIND THE CONTEXT OF THE PASSAGE OR YOU WILL BE CONNED WITH THE TEXT BY DEVILS]
So now that we got ChurchT tradition out of the way let’s dig deep and get New Testament trained.
If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that— 1 John 5:16.
A brother sinning that “does not lead to dead”— right there we learn that NOT all sin is the same before God.
We can simply do a word study and realize that in the Greek and Hebrew the words sin:
Unrighteousness, trespasses, transgressions, and Iniquities are NOT interchangeable, synonymous words but are distinct in definition and caliber of degrees towards darkness and more wickedness in rebellion against all things God.
FIVE CATEGORIES OF SIN
From missing the mark, failure, slopping things together, a slipshod, to emotional and or carnal gratification, to the ultimate expression of apostasy “we will not have God to rule over us— Luke 19:14.
SIN IN PROGRESSIVE RANK
One: Sin (missing the mark)
Two: Unrighteousness (treating someone wrong or unjustly)
Three: Trespass (to throw yourself into desire — emotionally, carnally even rationalizing with reasoning.)
Four: Transgression (A conscious decision to willfully cross a known line into immorality — sexual and nonsexual violation of Light.
Five: Iniquity (the ultimate heart sin of anti-God, anti-Love, willful rebellion, spiritual wickedness.)
SIN— MISSING THE MARK
ΑΜΑΡΤΊΑ (HAMARTIA)
Which appears 221 times in the New Testament. It means "to miss the mark" or "off the mark"
(Missing the mark through omission or commission) one could say: JUST NOT MEASURING UP.
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God — Romans 3:23.
The Greek word for sin implies that you’re trying your best to be perfect, you just can’t do it.
The Greek word for "come short" is hustereó (υστερέω), which is pronounced (hoos-ter-eh'-o). It means "to come late, be behind, come short, fall behind, am lacking, fall short, suffer need, am inferior to". Hustereó comes from hústeros, which means "last, latter, terminal, hindmost". It has the basic meaning of "come to late (in time) or to come after (in terms of space)".
Some of may feel that their whole life is like this. They feel they are always a day late and buck short — a constant failure; that they cannot do anything right but:
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree — Galatians 3:13 KJV.
UN-RIGHTEOUSNESS
ΆΔΙΚΊΑ (ADIKIA)
Phonetically transliterated from the Greek (AD – UH – KEE’ – AH)
To commit an injustice or to deal unjustly with someone. In contemporary terms—“Just not treating someone right”.
TRESPASS
ΠΑΡΑΠΤΩΜΑ (PARAPTOMA)
Phonetically transliterated it is (PAR – AP’– TO – MAH)
It’s a compound word PAR meaning beside and APTOMAH = to fall beside. In this context it is — emotional or passionate act; to throw yourself into something.
Matthew 6:14
“Forgive us of our trespasses as we forgive our trespassers— those who emotionally wrong us.” Forgive us our emotional reactions as we forgive those who have emotionally reacted to us.
Sins of passion or emotional = Para—ptomah.
TRANSGRESSION
ΠΑΡΑΒΑΣΗ (PARAVASI)
Phonetically transliteration is (PHAR — AH — BASIS); “to step across the line”. To pass over or beyond; to overpass, a willful and a deliberate decision to violate a commandment. This is not necessary an evil or wicked act, it could because of fear, pressure to lose someone or something. It can even be done out of a lack of faith for provision and the love for someone else, e.g., a child best interests, a loved one’s protection. It is still a heart sin because one must choose to put God in a junior position.
INIQUITY
ΠΟΝΗΡΙΆ (ANOMÍA)
The Greek word transliteration is —anomía — The Greek word πονηρία transliteration is — ANOMÍA and its phonetic transliteration is (a-nom-we’-ah) —lawless, malice, anti-Law or rebellious.
Iniquity is the granddaddy of them all because it is a “heart sin of extreme wickedness”. It isn’t—“just not measuring up” or “missing the mark”and it isn’t an emotional or carnal reaction, nor is it not treating someone right; this is a deep rooted antichrist heart rebellion that fights against all that is righteous. God says XYZ and the heart of iniquity rebels just because God said it. It is rooted in pride and bitterness.
The term iniquity refers to more of an “heart attitude” rather than a violation of a specific commandment.
Several times iniquity is translated as “WICKEDNESS”— to twist or warp. It is all thing’s contrary to what is righteous and true. That’s why I refer to iniquity as “heart sin”.
And because iniquity (a-nom-we’-ah) shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold — Matthew 24:12.
Luke 19:14 is the perfect example of a heart of iniquity and full blown open apostasy.
But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us — Luke 19:14 KJV.
This is where there is NO MORE SACRIFICE FOR SIN — For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins — Hebrews 10:26.