All Sins Are Not the Same

By John Earp

Many assume that all sin is the same. However, the Bible clearly reveals several classes of sin. Many also confuse sins with mistakes, as if being humanly fallible on things such as remembering someone’s name, or perhaps being in a bad mood is itself what sin consists in. Since the Old Covenant has been done away with in Christ (see Hebrews 8:13), we would do well to recognize what the inspired word of God in the New Testament has said about particular sins that deserve the eternal death penalty, otherwise known as damnation.

First, we see in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God:

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor those habitually drunk, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

The kingdom of God is the only kingdom that will endure. All else will be cast into the Lake of Fire, according to the Book of Revelation. So for those who think nothing of wife-swapping (a form of adultery), having sex outside of heterosexual marriage, watching pornography and pleasuring oneself thereby, engage in homosexual sexual relations (also known as sodomy or lesbian sex), drunkenness, greediness, etc., they will not be going to Heaven when they die. Also, the idea of purgatory is simply not found in the inspired Scriptures. Sin must be purged this side of death, not afterwards, according to Scripture.

Galatians 5:19-21 gives a similar list of those who will not inherit the kingdom of God, adding a few more death-penalty sins for good measure:

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, 20 idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Revelation 1:8 says: But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Romans 2:4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.

To sum up, if you are practicing any of the above sins while thinking you’re going to Heaven, you are sadly mistaken. God will show no partiality, as Paul says. For all those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth (that is, who willfully pursue evil) but instead obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury, God’s indignation upon them.

Please stop these sins while you still have time. Repentance (turning from sin and to God) with faith in the blood Jesus shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of your sins is the only way to escape the wrath to come and inherit eternal life with God.