THE CLASSIFICATION OF ACTUAL SINS

 

By Gary Ray Branscome

 

          Our classification of sins should never be used to excuse wrongdoing, but to reveal God’s righteousness and our need for forgiveness in Christ. As believers we also need to train our conscience, so that we do not take sin lightly, excuse it, or delude ourselves into thinking that we need no forgiveness, or that we can earn God’s favor.

          Job asked, “How can man be righteous before God?” (Job 9:2). And, the Bible’s answer to that question is that, “No flesh will ever be justified [declared righteous] in God’s sight by the deeds of the law: because the knowledge of sin comes by the law” (Romans 3:20). Nevertheless, because, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked,” it is easy for men to blind themselves to their own faults, thinking that they are righteous when God says that they are not (Jeremiah 17:9).

          The words, “Watch and pray, that you do not enter into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak,” should remind us of our need to think before we speak or act (Matthew 26:41). And, the words, “Let him who thinks that he is standing take heed lest he fall,” warn us of our need for God’s help in dealing with temptation (1Corinthians 10:12).

          The words, “Since we have these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and soul, following holiness to its goal in the fear of God,” make it clear that we should never twist God’s promise of forgiveness in Christ into an excuse to sin, but should  “cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles” (2Corinthians 7:1). And, the words, “Seeing that we are a part of such a great company of martyrs, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, indifferent to its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God,” make it clear that we are not alone in our struggle against temptation and persecution, but are one with all believers who have gone before us, and with Christ who suffered for us (Hebrews 12:1-2).

 

The False Claim That All Sins Are the Same

          One of the great heresies of our age is the claim that no one sin is greater than any other. While it is true that every unforgiven sin (no matter how small it seems) will bring damnation; that fact is being twisted around to excuse willful and unrepentant behavior. More than once, I have encountered people who, when confronted with their sin, say, “sin is sin” arguing that since we are all sinners they are no worse than anyone else. Nevertheless they are wrong, and the following passages tell us that they are wrong.

          The words, “If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that is not unto death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for those who do not sin unto death. There is a sin unto death: I am not saying that he should pray for it,” tell us that there is a difference between a sin that is “unto death” and sin that is not (1John 5:16).

          The words, “Jesus answered, You would not have any power over me at all, unless it was given to you from above: therefore he who delivered me to you has the greater sin,” tell us that God regards some sins as greater than others (John 19:11).

          The words, “Keep your servant back from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then I will be upright, and I will be innocent of the great transgression,” warn against “presumptuous sins” (Psalm 19:13).

          The words, “If we sin willfully or deliberately after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins remains, But only a fearful expectation of judgment and raging fire, that will devour the enemies of God,” give a stern warning to all who think that they can harden themselves in unrepentance and never have to answer for it (Hebrews 10:26-27).

          And, the words, “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with those who are sexually immoral: Not meaning that you must cut off all contact with the immoral people of this world, or the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters; for in that case you would have to leave the world. But I am now writing you not to associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler; do not even eat with such a man,” draw a clear line between those who have a repentant heart and the unrepentant (1Corinthians 5:9-11).

 

Voluntary and Involuntary Sins

          The words, “You shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer, who kills any person unintentionally, may flee there,” recognize the fact that some sins are unintentional (Numbers 35:11). Likewise, the words, “Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, you are a dead man, because of the woman that you have taken; for she is a man’s wife. But Abimelech had not come near her,” also speak of unintentional sin, however, the words “Behold, you are a dead man” tell us that the fact a sin is unintentional is not an excuse. God condemns all sins (Genesis 20:2-4).

          The words of the Apostle Paul, “I was formerly a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and violent: but I was shown mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief,” tell us that his persecution of Christians was an unintentional sin (1Timothy 1:13). However, his words, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am the worst,” tell us that without forgiveness in Christ, unintentional sins still merit God’s condemnation and wrath (1Timothy 1:15). In contrast the words, “He [Judas] was a thief, and had the bag, and would take what was put into it,” tell us that Judas was doing what he knew to be wrong (John 12:6).

 

          When the Bible describes Peter’s denial of Christ, saying, “And the Lord turned, and looked at Peter, and Peter remembered the words of the Lord, how He had told him, Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly,” the words “wept bitterly” tell us that Peter’s sin was a sin of weakness, not a sin of intent (Luke 22:61-62). What Peter did was still a sin. However, the words, “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin,” tell us that unintentional sins are not imputed to those who trust in Christ (Romans 4:8). In contrast, the words, “David did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, and did not turn aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, except only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite,” tell us that when David sinned willfully in the matter of Uriah, that sin was imputed to David (1Kings 15:5). And, the words, “David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said to David, The LORD has also put away your sin; you will not die,” tell us that David’s sin in the matter of Uriah was not forgiven until he repented (2Samuel 12:13). There are a number of passages in the Psalms that show us that David’s repentance was sincere. However, because of that sin David lost the blessing of God that had been on his life and home prior to that sin.

 

          At this point we need to make a distinction between voluntary sins and willful sins. Peter surely knew that he was lying when he denied that he knew Christ [see Luke 22:55-62]. So his sin was voluntary, and without forgiveness it would have sent him to hell. Yet it was far different from David’s sin. Nevertheless, the difference does not lie in the magnitude of the sin, “For whoever keeps the whole law, yet fails in one point, is guilty of all” (James 2:10). The difference lies in the hardness of the heart. When Peter lied about knowing Christ, he acted impulsively and was sorry for it. David hardened his heart many times before and after committing adultery. He hardened his heart when the thought first came to him. He hardened his heart when he sent for Bathsheba. He hardened his heart when he found out she was married. He hardened his heart when he tried to get her in bed. At each of those points he could have stopped, but he did not. The words, “If we sin willfully or deliberately after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins remains,” and the words, “Her guests are in the depths of hell,” tell us that if David had died while he was in bed with Bathsheba he would have gone to hell (Hebrews 10:26, Proverbs 9:18). God kept David from losing his salvation, but He kept him by bringing him to repentance, not by letting him sin.

 

[NOTE: The words, “Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh, for the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and they are opposed to each other: so that you cannot do the things that you would,” tell us that before David sinned he had lost the Holy Spirit’s help (Galatians 5:16-17). He may have lost it because he began to think too highly of himself. If a person begins to think that God is pleased with him because of his own righteousness, the Holy Spirit cannot help him to resist sin without helping him to deceive himself.]

 

Sins of Commission and of Omission

          The words, “Whoever knows what is right, and does not do it, sins,” are the basis for our distinction between sins of commission and sins of omission (James 4:17). Sins of commission involve doing what God has forbidden. Since God has said, “You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor. You shall not covet etc.,” those who do such things commit sin (Exodus 20:13-17). On the other hand, sins of omission involve failing to do something we should. One example is found in the words, “Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor, will also cry out, but will not be heard” (Proverbs 21:13). Therefore, we need God’s forgiveness, not only for what we have done wrong, but also when we fail to do right.

 

Sins Against God, Against Our Neighbor, And Against Self

          The words, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment,” specifically condemn all sins against the first table of the Ten Commandments as sins against God (Matthew 22:37-38). Nevertheless, the words, “There is none greater in this house than I; neither has he kept back any thing from me but you, because you are his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” tell us that those who commit adultery are also sinning against God (Genesis 39:9). And, the words, “The children rebelled against me: they did not follow my law, or keep my instruction,” make it clear that every violation of God’s Law is a sin against God (Ezekiel 20:21).

          Now, the second table of the Ten Commandments is summarized in the words, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” and those who violate it sin against their neighbor (Matthew 22:39). However, the words, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins that a man commits are outside his body; but he who sins sexually sins against his own body,” (1Corinthians 6:18). Tell us that those who sin sexually not only sin against God and their neighbor, but also against their own body. Nevertheless, the words, “Against you, you only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight: so you are right when you pass sentence, and blameless when you judge,” were spoken by David after he committed adultery, and they make it clear that a sin against our own body is not a private matter, but a sin against God who made it (Psalm 51:4).

 

Grievous and Less Grievous Sins

          The words, “All who trust in the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one who does not continue to do everything that is written in the book of the law,” tell us that every violation of God’s law is rebellion against God (Galatians 3:10). And the words, “Whoever keeps the whole law, yet fails in one point, is guilty of all,” tell us that every unforgiven sin, no matter how small it seems to us will bring damnation (James 2:10). At the same time, the words, “Jesus answered, You would not have any power over me at all, unless it was given to you from above: therefore he who delivered me to you has the greater sin,” tell us that God sees some sins as greater than others (John 19:11).

          The words, “Moreover your little ones, which you said would be a prey, and your children, who in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they will go in there, and I will give it to them, and they will own it,” and the words, “That servant, who knew his lord’s will, and did not get ready, and did not do what his master wanted, will be beaten with many lashes. But the one who does not know, and committed deeds worthy of flogging, will be beaten with few lashes,” tell us that God sees willful sin as more grievous than sins of ignorance (Deuteronomy 1:39, Luke 12:47). Nevertheless, the words, “If there had been a law given that could have given life, righteousness truly would have been by the law,” tell us that when it comes to salvation, ignorance of the Law is no excuse (Galatians 3:21). If it was God would have never sent Christ to the cross.

          The words, “Whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God,” tell us that no one is righteous in the sight of God, all are guilty (Romans 3:19). And, the words, “He who believes on Him [Christ] is not condemned: but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God,” tell us that only those who trust in Christ will escape God’s condemnation (John 3:18-19). Therefore, unbelief is the most grievous sin of all.

 

Sins unto Death and Sins That are Not Imputed

          No one who sins willfully is truly sorry for his sin. And, it is impossible for someone who wants to be a sinner to want to be delivered from sin for those two wants are contradictory. The words, “With gentleness instructing those who oppose their own interest; in the hope that God will give them repentance bringing them to a realization of the truth,” tell us that repentance is a gift of God (2Timothy 2:25). However, because repentance without faith is incomplete and cannot save anyone; true repentance, the kind of repentance that comes from God, includes both contrition and faith. Compare the words, “God will not despise a heart that is broken and contrite [sorry for sin],” with the words, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Psalm 51:17, Hebrews 11:6). Those words tell us that faith and contrition [sorrow for sin] go hand in hand. Therefore, when the Bible says, “If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that is not unto death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for those who do not sin unto death. There is a sin unto death: I am not saying that he should pray for it,” we know that a “sin unto death” must be a willful sin, a sin that the perpetrator is not sorry for (1John 5:16).

          Some think that the “sin unto death” spoken of by John is the sin of “blasphemy against the Holy Ghost,” and that truly would be a sin unto death (see Matthew 12:31). I will deal with that sin later. However, the fact that Paul called for an unrepentant man to be delivered, “Unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh,” tells me that man was guilty of a sin unto death (1Corinthians 5:5). For that reason, the words, “The law is good, if one uses it lawfully; Understanding this, that the law is not meant for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the irreverent and profane, for those who strike or kill their fathers or mothers, for murders, For those who sin sexually, for sodomites, for kidnapers and slave traders, for liars and perjurers, and for any other thing that is contrary to sound teaching,” tell me that by committing the sins just listed the perpetrators of such sins place themselves back under the condemnation of the Law (1Timothy 1:8-10). And, sins that place one back under the condemnation of the Law are sins unto death, for the Law brings only death (Rom. 8:2). So if the perpetrator of such sins is unrepentant, the congregation has a responsibility to, “Deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (1Cor. 5:5).

          The idea that once a man comes to faith he can willfully engage in sin and still be saved is straight out of hell. Just as God brings us to faith solely by His grace, He keeps us in faith solely by His grace (1Peter 1:5). However, the words, “The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you would,” tell us that God keeps us from falling by keeping us repentant, not by letting us sin (Galatians 5:17).

 

          In contrast, no sin is ever imputed to those who have a repentant heart; those who like David in his youth walk “In integrity of heart, and in uprightness,” trusting in the forgiveness that is ours in Christ (1Kings 9:4). In fact, it is only to those who so trust in Christ that the words, “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin” apply (Romans 4:8). That does not mean that we have no sin. On the contrary, the Bible tells us that, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). However, “The righteousness of God apart from the law,” does not consist of more laws, but of forgiveness (Romans 3:21). That forgiveness is the reason that, “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one who believes” (Romans 10:4). It is that forgiveness that makes us righteous in the sight of God, and because of that forgiveness no sin is ever imputed to those who trust in Christ. That is why the Apostle John could write, “We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who is born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him” (1John 5:18).

 

The False Distinction Between Mortal and Venial Sins

          During the middle ages, someone who did not understand the Gospel, tried to rationalize an entire class of sins by claiming that they were too small to bring damnation. I have already explained why that idea is wrong, and why every unforgiven sin will damn. But in the past some have tried to sanctify that error by placing Biblical definitions on the terms “mortal” and “venial”. However, whenever that terminology is used some people twist it to excuse certain sins. If you have ever heard someone use the phrase, “little white lie” they were excusing a sin. For that reason, the terms “mortal” and “venial” should be purged from our theological vocabulary. Of those terms C. F. W. Walther said:

 

The Word of God is not rightly divided when the preacher speaks of certain sins as if there were not of a damnable, but of a venial nature… The Lord says: Verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled. 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.(Matthew 5:18-19) This is one of the most dreadful sayings found in Scripture. The Lord does not say: “He shall be the least,” but: “He shall be called the least.” “The least” means the most reprobate, or one whom God does not acknowledge as His own. That will be the sentence passed on him in the kingdom of God and Christ. Therefore you should with trembling approach the task of preaching both the Gospel and the Law. Do not speak of one jot of the Law, of one of the so-called least commandments, as of something about which a Christian need not be greatly concerned. (“Law and Gospel,” pages 325 and 326.)

 

Sins That Cry Out For Judgment

          The Bible tells us that some sins cry out to God for justice. Look for the words “cry,” “cried” or “cries” in the following passages.

Genesis 4:10, “What have you done? the voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground.”

Genesis 18:20, “The LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous.”

Exodus 3:7, “The LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;”

Exodus 3:9, “Now behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to me, and I have seen how the Egyptians are oppressing them.”

Exodus 22:22-24, “You shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. If you afflict them in any way, and they cry to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will grow hot.”

James 5:4, “Behold, the wages of the workers who reaped your fields, that you kept back by fraud, cry out: and the cries of those who did the harvesting have entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts.”

Revelation 6:10,  “And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, will you not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

Luke 18:7-8, “Will not God avenge his chosen, who cry to Him day and night, though he bears long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.”

In general, sins that cry out for justice seem to be crimes against the innocent, the poor and the helpless.

 

Pardonable Sins and Blasphemy Against the Holy Ghost

          The words, “Men will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy: but blasphemy against the Holy Ghost will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of man, will be forgiven: but anyone who speaks against the Holy Ghost, will not be forgiven, not in this world, or in the world to come,” tell us that every sin is pardonable, except for “blasphemy against the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 12:31-32).

However, the fact that most sins are pardonable should never be twisted into an excuse to sin. The words, “A broken and a contrite heart, O God, you wilt not despise,” tell us that forgiveness is only promised to those who are sorry for their sin (Psalm 51:17). In contrast, the man who sins willfully has treated “The blood of the covenant, by which he was sanctified, as an unholy thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace” (Hebrews 10:29).

 

Now we come to the question of what constitutes “blasphemy against the Holy Ghost”. In order to answer that question let us first consider the words of Nicodemus who, when he came to Jesus by night said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God: for no one could do these miracles that you do, unless God is with him” (John 3:1-2). Those words of Nicodemus tell us that the Pharisees knew that Jesus performed miracles by the power of God. Therefore, when the Bible tells us that, “The scribes that came down from Jerusalem said, He is possessed by Beelzebub, and casts out devils by the prince of the devils,” we know that those scribes had so hardened themselves against Christ that they would rather claim that His miracles were done by the power of Satan than admit their own sin (Mark 3:22). That being the case, the fact that “Jesus called them to Himself, and said to them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand,” tells us that Jesus was still reaching out to them, still trying to bring them to repentance (Mark 3:23-24). And, if they had already blasphemed the Holy Ghost that would have been a waste of time since they could not get forgiveness anyway. Therefore, His warning, “I tell you truly, All sins will be forgiven to the sons of men, and all blasphemies they utter: But whoever will blaspheme against the Holy Ghost will never be forgiven,” was aimed at keeping them from blaspheming the Holy Ghost (Mark 3:28-29). However, His warning tells us that those who blaspheme the Holy Ghost are those who are so hardened against the truth of the Gospel that they portray everything the Holy Spirit does to bring them to faith as the work of Satan. In short, “blasphemy against the Holy Ghost involves a total hardening of oneself in unbelief. And, if that is the case, a person who is truly guilty of that sin will have no desire for Christ, or the forgiveness that is available through His death on the cross.

 

In the past there have been many Christians who have been tormented by a fear that they might blaspheme the Holy Ghost. If you are one of them, instead of worrying you need to entrust the safekeeping of your soul to God’s grace, believing that you are “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation” (1Peter 1:5). God’s grace is fully able to keep us from that sin. As it is written, “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day” (2Timothy 1:12).

 

Hidden Sins and Open Sins

          The distinction between hidden and open sins is useful to pastors in dealing with matters of church discipline. For example, if one member of a family is guilty of a certain sin, to avoid bringing shame to the entire family a pastor might follow the steps of Matt. 18:15-18 while keeping the matter private (at least until the last step — see verse 17). If the sin is already known, then it can be dealt with publicly.

In Matthew 18 we read, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone: if he will hear you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not listen, then take one or two others with you, so that every word may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church: but if he refuses to hear the church, let him be to you as a heathen man and a publican. I tell you truly, Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven: and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (verses 15-18).

          The words, “Rebuke those who sin before all, that others also may fear,” tell us that open sin by a member of the church needs to be dealt with swiftly and openly (1Timothy 5:20). And, the words, “Among you one hears of immorality, and of a kind of immorality that does not even occur among the Gentiles, that one has his father’s wife. And you are still puffed up. Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with sorrow, and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?” command churches to put those who are immoral yet unrepentant out of their fellowship (1Corinthians 5:1-2).

 

Personal Sins and Sins in Whose Guilt We Share

          Personal sins are sins that we are guilty of. However, the Bible also speaks of those who share in the guilt of sins committed by others. We partake in the sins of others whenever we command someone to sin, advise them to sin, help them to sin, or help them to cover up a sin.

          The words, “Anyone who is partner with a thief hates his own soul: he is put under oath, but discloses nothing,” call those who know of a crime, but refuse to testify, a “partner” in that crime (Proverbs 29:24). In an American court of law, someone who helps cover up a crime is guilty of being an “accessory after the fact”.

The words, “If anyone sins, by hearing a public call to give sworn testimony, and is a witness, whether he has seen or learned of it; if he does not speak, then he shall bear his iniquity,” again condemn those who have knowledge of a sin but refuse to testify (Leviticus 5:1).

The instructions that David gave to Joab, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and withdraw from him, so that he will be struck down and die,” made David guilty of murder even though he did not commit the act (2Samuel 11:15).

          The words, “Come out of her, my people, so that you do not share in her sins,” and the words, “Do not be hasty in laying hands on any man, and do not share in the sins of others: keep yourself pure” warn us against sharing in the sins of others (Revelation 18:4, 1Timothy 5:22).

          The words, “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed, for he who bids him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds,” warn us against encouraging those who spread cultic doctrines and pervert the Gospel (2John 10-11).

 

          The words, “Who knowing the judgment of God, that those who commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in those who do them,” warn against friendship with evildoers (Romans 1:32). The words, “Do not be deceived: bad company undermines good behavior,” warn us against evil influence (1Corinthians 15:33). The words, “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them,” warn us against fellowship with evil (Ephesians 5:11). And, the words, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful.” with the words “I have not sat with those who deceive, nor will I fellowship with hypocrites. I hate the company of evil doers, and will not sit with the wicked,” tell us what our attitude toward sin should be (Psalm 1:1 & 26:4-5).