Daily Reading
Daily Thought
I hear it all the time, “All sins are the same in the eyes of God.” It is said with good intentions, I suppose. No one is worse than anyone else. God loves us all the same, you know, like Grandma. Ask Grandma whether she loves you or your brother best. “I love you both the same” is her answer every time. So one sin is no worse than any other, and they point to James 2:10, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.” See!
But is that what this verse says?
Every sin, no matter how big or little, is equally effective in separating us from God. That is the point of James 2:10. The standard is “be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). It does not matter if you miss by an inch or a mile, you missed. Whether you sin badly or not-so-badly, you miss perfection, and you need saving and you need grace and you need Jesus.
On the scales of God’s judgment, however, we find disparity. Some sins weigh heavy, others not so much, and it may surprise us to see which sins are punished most severely. Exodus 22 is a lengthy list of crimes and punishments. In the first 15 verses, mostly about property damage and theft, every one who does wrong gets fined. In the next nine verses, they die. These are sins of sexual perversity and sorcery and idolatry. The punishments increase because the sins worsen. All sins are not the same, the worse the sin, the greater the punishment. Listen to this one: “My wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless” (Exodus 22:24). Yikes! This comes not from lying or cheating or even murder, but when you “wrong a foreigner or oppress him” or “mistreat any widow or orphan” (Exodus 22:21-22). In this, we learn the heart of God who listens to the cries of the helpless and the outcasts and the poor and the weak.
Daily Prayer
Almighty God, I am amazed You are concerned about me, who I am and what I do. You care about my everyday life. It is good to know what is right and what is wrong, how You expect us to treat each other, what is pleasing in Your eyes. Thank you, Lord, for showing us Your laws that lead to the good life–a life marked by right living. Help me God to remember how personal you are, that You are very close, and that You will lead me. I need to follow!
God, make me keenly aware of those who most need my attention. Give me a heart of compassion for those who need compassion most.
Amen
Daily Question
Would you say you are someone who thinks too much about sin or not enough?
