A hallmark doctrine of the Reformation is the doctrine of total depravity. In short, the doctrine of total depravity teaches that sin infects every facet of our humanity—nothing about us is left untouched by evil’s influence. Our hearts, minds, and wills are all affected by the pervasive power of sin. Total depravity does not mean that everyone is as evil as they could be, but only that everyone is fundamentally sinful, and that sin infects every facet of our personhood (Gen 6:5; Ps 51:5; Jer 17:9; Rom 3:10-20).
Actually, in our unconverted state, all we do is sin, as the apostle Paul reminds us: “For the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law, indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom 8:7-8). To be “in the flesh” is to be unregenerate and separated from Christ. When someone is in this condition, everything they think, say, feel, and do is sin.
Degrees of Sin? Really?
Throughout my pastoral ministry, I’ve occasionally encountered people who embrace the doctrine of total depravity but have difficulty accepting the idea that there are degrees of sin. “All sin is evil in God’s eyes,” they argue. “We can’t differentiate between levels or degrees of sin.” Yes, it’s true that God hates all sin, and yes, even the smallest sin makes one liable to the entire law (James 2:10). But it does not follow from these biblical truths that all sin is the same in terms of its impact on people or in how God views it. In other words, Scripture does place greater weight on some sin than others.
For example, when God spoke to Ezekiel about Israel’s sin and the coming judgment, God warned the prophet that he would see “greater abominations” than what he had already seen:
And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel are committing here, to drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see still greater abominations” (Ezek 8:6).
Israel had been guilty of serious transgressions against the covenant. Nevertheless, they were apparently capable of even greater sins than what they had previously committed. But the very idea of “greater abominations” indicates that God considered some sins as worse than others.
Jesus’ Teaching on Degrees of Sin
Jesus also taught that there were some sins that were worse than others. For example, after learning that Capernaum had rejected his disciples, Jesus pronounced a severe judgment upon the town, comparing the people of Capernaum to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.
And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you (Matt 11:23-24).
God had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah due to their flagrant sexual sin. Nevertheless, their sin was not as serious as an Israelite town rejecting the gospel while the Messiah was in their very midst. Capernaum, therefore, would suffer even greater punishment for their sin in the final judgment. Because Sodom and Gomorrah were not guilty of the greater sin of rejecting the Messiah, their punishment on the day of judgment will be “more tolerable” than what the people of Capernaum will experience. Different levels of judgment indicate that God sees some sins as more heinous than others.
Jesus also taught that there were “weightier matters of the law.” When confronting the Pharisees over their religious hypocrisy, Jesus rebuked them for paying inordinate attention to tithing and not enough attention to important matters like justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. (Matt 23:23)
The implication, then, is that neglecting these weightier commandments was a greater infraction than neglecting the less weighty ones. Of course, this was not an excuse to neglect the less weighty commandments. Jesus taught in this passage and elsewhere in Matthew that all the commandments are important, and none should be neglected (see Matt 5:17-20). But among the commandments, there were some that were “weightier” than others, and their neglect was therefore more serious.
Jesus also stated explicitly that there were greater and lesser sins. For example, when Pilate informed Jesus that he had the authority to condemn or release him, Jesus responded by reminding Pilate that his authority was granted to him by God, not something that he had ultimately secured from himself. “Therefore,” Jesus said, referring to Herod, “the one who delivered me over to you has the greater sin” (John 19:11). In God’s eyes, Herod was guilty of greater sin than Pilate.
Distinguishing Between Sins is Not a Roman Catholic Doctrine
It is vital that we distinguish between the relative seriousness of specific sins. Not only is such nuance warranted biblically, but it is also required ethically. If we place all sins together under one category, we disable ourselves from practicing consistent justice. For example, we know that theft should not be punished in the same way that first-degree murder is. Yes, both are transgressions against God and his law, but we must be able to say that murder is worse than theft. This is why the Old Covenant law treated these two infractions differently and required death for one (Lev 24:17) and not the other (Lev 6:1-4).
To argue for varying degrees of sin, however, is not to endorse the Roman Catholic teaching regarding so-called mortal and venial sins. In this framework, mortal sins exclude you from the kingdom of God (salvation), but venial sins do not exclude you from the kingdom—they only weaken the life of God in the soul.
In response, we must say that all sin excludes a person from the kingdom. When we speak of degrees of sin, we are not suggesting that some sins are pardonable while some aren’t, or that some sins do not count against our record and some do. No, every sin a person commits is worthy of eternal judgment from an infinitely holy God (Ezek 18:4; 1 John 5:17). In this way, then, all sins are “mortal” in that all sins exclude us from the kingdom of God. At the moment of our salvation, however, all our sins—past, present, and future—are placed upon the cross and no longer count against our legal record (Col 2:13-14). We no longer must fear committing a “mortal sin” that has the power to remove our justified status (Rom 8:32-34). Even so, we must recognize that during our pilgrimage, it is possible to commit sins of greater or lesser seriousness.
Conclusion: No Excuses
Again, like we saw above, the fact of varying degrees of sin should never entice us to commit the “lesser” sins or neglect the “less weighty” commandments. As Thomas Brooks reminds us, Satan works by degrees, and he often will lead us to greater sin by seducing us to yield to lesser ones. “[Satan] will first draw thee to be unclean in thy thoughts, and then to be unclean in thy looks, and then to be unclean in thy words, and at last to be unclean in thy practices” (Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices, 39). Brooks’s observation built upon the wisdom of biblical texts like Psalm 1:1-3 where the godly man doesn’t even allow the process to begin: He refuses to walk in the counsel of the wicked so that he won’t eventually sit in the seat of scoffers.
We can also consider the progression of sin in David’s life. He started by neglecting his duties and resting when he should have been working (2 Sam 11:1). Then he saw a beautiful woman bathing but did not divert his eyes (2 Sam 11:2). He then desired her in his heart, took her for himself, and committed adultery with her (2 Sam 11:4). This eventually led to David having the woman’s husband killed so that his sin wouldn’t be exposed (2 Sam 11:14-27). We can say that the act of murder and physical adultery was worse than David’s initial neglect of his military duties. But, it was the lesser sin left unchecked that led to his greater sins.
Therefore, recognizing that Scripture distinguishes varying degrees of sin is not an excuse for indulging in lesser sins. If we entertain this idea, it is a sure sign that we are under a delusion. All of God’s commandments are important and given to us so that we might glorify God in keeping them. Yet, it is important to differentiate between the relative seriousness of particular sins in order to advocate for and practice true justice in the contexts in which we live and work, as well as be able to adequately warn people of the eternal seriousness of rejecting Christ after they’ve had the privilege of hearing the gospel, for rejecting Christ is the greatest sin of all (John 3:18; 36).