6/10/2016 AreallsinsequallyoffensivetoGod?

AreallsinsequallyoffensivetoGod?

FullQuestion

Aren'tallsinsequallyoffensivetoGod?Afterall,James2:10says,"Forwhoeverkeepsthewholelawbutfailsinonepointhasbecomeguiltyofallofit."

Answer

Don'tignore1John5:17:"Allwrongdoingissin,butthereissinwhichisnotmortal."EveryonesinsandfallsshortofthegloryofGodthereisnodisputingthat.
ButwhywouldPaultellChristiansinRometokeepthefaith"otherwiseyoutoowillbecutoff"(Rom11:22)unlesshefearedfortheirsalvation?Thereare
othertimeswhentheapostleindicatesthenecessityofremainingwithChristlestsalvationbelost(1Cor9:27,Phil2:12).Yetsalvationisnotlostbyeverysinas
Jamessays,"Weallstumbleinmanyways"(Jas3:2).

ItstandstoreasonthattheCatholicChurchwouldteachthatsomehumanfailingsareworsethanothers.Manmadelawreflectsthisinsight:Governmentsdo
nothangjaywalkers.Asitiswithhumanlaw,soitiswithdivinelaw.Minorsinsarecalled"venial,"andserioussinsarecalled"mortal"becausetheyinvolvea
massiverejectionofGod'slawandcausethespiritualdeathofthesoul.

WhatJamesmeanswhenhesaysthatwhoeverfailsononepointofthelawisguiltyofbreakingallofitisnotthatallhumansareequallyguiltyiftheysinonce
thentherewouldbenodifferenceinthelevelsofpunishmentpeoplewouldreceive,yetJesussaystherewillbe(Lk12:4748cf.Mt10:15,11:2224).What
Jamesmeansisthatanyonewhobreaksonepointofthelawisguiltyofbreakingthelawitself,ofbreakingitasanentity.Togiveananalogy,anyonewho
breaksonepartofaplateisguiltyofbreakingtheplate.Hemaynothavebrokeneverypartofitsmasheditintopiecesbutheisguiltyofbreakingtheplateas
awhole.

Inthesameway,apersonwhobreaksonelawhasbrokenthelawasawholehehasbecomealawbreaker,whichisJames'spoint,asisclearfromthenext
verse:"Forhewhosaid,`Donotcommitadultery,'saidalso,`Donotkill.'Ifyoudonotcommitadulterybutdokill,youhavebecomeatransgressorofthelaw"
(Jas2:11).Thismeansallofusneedmercyandthereforeneedtobemerciful(Jas2:1213).

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