Reformed Christian Studies

Is quite common to hear the notion that all sins are the same in God’s sight or that no sin is worse than any other sin. The reasoning behind this is that one breach of God’s law makes us guilty of breaking all commands (James 2:10). Another way this is justified is by saying that all sin meets the same penalty (Romans 6:23) or that its remedy is the same in the cross of Christ. The motivation behind this can be well-intentioned, perhaps not wanting any sin to be seen as small in itself. It deflects unwanted moral judgments by requiring that others must be without sin themselves to avoid hypocrisy. Perhaps the overwhelming emphasis on equality in our culture also steers people towards this idea. But is it right to say that all sins are equal? It is certainly true that the least sin is an offence against the infinitely holy God and therefore absolutely evil. There is no such thing as a sin that doesn’t matter. But this is not all that can be said. The claim that sins are judged a

John Owen (theologian) - Wikipedia Posted at Purely Presbyterian : “Abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” 1 Peter 2:11 John Owen Temptation and Sin Works, vol. 6, exc. ch. 6. The Lust of the Flesh. First, In general it is said to lust: Gal. 5:17, “ The flesh lusteth against the Spirit. ” This word expresseth the general nature of that opposition which the law of sin maketh against God and the rule of his Spirit or grace in them that believe; and, therefore, the least degree of that opposition is expressed hereby. When it doth any thing, it lusteth; as, because burning is the general acting of fire, whatever it doth else, it doth also burn. When fire doth any thing it burns; and when the law of sin doth any thing it lusts. Hence, all the actings of this law of sin are called “ The lusts of the flesh: ” Gal. 5:16, “ Ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh ;” Rom. 13:14, “ Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. ” Nor are these lusts of

By Dr. R. Scott Clark - Posted at The Heidelblog: http://heidelblog.net/about/ God’s Word is very clear about sexual immorality. Leviticus 18 illustrates how God views sexual immorality . It prohibits adultery and moves immediately in the next verse to warn against not offering one’s children to Molech, to a prohibition against male homosexuality, which the text calls an “abomination.” It prohibits bestiality (vv. 18–23). All these things made Israel unclean. The punishment for these crimes was most grave. Those punishments have expired with the expiration of the death of Christ but God has not changed. Sexual immorality is still a sin. As we have already seen, our Lord Jesus forbids sexual immorality and the Apostle Paul forbids it in both 1 Corinthians 6 and 7. Scripture is clear that homosexual behavior is a sin. The argument is sometimes made that Christian opposition to homosexuality is grounded solely in the Mosaic (Old Covenant) civil laws and thus, if Christians oppose ho

By Dr. R. Scott Clark - The Heidelblog: In reaction to the latest phase of the sexual revolution, in response to the discovery by a 5–4 majority of the Supreme Court of the United States of “right” to same-sex marriage, in reaction to the rise of a militant “transgender” (transsexual) movement and the normalization of homosexuality generally, it has become accepted wisdom in some quarters that sexual sin is no different than any other sin. There is a sense in which that is true, of course, since James 2:10 says that to break one commandment is to break all of them. Nevertheless, there is more to be said. The Apostle Paul issued pointed warnings to the Corinthian congregation about the special dangers of sexual sin. Flee from sexual immorality (πορνείαν). Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not yo