Sin is Sin, is Sin, is Sin

About five years ago I was in a men’s bible study group. There were 7 of us and we met weekly. One night one member of our group came and had a confession for us. It seems he had been arrested that day and charged with sexually abusing his step-daughter. He had been released on bail and had a restraining order against him to keep him away from his step-daughter, wife, and his home. I wasn’t exactly sure why he came to group that night, maybe he was looking for sympathy or something. I don’t think he got what he expected.
The abuse had apparently been going on for a period of years. The girl was, at that time, 11 years old. She had told a friend at school and that friend had told a parent who had in turn, told the school.
I was beside myself with anger and rage. I have spent my whole entire adult life working with kids. This was an affront to everything I lived for. This man admitted his guilt and wanted us to consider a character reference for him during his pre-sentence investigation. I said to him, ‘you want me to give you a character reference based on what, the fact that you have been coming to this group for two years and basically lying to us?” I said, I like you, I do, but I can’t abide this. My whole life is working with kids. Is that why you befriended me, so you could be closer to the kids I work with?
It turned out that he had previously been convicted in another state of the same thing, during a different marriage, with adopted twin daughters. Somehow he had been able to hide that from his new wife. I don’t know how. It was very evident that he was a sociopath and manipulator. He is currently serving time in the state prison system.
Over the next days and weeks I was convicted by the spirit over my feelings toward this. Not that I was supposed to embrace this man and all of us live happily ever after, but I was convicted by the realization that Sin is Sin in the eyes of God.
But for the grace of God, there go I. Man ranks sin. We give it points I guess based on what the sin is. Murder, rape, child molesting, get big scores. Maybe robbery and arson get another set of points. Then there is lying, and infidelity, and drug dealing and those things which, according to man’s standards, are lesser sins.
Of course we, in our human state of things, shouldn’t throw the shoplifter in the same prison cell and for the same time as the child molester. I don’t suggest that at all. My point is, To God, un-repented, un-forgiven by the grace of Jesus Christ, sin, is still sin. I don’t think the Lord has a point system for sin and that was what I was being convicted of by the spirit. I needed to not focus on the molester, he would face his punishment. I needed to focus on my life and examine some sin there that needed just as much grace.
If a renegade pilot of a hijacked plane crashes into a building and kills hundreds, and the pilot of a single engine plane deliberately crashes into his ex-wife’s home and kills her, under grace, and the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, both of those people can come to saving knowledge of Christ and be eternally saved. They would have both needed to have made that personal decision but could have both been washed in the blood and forgiven.
That was the hard concept for me and the reason for my struggle. I am a sinner. Without question, I am a sinner. Man must, under mans law, and to paraphrase, Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s. But we must also, the molester, the murderer, the liar, the thief, come to saving grace the same way and at the same price, Free, through the gift of our savior.
Christ died for me. I’m didn’t earn it. I can’t pay for it. I don’t deserve it, but there he is, before the father, giving my character reference.
Amen