Yesterday I posted the first two ways some sins are worse than others from the Westminster Larger Catechism. Here are the last two with some concluding remarks. The question being answered is what makes some sins worse than others.

3. From the nature and quality of the offense: if it be against the express letter of the law, break many commandments, contain in it many sins: if not only conceived in the heart, but breaks forth in words and actions, scandalize others, and admit of no reparation; if against means, mercies, judgments, light of nature, conviction of conscience, public or private admonition, censures of the church, civil punishments; and our prayers, purposes, promises, vows, covenants, and engagements to God or men: if done deliberately, willfully, presumptuously, impudently, boastingly, maliciously, frequently, obstinately, with delight, continuance, or relapsing after repentance.

A sin can be aggravated if the quality of the sin is greater. The list here is long. Let’s focus on a couple of things. First, breaking the clear teaching of Scripture is a greater sin than a less clear teaching of Scripture. Adultery is worse than masturbation, though masturbation is a sin. One is clearly taught in Scripture the other is not as clear. Cursing God is worse that a regular profanity such as “s**t.”

Second, if there are numerous agencies, such as parents, church, government, our own conscience, or friends that have shown us how an action is against Scripture and yet we sin anyway, this makes the sin worse. This isn’t complicated. If a new Christian is in a mostly pagan situation with just a few Christian friends who are young in the faith and sins that is different from a man who was raised a Christian, is surrounded by mature Christians, has pastors and elders encouraging him to do right and sins.

Finally whenever sin is boasted in or committed with delight that makes it worse. Here is one of the reasons why sodomy today is worse than sodomy in the past. Homosexuality has always existed. But today it is celebrated and rejoiced in even by those who claim Christ. This is done despite the fact that it is against conscience, Scripture, nature, and the consensus of the church through the ages. That means many homosexuals today do not just commit the sin, but make it worse by boasting in it.

But sodomy is low hanging fruit. How many Christians delight in “getting other Christians?” How many Christians delight in their pride, that they are not like other people or even other Christians? How many Christians delight in the fact that they submit to no man, when Scripture calls them to submit to elders? How many Christians gossip behind the backs of others with a secret delight? If you think this doesn’t apply to you and only applies to sodomites and frat boys who love sleeping with a different woman each weekend you are wrong. We all have our pet sins that we let go. What are the sins you secretly delight in?

4. From circumstances of time and place: if on the Lord’s day, or other times of divine worship; or immediately before  or after these, or other helps to prevent or remedy such miscarriages: if in public, or in the presence of others, who are thereby likely to be provoked or defiled.

Fourth, sins can be made worse when we commit them at particular times or places. The first thing mentioned by the WLC is when a sin is committed before or after worship. Why is yelling at your children driving home from church worse than yelling at them on Thursday after shopping? At first, this seemed odd to me. But it makes sense.  One of the themes running throughout these questions is that the closer contact one has with the gospel, the church, and the teachings of the Bible the more heinous it makes the sin. Therefore if you walk into church, sing praises to God, fellowship with his people, hear his word, and then walk out and sin it aggravates the sin because it is against an immediate grace.

The second thing mentioned is when a person sins in public or in front of those likely to be led astray. Again a father leads his children. Therefore when a father complains in front of his children is more heinous than if he  complained in private. A minister preaching heresy from the pulpit is worse than thinking about heresy in his office.  A wife who disrespects her husband in to her friends is worse than one who just has disrespectful thoughts.

To summarize  the teaching. Sins can be made worse:

• If the person sinning is in a position of authority, power, or has particular gifts.
• If the person sinned against is God himself, a human in authority, a weak brother, or someone who is a close relationship.
• If the sin is clear violation of Scripture, has been condemned by many Christians, or is rejoiced in.
• If the sin is preceded or followed closely by an act of worship or is done in public.

Concluding Thoughts

First, just because one sin is worse, does not make the lesser sin not a sin. A political leader committing adultery is worse than an auto mechanic committing adultery. But it is still adultery in both cases. Both men are guilty. In other words, this list should not be taken as justifying lesser sins. No sin is good, but some are worse than others.

Second, this list is helpful in challenging situations of sin in the church or even among children. How hard you come down on someone will often be dictated not just by the sin, but also the context of the sin. How long has the person been a Christian? Have they been taught the ways of God? Were they warned? Is this a besetting sin that the person is fighting against or is it something they indulge without much concern?

Third, all of us ministers, elders, and deacons need to read these two WLC questions carefully. There is a reason our falls are the source of great scandal in the church. There is a reason our failure to study theology leads our people astray. There is a reason our family life is so important to our ministry. Feel the weight brothers. Our sins hurt more people and cause more damage than the sins of others. Do not take the task on lightly.

Finally, as you read the list apply it to yourself and not to your neighbor. One of the greatest problems I have as a pastor is people who think sermons and posts like these are for everyone else, but not for them. This post is for you. What do you do to aggravate or make your sins worse?

Westminster Assembly

As you read history you realize that theologians of the past tended to be more careful and thoughtful with their distinctions. They would often dig into every nook and cranny of a subject, pulling out every implication of a particular doctrine, passage, or law. At times, this led to excess. But in our age, when thinking is typically shallow, it is worth going back and looking at how these men thought and how they worked out implications of specific doctrines. The Westminster Larger Catechism (WLC) is a great example of this. The questions below come after the WLC exposition of the Ten Commandments (Questions 91-149). There is a lot of wisdom in these two questions.

Q150: Are all transgressions of the law of God equally heinous in themselves, and in the sight of God? A150: All transgressions of the law of God are not equally heinous; but some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.

The first question is are all sins equal. One of the common ideas floated around today is that all sin equally, we are all in the same boat, all of us are terrible, wicked men. There is, of course, some truth to this. That is why it sticks. But that is not the whole truth. All men in the sight of God are damned for Hell without Christ. But that does not make all sins equally heinous. We can see this when Jesus says it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for Capernaum in the day of judgment (Matthew 11:24). Is being rude at the dinner table a sin? Yes. But being rude at the Lord’s Supper is worse. The first point the WLC makes is that not all sins are equally heinous. What makes some sins worse than others? The WLC lists four things. Here are the first two. I will post the last two tomorrow.

Q151: What are those aggravations that make some sins more heinous than others?
A151: Sins receive their aggravations,
1. From the persons offending: if they be of riper age, greater experience or grace, eminent for profession, gifts, place, office, guides to others, and whose example is likely to be followed by others.

First, a sin can be made worse by the person doing the sinning.  If a person is older, has been a Christian longer, has greater gifts or a greater position, leads others, or others follow them then the sins are worse. We all know this in life. A minister who commits adultery is worse than a layman who commits adultery. A bitter old woman is a worse sinner than a bitter young woman. Fathers’ sins are worse than the sins of children. A man in leadership when he sins will lead many astray while a normal Joe will not.  If a man has been a Christian for thirty years and starts teaching heresy it is worse than a young believer who goes astray. A sin is not committed in a vacuum. A particular man or woman, in a particular situation commits sin. Who that person is and who they relate to matters.

2. From the parties offended: if immediately against God, his attributes, and worship; against Christ, and his grace; the Holy Spirit, his witness,  and workings; against superiors, men of eminency, and such as we stand especially related and engaged unto; against any of the saints, particularly weak brethren, the souls of them, or any other, and the common good of all or many.

Second, a sin can be made worse by the one sinned against. Obviously, direct sins against God are worse than sins against man. The WLC references Hebrews 2:2 here. Sin against the grace of the gospel is worse than stealing from your neighbor. Cursing God is worse than watching porn.

But then beyond direct sins against God a sin can be worse when it is committed against particular people. A son cursing his father is worse than the same son cursing his friend at the park. The closer the relationship the worse the sin. That means sins within the family are worse than sins outside of it. It also means, and I think this is worth carefully considering, sinning against a brother or sister in Christ is a deep offense against God. Too many Christians treat the world better than the person on sits in the pew next to them. We bend over backwards to accommodate the world, but make excuses for not helping our brothers or sisters in Christ. This is not an encouragement to treat the world worse, but rather to treat your fellow Christians better.

Tomorrow I will post the other two ways we make sins worse as well some concluding thoughts.