Sins of Weakness or Deliberate Sins?

By Rev. Randall Bell

One of the most recognizable symbols in the world is Lady Justice holding a pair of scales in her hand. Many people believe they will see those same scales in the hand of God on Judgment Day. The thinking goes like this, “If our good deeds weigh more than our sins, God will let us into heaven, but if our sins weigh more, then...” Need I go on?

The Bible does not speak of any such Judgment Day scales. Not only that, even if there were such scales, we would have no sins to place on them. No one would! Why not? God, for Jesus’ sake, has forgiven every sinner, even those who reject Him, even those who are in hell. People don’t go to heaven or hell because of the number of sins they commit; rather, it’s all about Christ. Those who believe in Jesus go to heaven, no matter how many or how great their sins are. Those who do not believe in Jesus perish. Unbelief alone is what damns (e.g., Mark 16:16, John 3:17–18).

So, does this mean that we can coast through life not worrying about how we live? Can we follow our fleshly desires and not pay attention to the sins we are committing? Since unbelief, not sin, damns, are we free to sin all we want? As St. Paul would say, “Perish the thought! How can we who have died to sin still live in it” (Romans 6:2)?

King David didn’t perish the thought, that is. When the thought came to him to commit adultery with Bathsheba, he followed through with sinful actions. David deliberately and intentionally rejected God’s commandments, committing adultery and then murder (2 Samuel 11).

How could a man of God do such a thing? Where was his faith? Our Lutheran Confessions are very clear about this, “One is not to imagine a kind of faith that can exist and abide with, and alongside of a wicked intention to sin and to act against conscience” (FC III). Where was David’s faith? It had been extinguished by his wicked intention to sin.

We need to be aware that there are two kinds of sin: sins of weakness, and deliberate, intentional sins. On the one hand, all sins are equal in God’s eyes. Every sin, no matter how small or great it appears to us, is an offense before God. As Jesus says in His Sermon on the Mount, lust is adultery, and hatred is murder. On the other hand, it is much worse for a Christian to commit a deliberate sin against his consciencethan for him to commit a sin of weakness. Think of it like this: gravity doesn’t care how small or how big a falling object is.

It pulls on every object equally. However, would you rather be hit on the head by falling pigeon droppings or by a brick from the top of the Empire State Building? Gravity pulls equally on both falling objects, but while one object will make a mess of you, the other will kill you.

Because of the weakness of our flesh, we are unable to live free from sin. We often fail to do the right thing, and we so easily give in to temptation and do the wrong thing. Those pigeon droppings fall on our heads many times through the day. But remember that you are a baptized child of God. Those pigeon droppings—our sins of weakness—are washed away day after day. Your Baptism gives you Christ whose blood cleanses you of every sinful stain.

A Christian who commits deliberate, intentional sin, however, is rejecting his Baptism. He no longer apprehends Christ by faith. He is not repentant but continues to live in his wicked intention to sin. King David was not sorry for his sins of adultery and murder. It was not the droppings of a pigeon but a brick that fell on his head and killed him. He had fallen from grace and was dead in sin. Yet, God was merciful and sent His prophet Nathan to him. Nathan spoke the Word of God to David and the Holy Spirit caused him to repent of his sin and believe the word of forgiveness that Nathan gave to him.

If you are concerned that you have acted against your conscience and, like David, deliberately sinned against God, do not despair. Your concern is the work of God within you. Your pastor is God’s Nathan to you. Listen to him. Through the Word of God that he speaks to you, the Holy Spirit returns you to your Baptism—to a life of repentance and faith in Christ Jesus. Always remember that Jesus was crushed for your iniquities. Upon His head fell the crown of thorns so that on Judgment Day, God will place upon your head the crown of life.

Rev. Randall Bell is pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Augusta, Missouri, and can be reached by e-mailing arbi@centurytel.net.