Sin is Sin

"But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips"- Colossians 3:8 (NIV).

One of the middle school students had completed his test with time to spare while we waited on other students to complete their tests. I gave him paper and pencil so he could draw. Shortly, he raised his hand and asked for another page. I told him to use both sides; after all, he had two pages. He told me he had drawn on both sides, but I soon discovered he had written a bad word on the back of one sheet. His excuse was that the word wasn't as bad as other words. I told him bad was still bad. He didn't get the additional sheet of paper. It made me think of sin and how we treat one sin as more acceptable than other sins. Sin is still sin. James said, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it" (2:10). And we have all sinned; whether lies, dishonoring our parents, idolatry, adultery, stealing, disrespecting the Sabbath, disbelief, murder, misusing God's name, coveting; we're all guilty (Romans 3:23). We needed saving; we needed Jesus. And that's exactly what Jesus did. He died that we might be righteous in the eyes of God. When we accepted Jesus we died to our old ways of sin. Don't fall for the schemes of the devil that little sins are acceptable. How can we accept that Jesus died for us and still live in sin (Romans 6:2)? Sin is sin.