Weighing Sin

I've been considering for the way we qualify and quantify sin. I believe that God sees justice, and sin, and eternity in a way that I am not capable of fully understanding. Knowing that I am a sinner, in need of grace, causes me to justify myself by lessening my own sins. I make my sins seem a lot less significant by looking at the people in this world that are considered bad. At least I didn't: rape, kill, torture, victimize, etc. Right?

That makes me better, right?

Humanly, I'd like to think so. But, when I consider the sin that marks the fall of man, I have to wonder if this is all a human attempt at justifying myself. They ate a piece of fruit from a tree. Okay. Let me say that again. All they did was eat a piece of fruit from a tree. You remember them, right? Adam and Eve, enjoying the lush, perfect Garden of Eden, and freely enjoying the presence of God. Those two? That had the life, the people we say "Why'd you do that guys?? Come on, life would be so much better now if you hadn't eaten the fruit."

But we're talking about eating a piece of fruit. Like, I can't minimize that enough. On one hand, we have murder, on the other fruit. But their sin separated them from God, caused them to be cast from the garden, and changed things for all of mankind.

Are you following me? If we think about sin as disobedience - as making the wrong choice - and realize that God takes all disobedience in the same seriousness, then my sin is no less wrong than anyone else's. I don't get a different dose of grace. I don't get a teaspoon instead of a tablespoon. I get grace. The debt (which is death) for my sins, paid in full, by the precious blood of Jesus.

As I picture myself, kneeling before the throne of God, I cannot imagine trying to give God my justifications. My, "ands, ifs, buts," about my life. I cannot fathom trying to tell the Creator of Justice, the Author of Mercy, the Giver of Grace, that I didn't do "too bad" - that I was better than another of His creation. I am thankful for the gift of life, for the price that Christ paid for me. On that day, when I am brought forward to be judged, I will keep my mouth shut and let my Redeemer speak for me. Because I don't have the eloquence of words it would take to redeem myself.