Crime and sin can be very similar. Certainly they overlap, and sometimes they are identical, i.e. murder is sin, and it is also a crime. Lying is sin; sometimes it is a crime.
Crime is a violation of the law. Sin is a violation of God’s moral law, God’s holiness. The criminal is to be punished on earth according to his crime. The sinner is to be forgiven or to be punished everlastingly.
It is possible to be executed for murder (a crime) and also to be forgiven for the same murder (sin). I know of several such cases.
There are people who do not commit crimes, but they do lie. They are not in danger of jail. They are in serious danger (unless they are forgiven) of hellfire.
“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal. 5:19-21)
These are sins, not crimes.
“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor. 6:9-11)
Thieving, swindling, and slandering are crimes as well as sins.
“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” (Rev. 21:8)
Notice that murder is the only crime in this list.
It is normal for people to think that if they are not criminals they are safe from the judgment of God. Please search this out and change your thinking for yourself, your friends, and your relatives.
Crime is a violation of the law. Sin is a violation of God’s moral law, God’s holiness. The criminal is to be punished on earth according to his crime. The sinner is to be forgiven or to be punished everlastingly.
It is possible to be executed for murder (a crime) and also to be forgiven for the same murder (sin). I know of several such cases.
There are people who do not commit crimes, but they do lie. They are not in danger of jail. They are in serious danger (unless they are forgiven) of hellfire.
“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal. 5:19-21)
These are sins, not crimes.
“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor. 6:9-11)
Thieving, swindling, and slandering are crimes as well as sins.
“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” (Rev. 21:8)
Notice that murder is the only crime in this list.
It is normal for people to think that if they are not criminals they are safe from the judgment of God. Please search this out and change your thinking for yourself, your friends, and your relatives.
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