Sin Leveling

by Gardner Hall

What is “sin leveling”? I recently heard this term, and the more I think about it, the more I think it describes a great evil. “Sin leveling” is giving the same weight to depraved or predatory acts that we give to the involuntary shortcomings that all disciples battle.

But aren’t all sins equal? Only in the sense that all sins separate us from God and require the blood of Christ for spiritual cleansing. However, just as there are “weightier matters of the law” (Matthew 23:23), there are “weightier” sins that reveal a more depraved heart than others. They leave their victims more traumatized than others.

A biblical contrast: The apostle Paul asked for forgiveness in Acts 23:5 for harshly rebuking the high priest, unaware at the time that he was a man of authority. Although Paul felt the need to apologize for this transgression, it should by no means be equated with the depravity of the men of Sodom who wanted to rape the angels who visited Lot in Genesis 19. Yes, both acts can be described as sin, but they were by no means equal in their level of depravity.

Sin leveling is often seen when someone suffers great trauma at the hands of someone who is popular or respected. In such cases, some give the victim advice like this:

• “Don’t take it so hard.”
• “We all sin.”
• “It’s better to forgive and move on.”

Although this advice is understandable in a few contexts, it is often used to minimize the depth of the pain suffered by the victim, sometimes at the hands of a leader or a respected individual in the church.

The victim of abuse needs their brethren to take their trauma seriously so they can help them find comfort in Christ. But often, instead of receiving aid, they receive “sin leveling.” The victim is told things like: “You sin too. We all need God’s grace.” Thus, they treat the exploitation by a person in authority, even sexual abuse, as if it were the same as the spiritual lapses that even holy servants of God must fight.

A good sister told me about a preacher who touched her inappropriately and said suggestive things to her. She told me, “If I tell the brethren what happened, they will tell me that I am the one who is wrong and that I should forget it and move on.” She feared with some justification that the brothers would equate the depraved mindset revealed by the preacher's actions and words with the shortcomings of sincere Christians like the apostle Paul.

Shouldn't we forgive? Yes, when there is confession and sincere repentance (Luke 17:3). So, what is the difference between leveling sin, something evil, and having a forgiving spirit? Two fundamental distinctions:

1. We tend to minimize and “level” the sins of those who are our friends, respected by others, or perhaps those with charming personalities.
   • "He has served much in the kingdom."
   • "Surely, it was just a moment of weakness."
   • "It's better not to make a big deal out of it."
   • “After all, most men look at porn.”

   If we tend to downplay the hurtful actions of our friends, allies, or popular figures when we would condemn them in others, that is sin leveling.

2. Has the aggressor confessed their sin? Are they taking the difficult steps to battle their pornography, their carnality, their arrogance, or whatever led them to victimize others? If not, don’t defend them! We don't help them by leveling their sin. Worse yet, if we do, we demoralize their victims.