The judgment for different sins varies. However, there is severe punishment for a Christian who causes a fellow believer to sin.
The Grave Danger of Leading a Brother or Sister astray
To begin, leading another Christian into sin is a devastating offense in God’s eyes. According to Scripture, causing a brother or sister in the faith to stumble carries a severe and unforgiving judgment.
In fact, Jesus Christ reserves some of His harshest warnings for those who become stumbling blocks within the community of believers.
Hell awaits Christians who lead other believers astray.
Second, in Matthew 18:6, Jesus offers a stark and powerful statement:
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
The Meaning of the Millstone.
A millstone was a large, heavy, circular rock that was typically pulled by a donkey to grind grain. The image of having a massive stone hung around one’s neck and being thrown into the depths of the ocean illustrates an inevitable and devastating fate.
As a matter of fact, Jesus uses this extreme and violent metaphor to reveal the gravity with which heaven views the destruction of a believer’s faith. Spiritual damage is seen far more severely than physical death.
The little one are all vulnerable believers.
While the warning protects little ones, Jesus extends it to all vulnerable believers. Whether they are new converts or those with a tender, childlike faith, leading them astray through bad example, deception, or incitement to sin is an attack against Christ himself.
The Call to Responsibility.
Because of this severe punishment, every Christian must rigorously guard their influence. The danger of causing a fellow beliver to sin.
We are called to encourage and build one another up, rather than tempting others to compromise their morals or their faith.
Therefore, the call to responsibility demands that we live righteously to ensure that our actions do not lead anyone to hell.
