Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment Thereof, VI:6

Every sin, both original and actual, being a transgression of the righteous law of God, and contrary thereunto, does in its own nature, bring guilt upon the sinner, whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God, and curse of the law, and so made subject to death, with all miseries spiritual, temporal, and eternal.

All sin makes the sinner guilty. While there are certainly degrees of sin (some things are worse than others), every sin is a capital offense in that it properly brings God's condemnation and the due wages of sin, namely death. Along with death, both spiritual and physical, comes all that the curse entails. This is the answer for people who complain about the current state of creation and wonder that a good God could be responsible for it. Man's sin has caused the misery and trouble that attend us daily. We have only ourselves to blame.

But it will not always be so. Thanks to God, as we shall see, there is a Redeemer. And the destination of history is far more glorious than we can possibly imagine.

Tomorrow: Sin wrapped up.