James:

All sin and fall short of the glory of God. No one "achieves" salvation on the basis of their own work. A reading of Romans 3:19-26 makes this point. This is why we all (yes, anyone and everyone, both me and you) are to seek forgiveness from God. God uses people who "fall short" all the time. He is in the business of doing this. Part of this process is recognizing what our need is because we do all sin. There are no perfect people in heaven, only forgiven ones. Part of what forgiveness does (or, at least should do) is make us sensitive to our sin, not indifferent to it or seeking to justify it. Yet we do all fail to meet God's standards and he does forgive us. So your point allows me to stress something that often does go missing in this discussion, and that is God's mercy and power to forgive sin.  Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery to make this very point. But then he exhorted her to go and sin no more, to show where the opportunity to be forgiven should take us, to pursue a moral life.  Forgiveness is not an entitlement; it is to be sought, which is why the Bible also speaks of repentance. What the complaint of many is on this issue is that the Bible can speak so directly and consistently about homosexuality and then people will defend it as natural or morally acceptable. (We have already noted in previous posts that this consistency places this discussion in a distinct category even from issues like polygamy). I am glad God is gracious, but at the same time that does not absolve me of being responsible to live morally.

As for what is "easier," I am not sure I agree there at all.  Adultery shows that many are not able to be faithful to just one wife-- but that does not make adultery right.

dlb