Which sin is worse?

As a parent, you've probably assigned different consequences to your children when they do something wrong. For example, when your child was younger you may have assigned a "time out" for one kind of offense and a removal of privleges for a more serious offense. As your child has grown up, you may have taken away the car keys for one type of offense, etc.

We tend to think that a more "serious" error requires a more serious consequence. And this is certainly true in some senses. In a court of law, we don't want to sentence a murderer to only 30 days in jail and we don't want to sentence a spelling test cheater to a death sentence. In God's Law (as written in the Old Testament) there were also different consequences for different sins, and different sacrifices to atone for those sins.

But in the big picture, all sins regardless of "seriousness" separate us from our Holy God who cannot tolerate any level of unholiness at all. To be reconciled to God, Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins. As Christians, we can receive forgivness of our sins and yet God does not also remove the Earthly consequences of our actions. If we lie, we can receive forgiveness from God but usually still have to set the situation right and receive our consequences. So while consequences vary, we need to remember that all sin is equal in God's eyes. The ground is level at the foot of the Cross -- we are all equally sinful and separated from God. So if your daughter sinned sexually, that sin is the same in God's eyes as any time that your daughter has gossiped.

Every one of us is a sinner, and God does not accept our behaviors even while He loves us and is constantly calling us to be more like Him. Both you and your daughter may have trouble mentally separating her behaviors from who she is as a person. So in your discussions, focus on reaffirming her (not her behavior) and telling her you love her (not her behavior). Talk to your daughter about repentence and pray with her about forgiveness. Then practice that forgiveness in your relationship.