THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS
PART 1
What is sin?
Sin is any action by which humans rebel against God, miss His purpose for their life, and surrender to the power of evil rather than to God. One of the central affirmations throughout the Bible is humanity's estrangement from God. The cause for this estrangement is sin, the root cause of all the problems of humanity. The Bible, however, gives no formal definition for sin. It describes sin as an attitude that personifies sin as rebellion against God. Rebellion was at the root of the problem for Adam and Eve (Gen. 3) and has been at the root of humanity's plight ever since.
Four levels of sin:
Original Sin—Adam’s Sin Baptismal Regeneration Baptismal Confession
Personal Sin—All have sinned Being Born Again Personal Confession
Corporate Sin—National Being Spiritually renewed Corporate Confession
Generational Sin—Sin of the fathers Being Delivered Specific Renunciation
Seven Deadly Spiritual Illnesses recognized by a group of monks in the 5th century:
1. Gluttony—Misuse of Our Daily Bread.
Gluttony is a reversal of creation—the spoiling and corruption of bread and wine and all that goes with them. At its root is eating and drinking to sustain one’s self apart from God. It may kill through over eating or poor nutrition, but also causes social problems when people withhold food from the needy and hungry. It is manifested any time we eat without being thankful to God—feeding our flesh while displacing and displeasing God. Gluttony occurs whenever self and self comfort is placed above God. The desire for power or self advancement can also reflect Gluttony. Adam and Eve sinned the sin of Gluttony when they at of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil to become like God.
A GLUTTON is one habitually given to greedy and voracious eating. Gluttony was associated with stubbornness, rebellion, disobedience, drunkenness, and wastefulness (Deut. 21:20). A more general meaning for the Hebrew term as a "good-for-nothing" (Prov. 28:7 TEV) is reflected in some translations: wastrel (Deut. 21:20 REB); profligate (Deut. 21:20 NIV; Prov. 28:7 REB); riotous (Prov. 28:7 KJV). When Jesus was accused of being a "glutton and wine-drinker" (Matt. 11:19; Luke 7:34), it was in this expanded sense of being one given to loose and excessive living. The Bible knows gluttony makes one sleepy and leads to not working and poverty (Prov. 23:21).
We should pray, be thankful and trust God for our sustenance.
Mat 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
God is no a Glutton and neither should we be gluttons.
Luke 11:11 "If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?
Luke 11:12 "Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
Luke 11:13 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
Gluttony has bad results.
Prov 23:21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
Rebellion is at the root of gluttony.
Deu 21:18 "If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and who, when they have chastened him, will not heed them,
Deu 21:19 "then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate of his city.
Deu 21:20 "And they shall say to the elders of his city, 'This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.'
Deu 21:21 "Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones; so you shall put away the evil from among you, and all Israel shall hear and fear.
Deu 21:22 "If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree,
Gluttony disrespects one’s parents and God the Father.
Prov 28:7 Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son, But a companion of gluttons shames his father.
Prov 28:8 One who increases his possessions by usury and extortion Gathers it for him who will pity the poor.
Prov 28:9 One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.
Prov 28:10 Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, He himself will fall into his own pit; But the blameless will inherit good.
Jesus implied that the religious Pharisees were gluttons.
Mat 23:25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.
Mat 23:26 "Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
What do the apostles say about this?
1 Pet 4:3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles; when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.
1 Pet 4:4 In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.
1 Pet 4:5 They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
Eph 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
St. Paul had some strong words against gluttony for the Corinthian Church.
1 Cor 11:20 Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper.
1 Cor 11:21 For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk.
1 Cor 11:22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you.
1 Cor 11:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;
1 Cor 11:24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
1 Cor 11:25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."
1 Cor 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.
1 Cor 11:27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
1 Cor 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
1 Cor 11:29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
1 Cor 11:30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
1 Cor 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
1 Cor 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
1 Cor 11:33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
What is God’s answer to avoiding gluttony?
Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
Rom 6:3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
Rom 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
Rom 6:6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
Rom 6:7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.
Rom 6:8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
Rom 6:9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
Rom 6:10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
Rom 6:11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rom 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
What is God’s answer to avoiding gluttony?
Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
Rom 6:3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
Rom 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
Rom 6:6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
Rom 6:7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.
Rom 6:8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
Rom 6:9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
Rom 6:10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
Rom 6:11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rom 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
2. Lust—The Desire for Physical Pleasure Above All Else
In contemporary usage, LUST is a strong craving or desire, especially sexual desire. The KJV and earlier English versions frequently used lust in the neutral sense of desire. This older English usage corresponded to the use of the underlying Hebrew and Greek terms which could be used in a positive sense: of the desire of the righteous (Prov. 10:24), of Christ's desire to eat the Passover with His disciples (Luke 22:15), or of Paul's desire to be with Christ (Phil. 1:23). Since lust has taken on the primary meaning of sexual desire, modern translations often replace the KJV's lust with a term with a different nuance. NRSV, for example, used crave/craving (Num. 11:34; Ps. 78:18); covet (Rom. 7:7); desire (Ex. 15:9; Prov. 6:25; 1 Cor. 10:6); long for (Rev. 18:14).
The unregenerate (preconversion) life is governed by deceitful lusts or desires (Eph. 4:22; 2:3; Col. 3:5; Tit. 2:12). Following conversion, such fleshly desires compete for control of the individual with spiritual desires (Gal. 5:16-17; 2 Tim. 2:22). First John 2:16-17 warns that desires of the flesh and eyes are not from God and will pass away with the sinful world. Here lust or desire includes not only sexual desire but also other vices such as materialism. James 1:14-15 warns that desire is the beginning of all sin and results in death. Jesus warned that one who lusts has already sinned (Matt. 5:28). Part of God's judgment on sin is to give persons over to their own desires (Rom. 1:24). Only the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer makes victory over sinful desires possible (Rom. 8:1-2).
PURITY
Purity is the opposite of Lust. The Old Testament has a lot to say about purity. Lust is the absence of purity. Three Old Testament concepts or ideas are translated as “purity” in English.
1. Flawless: The primary Hebrew root word for pure (athr) often refers to pure or flawless gold: (1 Kings 10:21; Job 28:19; Ps. 12:6). hr and other Hebrew words for "pure" are used to describe other objects such as salt (Ex. 30:35), oil (Ex. 27:20), and incense (Ex. 37:29). Thus, a basic Old Testament meaning is that of "refined, purified, without flaw, perfect, clean." Note Lamentations 4:7.
2. Ritual Purity: To be ritually pure means to be free of some flaw or uncleanness, which would bar one from contact with holy objects or places, especially from contact with the holy presence of God in worship. God is the ideal of purity, and those who are to come in contact with God's presence are also to be pure. Habakkuk 1:13 indicates that God's eyes are too pure to look upon evil.
The altar for sacrifice was purified so that it would be prepared for worship (Lev. 8:15; Ezek. 43:26). The objects of gold used in the tabernacle and Temple were also pure in this sense; this would be true of the incense in Exodus 37:29. The Levites were to purify themselves for service in the tabernacle (Num. 8:21). When that which was unclean or impure came into contact with that which was holy, danger resulted and could even lead to death. This is probably the background for the preparation made for the theophany, a manifestation of God's presence, in Exodus 19 and for the death of Uzzah when he was unprepared (not purified) to touch the ark of the covenant, a most holy object (2 Sam. 6:1-11). Malachi 1:11-12 contrasts the pure offerings of Gentiles with blemished offerings given by God's people; such a state necessitated purification (Mal. 3:3-4).
Purity qualified one to participate in worship, an activity central to the life of ancient Israel. Breaking that purity was a serious matter. Ritual impurity came as a result of bodily emissions (Lev. 15), by way of disease or menstrual flow, or discharge of semen. This chapter also shows that such impurity could be spread by contact, for anything coming into contact with the unclean person had to be purified. Leviticus 12 also discusses impurity associated with childbirth, probably because of the discharge of blood. Blood related to the mysterious power of life, and any loss of blood called for purification. Ritual impurity also came as a result of contact with a corpse since death was an enemy of God (Num. 19). Participation in war could thus cause impurity. Impurity, finally, was brought on by contact with foreign gods. This was probably the background of the need for purification when the people returned from Exile in Babylon. The priests and Levites purified themselves first and then the people and then the city gates and wall (Isa. 52:11; Ezra 6:20; Neh. 12:30). This also prepared them for worship.
3. Ethical Purity Thought and behavior befitting the people of God are pure (Pss. 24:4; 73:1; Pro. 15:26; 22:11; 30:12). Such purity of thought is to result in conduct which is appropriate for people (Ps. 119:9; Prov. 16:2; 20:9,11; 21:8). Notice also the pure prayer of Job 16:17.
Since Psalms 15 and 24 speak of qualifications for worship in terms of ethical purity, it is important not to distinguish sharply between ritual and ethical purity in the Old Testament. God expects ethical purity, and sin results in uncleanness. Thus sin and ritual uncleanness stand together in the Old Testament as unacceptable to the Lord. Their counterparts--ethical and ritual purity--also stand together.
Most New Testament uses of words for purity relate to cleanness of some type. Old Testament meanings are often reflected. Perfection is the meaning in Mark 14:3; this is mixed with religious purity in Hebrews 10:22; 1 John 3:3.
Ethical purity dominates in the New Testament. The person who is in right relationship with God is to live a life of purity (2 Tim. 2:21-22; Titus 1:15 and references to a pure heart--Matt. 5:8; 1 Tim. 1:5; Heb. 9:14; Jas. 4:8; 1 Peter 1:22). Purity is also listed among virtues (2 Cor. 6:6; Phil. 4:8; 1 Tim. 4:12; compare Mark 7:15).
Purification through sacrifice is also mentioned in the New Testament and applied to the death of Christ, a purification which does not need repeating and thus is on a higher level than Old Testament sacrifices (Heb. 9:13-14). The sacrifice of Christ brings purification; Christ cleansed as a part of the work of the high priest and His blood cleanses from sin (1 John 1:7).
James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4:9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
What Does Scripture Say?
The Bible has a lot to say about Lust and Purity.
Prov 6:25 Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, Nor let her allure you with her eyelids.
Prov 6:26 For by means of a harlot A man is reduced to a crust of bread; And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life.
Prov 6:27 Can a man take fire to his bosom, And his clothes not be burned?
Prov 6:28 Can one walk on hot coals, And his feet not be seared?
Prov 6:29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; Whoever touches her shall not be innocent.
Prov 11:6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the unfaithful will be caught by their lust.
Mat 5:28 "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Rom 1:26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.
Rom 1:27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
Rom 1:29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,
Rom 1:30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Rom 1:31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;
Rom 1:32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
1 Th 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;
1 Th 4:4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,
1 Th 4:5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;
1 Th 4:6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified.
1 Th 4:7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.
James 4:2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
James 4:4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
2 Pet 1:3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
2 Pet 1:4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the Father but is of the world.
1 John 2:17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
1 Cor 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,
1 Cor 10:2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
1 Cor 10:3 all ate the same spiritual food,
1 Cor 10:4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
1 Cor 10:5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
1 Cor 10:6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
1 Cor 10:7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."
1 Cor 10:8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;
1 Cor 10:9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;
1 Cor 10:10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
1 Cor 10:11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
1 Cor 10:12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
1 Cor 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
1 Cor 10:14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
1 Cor 10:15 I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say.
1 Cor 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
1 Cor 10:17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
Gal 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
Gal 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
Gal 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
1 Tim 4:12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
Titus 2:12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
3. Avarice—The Desire for Material Things Above Everything Else
Avarice is rooted in the material level of human life. It is the natural human relation to the material world gone wrong. It is the splitting of our creativity and relation to material creation from God, the Creator.
There are seven other sins that result from avarice.
1. Avarice produces covetousness-- the inordinate desire to possess what belongs to another, usually tangible things.
2. When we put material things or objects in place of God, this leads to idolatry, which is a result of avarice.
3. Avarice also involves the withholding of our tithes, offerings, and alms from God and from God’s people.
4. Lying to God by lying to God’s leaders for personal gain.
5. Avarice causes us to place material prosperity above all else, making us lovers of money, rather than lovers of God.
6. Avarice can lead to selfishness and self will, that cause us to put our wants and desires before God’s will.
7. Avarice leads us to seek comfort and pleasure in drugs or alcohol.
Covetousness
In the Tenth Commandment covetousness means an ungoverned and selfish desire that threatens the basic rights of others. Coveting was sinful because it focused greedily on the property of a neighbor that was his share in the land God had promised His people. After Israel's defeat at Ai, Achan confessed that his selfish desire for treasure was so great that he disobeyed God's specific commandment to destroy the enemy’s goods.
We know that God often allows the wealth or possessions of the wicked to become the possessions of God’s people.
Prov 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.
But in certain cases God commanded the possessions of the enemy to be destroyed because they had been used in idolatry. A man named Achan disobeyed God in this.
Josh 7:20 And Achan answered Joshua and said, "Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I have done:
Josh 7:21 "When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it."
Josh 7:22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver under it.
Josh 7:23 And they took them from the midst of the tent, brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.
Josh 7:24 Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor.
Josh 7:25 And Joshua said, "Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day." So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.
Achan was guilty of wanting to possess things for their own sake, without being grateful to God. Jesus addressed this attitude in Luke 12.
Luke 12:15 And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."
Luke 12:16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.
Luke 12:17 "And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'
Luke 12:18 "So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.
Luke 12:19 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'
Luke 12:20 "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'
Luke 12:21 "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
Luke 12:22 Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.
Luke 12:23 "Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
Luke 12:24 "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?
Luke 12:25 "And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
Luke 12:26 "If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?
Luke 12:27 "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luke 12:28 "If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?
Luke 12:29 "And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.
Luke 12:30 "For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.
Luke 12:31 "But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
Luke 12:32 "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Idolatry
St. Paul classifies covetousness with idolatry—the second sin cause by avarice.
Eph 5:5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Biblical writers often denounced idolatry. None is more graphic and devastating than that in Isaiah 44:9-20. The idol is made by a workman but is powerless to sustain the workman to complete his task. Further, the idol begins as a leftover piece of a tree from which a person makes a god. He then worships no more than a block of wood.
Many scholars believe that the threat of idolatry was much less in the Jewish community after the Babylonian Exile and that it continued to be diminished though still present throughout New Testament times. The most noted problem in the New Testament concerns the propriety of eating meat, which has previously been offered to an idol (1 Cor. 8-10). Paul seemingly broadened the scope of idolatry for Christianity when he identified covetousness with idolatry. (Col. 3:5).
Col 3:5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Col 3:6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,
Col 3:7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
Of all of the Biblical writers, Isaiah makes one of the most poignant arguments against idolatry.
Isa 44:9 Those who make an image, all of them are useless, And their precious things shall not profit; They are their own witnesses; They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed.
Isa 44:10 Who would form a god or mold an image That profits him nothing?
Isa 44:11 Surely all his companions would be ashamed; And the workmen, they are mere men. Let them all be gathered together, Let them stand up; Yet they shall fear, They shall be ashamed together.
Isa 44:14 He cuts down cedars for himself, And takes the cypress and the oak; He secures it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a pine, and the rain nourishes it.
Isa 44:15 Then it shall be for a man to burn, For he will take some of it and warm himself; Yes, he kindles it and bakes bread; Indeed he makes a god and worships it; He makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.
Isa 44:16 He burns half of it in the fire; With this half he eats meat; He roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He even warms himself and says, "Ah! I am warm, I have seen the fire."
Isa 44:17 And the rest of it he makes into a god, His carved image. He falls down before it and worships it, Prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god!"
Isa 44:18 They do not know nor understand; For He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, And their hearts, so that they cannot understand.
Isa 44:19 And no one considers in his heart, Nor is there knowledge nor understanding to say, "I have burned half of it in the fire, Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals; I have roasted meat and eaten it; And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?"
Isa 44:20 He feeds on ashes; A deceived heart has turned him aside; And he cannot deliver his soul, Nor say, "Is there not a lie in my right hand?"
Isa 44:21 "Remember these, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me!
Isa 44:22 I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you."
withholding tithes, offerings, and alms
Mal 3:8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.
Mal 3:9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.
Mal 3:10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.
Mal 3:11 "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," Says the LORD of hosts;
Mal 3:12 "And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land," Says the LORD of hosts.
Lying to God’s Leaders
They saw none of it as their own. All of it came from the loving heart of God. That is why the sin of selfishness of Ananias and Sapphira was so serious (Acts 5).
Acts 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.
Acts 5:2 And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet.
Acts 5:3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?
Acts 5:4 "While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."
Acts 5:5 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.
Acts 5:6 And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.
Acts 5:7 Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
Acts 5:8 And Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?" She said, "Yes, for so much."
Acts 5:9 Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out."
Acts 5:10 Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband.
We are reminded of the authority that Christ gives to his royal priesthood.
John 20:21 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."
John 20:22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
John 20:23 "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
Lovers of Money
People fail to pay tithes and offerings, and lie to God’s leaders because they are lovers of money, rather than truly lovers of God.
Luke 16:14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.
2 Tim 3:2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2 Tim 3:3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
2 Tim 3:4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
2 Tim 3:5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." He meant that no one can be a slave of God and worldly wealth at the same time. The undivided concentration of mind to money-getting is incompatible with wholehearted devotion to God and to His service (Col. 3:5). In the parable of the unjust steward (Luke 15:1-13), Jesus commended the steward's foresight, not his method. His object was to point out how one may best use wealth, tainted or otherwise, with a view to the future. Look at what Jesus said about being lovers of money (mammon), as recorded in Luke 16.
Luke 16:9 "And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.
Luke 16:10 "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.
Luke 16:11 "Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
Luke 16:12 "And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?
Luke 16:13 "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
Self Will
To be self willed is to do something arbitrarily without divine permission; to act on one's own decision rather than considering the needs of others and the purpose of God. Jacob rebuked Simeon and Levi for wanton, undisciplined actions (Gen. 49:6). Whenever people act through self will, instead of seeking God’s will, they create problems in their lives. Often self willed people become stubborn or arrogant and often alcoholics. For this reason, Titus 1:7 teaches that a bishop cannot be self-willed, stubborn or arrogant.
Titus 1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money.
Peter defines self willed people as presumptuous, self-willed, and speaking evil of dignitaries. Our love of money often makes us speak evil of those who have or control money, because we covet what they have, wishing we were like them.
2 Pet 2:9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,
2 Pet 2:10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries,
Turning to Drugs or Alcohol
People filled with avarice often turn to material things such as drugs or alcohol for solace because they are unhappy with their lives, wishing for wealth or power that they do not have. Instead of turning to God with their problems, they drown them in alcohol or in drug induced stupor. But God can help and deliver such people, if they repent and turn to Him.
Psa 107:27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits' end.
Psa 107:28 Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses.
Prov 23:20 Do not mix with winebibbers, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;
Prov 23:21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
Jesus warned that the cares of life may lead to anxiety and drunkenness (Luke 21:34). Paul repeatedly warned against the dangers of drunkenness (Rom. 13:13; 1 Cor. 5:11; Gal. 5:21; 1 Thess. 5:7). Timothy 3:3 and Titus 1:7 warn church leaders they must not be drunkards. Drunkenness is a pagan custom, not a Christian one (1 Pet. 4:3).
Luke 21:34 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.
Luke 21:35 "For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.
Luke 21:36 "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."
1 Pet 4:3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles; when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.
Rom 13:13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
Rom 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
1 Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
1 Th 5:7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.
1 Th 5:8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.
God’s answer to Avarice
The apostle Paul preached and taught a single-minded commitment to Christ. He reminded the Philippians that the source of thanksgiving was not in things but in our relationship to God in Christ (Phil. 3:13-14).
Phil 3:13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
Phil 3:14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
4. ANGER—Emotionally intense Personal Irritation and Wrath
WHAT IS ANGER?
We all know the person who stands at the elevator door and jabs at the button repeatedly when the car fails to promptly arrive. In conversation, this individual finishes your sentences for you or glances constantly at the time. You are very cautious about what you do or say to people like this because the can ignite suddenly into anger.
These people are exhibiting what scientists call TYPE-A BEHAVIOR. Such people are motivated by either the desire for gain or by anger. They are always impatient, highly motivated to achievement, and of a quick temper. Anger or greed seems to be the primary motivations of type-A people.
TYPE-B BEHAVIOR, on the other hand is laid back, calm, slow to anger, and less concerned about time. Type-B people are motivated by either fear of loss or general anxiety, and are perceived by type-A people to be lazy and slow. Satan can use both of these personality types against each other, by accentuating the negative attributes of each one.
Sometimes Satan can actually kill a person by causing that individual to become stressed out to the point where anger or fear can effect organ failure and chronic diseases. Doctors have found that type-A people have a greater risk of heart attacks and strokes because hostility provokes the body to create unhealthy doses of chemicals which can damage the heart, blood vessels, and stomach. For hostile people anger can be a poison.
This emotion is rich in Hebrew terminology, being represented by seven words, but by only two in Greek. Because the nose was prominent in the hard breathing accompanying an increase in blood adrenalin, anger was commonly rendered by "nose," The intensity of anger was expressed by such words as "fury," "heat," "rage," "burn with
anger" or "be irritated," "be grieved" The NT employed thymos to describe emotionally intense wrath and orge as the consequence of a moral judgment.
The anger of God is a deliberate reaction to all that violates his holy nature. His covenant people were commanded to imitate God's holiness (Lev. 11:44), and when they failed to do so, they felt his anger, whether through natural circumstances (Num. 21:6) or other nations (Isa. 10:5). Even God's chosen servants experienced God's punishing wrath, as with Moses (Exod. 4:14), Miriam (Num. 12:9), Jonah (Jonah 1:4), and others. All violations of the covenant agreement exposed the Israelites to God's anger, which could only be averted by true repentance.
Jesus became angry with his disciples when they forbade children to be brought to him (Mark 10:14) and with the hardhearted members of the Capernaum synagogue (Mark 3:5). Similar expressions of anger were directed at the Sadducees (Mark 12:24-27), the scribes and Pharisees (Matt. 23:13-36), and Peter (Matt. 16:23), and on each occasion represented his rejection of unrighteousness. Human anger could be selfish (Gen. 4:5; Num. 24:10), righteous (Exod. 16:20; II Sam. 12:5), or a combination of both (Gen. 34:7; II Sam. 13:21). In the NT anger is usually condemned (Gal. 5:19-21; Col. 3:8).
When does anger become sin?
Sinful anger is a destructive movement against another person for one’s own purposes and apart from God. It may take the following seven forms:
1. Violent thought or wishing of harm to someone.
2. Verbally lashing out at someone.
3. Backbiting: Talking against a person behind his or her back.
4. Murder or violent action.
5. Enjoying the destruction of someone that you don’t like.
6. Hatred and/or the desire for revenge at any cost.
7. Prejudice and racism.
In sinful anger the irritable response turns around a basically selfish set of assumptions about reality, so that what we perceive may not be what is really taking place. We may imagine hurts or become paranoid, becoming even more angry for no valid reason. The person with whom we are angry may have no idea why we are angry and may have done nothing to deserve our anger, which has become irrational.
Intense striving toward poorly defined goals, obsession with the way in which things are done, free-floating hostility toward other people, or a general fear of circumstances can exacerbate whatever dominant motivation is present, causing potential long-term problems. Free-floating anger or
free-floating fear seems to be the single greatest cause of pysical and psychological problems. Free-floating anger is a general hostility that is looking for someone to become the object of that anger. Free-floating fear is a general fear or anxiety that is looking for a circumstance or situation in order to manifest itself. Anger is usually directed toward people and fear is usually directed toward circumstances.
There are several stages that can lead to the development of free-floating anger.
Stage one: distrust of others-- expecting someone to take advantage of you or expecting an adverse situation to arise. In other words, look for an excuse to be angry.
Stage two: feeling a general anger toward a person or fearful of the circumstances. Let things get you upset.
Stage three: Showing anger by lashing out verbally or physically or showing fear by withdrawing from the situation, while blaming and having anger toward those who we think caused the situation to develop.
Stage four: blame a person or group for your hurts and for your problems and imagine how your life would have been different if they had not done something bad to you.
Stage five: becoming irrational in our hatred and desire for revenge, the destruction of our perceived enemy, and a blaming of a person or group for our problems.
Gen 4:5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
Gen 4:6 So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?
Gen 4:7 "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."
Gen 4:8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
1 Sam 18:8 Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?"
1 Sam 18:9 So Saul eyed David from that day forward.
1 Sam 18:10 And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; but there was a spear in Saul's hand.
1 Sam 18:11 And Saul cast the spear, for he said, "I will pin David to the wall!" But David escaped his presence twice.
1 Sam 18:12 Now Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, but had departed from Saul.
1 Sam 18:13 Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
What Does God’s Word Say About Anger?
Psa 4:4 Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah
Psa 4:5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the LORD.
Prov 21:19 Better to dwell in the wilderness, Than with a contentious and angry woman.
Prov 22:24 Make no friendship with an angry man, And with a furious man do not go,
Prov 22:25 Lest you learn his ways And set a snare for your soul.
Prov 25:23 The north wind brings forth rain, And a backbiting tongue an angry countenance.
Prov 29:22 An angry man stirs up strife, And a furious man abounds in transgression.
Eccl 7:9 Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools.
Mat 5:22 "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.
Mat 5:23 "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
Mat 5:24 "leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Mat 5:25 "Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
Eph 4:26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
Eph 4:27 nor give place to the devil.
Eph 4:28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
Eph 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
Eph 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
Eph 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.
How Can Anger Be Overcome?
1. Confess our anger as sin.
2. Forgive the person or group with whom we are angry.
3. Seek reconciliation with those who were the object of our anger.
4. Stop any overt actions such as snide remarks, backstabbing, discrimination, or other expressions of anger.
5. Discipline ourselves to see the world from God’s perspective, seeing those with whom we are angry the way God views them.
5. ENVY—Hatred and Contempt Leading to the Desire for Greater Personal Power.
The term ENVY comes from the Roman word invidia—a word that signifies a “withering look” or the “evil eye.” It is a look of hatred or contempt that looks down upon and degrades others. It is a rejection of who God has created us to be, and a desire to prevent others from fulfilling who they were created to be. It is a desire to be god-like or to have god-like power without developing Godly character. Envious people do not respond to God, because they convince themselves that they must look out for themselves and promote themselves because God short changed them when they were created, and He probably doesn’t care about them anyway.
Envious people wish that they could become more powerful.
Prov 3:31 Do not envy the oppressor, And choose none of his ways;
The envious person has little compassion for the needy.
Prov 14:30-31 A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones. He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.
Envy brings the judgement of God upon people and nations.
Ezek 35:11 "therefore, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "I will do according to your anger and according to the envy which you showed in your hatred against them; and I will make Myself known among them when I judge you.
Envy leads to a rejection of Christ and a failure to embrace what God is doing in the earth.
Mat 27:17 Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?"
Mat 27:18 For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.
Acts 13:45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul.
Acts 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.
Envy leads to placing carnal desires ahead of the work of the Spirit.
1 Cor 3:3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?
Envy is the opposite of love.
1 Cor 13:4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
Envy ministers for selfish ambition and enslaves the Body of Christ.
Phil 1:15 Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from good will:
Phil 1:16 The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains;
Phil 1:17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel.
Envy causes confusion and dissention in the Church.
1 Tim 6:3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness,
1 Tim 6:4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,
1 Tim 6:5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.
Envy is an enemy of the truth and does not submit to Godly authority in the Church.
James 3:14, 16 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
6. Accidie or Sloth—A Form of Despair Keeping God’s Purposes In One’s Life from Being Fulfilled.
Envy often produces another deadly sin—that of sloth, which comes from the ancient term accidie. This term, translated “sloth” in the Bible is the biblical term for despair and depression, which keeps people from being fulfilled and from fulfilling God’s purposes in their lives. It is a spiritual listlessness that causes us to fail to respond to God. They withdraw from Christian fellowship, make little effort to worship, and use all manner of excuse to keep from actively participating in the work of God’s Kingdom.
Slothful describes a loose, undisciplined person. The Hebrew term can refer to a bow not strung or equipped with an arrow for action (Ps. 78:57; Hos. 7:16). A same or related Hebrew root describes a loose tongue or mind as deceitful (Job 13:7; 27:4; Pss. 32:2; 52:4; Mic. 6:12).
Look at what Proverbs 6 says about an envious and slothful person.
Prov 6:6 Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise,
Prov 6:7 Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler,
Prov 6:8 Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest.
Prov 6:9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?
Prov 6:10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep;
Prov 6:11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.
Prov 6:12 A worthless person, a wicked man, Walks with a perverse mouth;
Prov 6:13 He winks with his eyes, He shuffles his feet, He points with his fingers;
Prov 6:14 Perversity is in his heart, He devises evil continually, He sows discord.
Prov 6:15 Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.
Prov 6:16 These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
Prov 6:17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,
Prov 6:18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil,
Prov 6:19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.
A second Hebrew term refers to that which is difficult, heavy, hindered and indicates foolish laziness or sluggishness. The tribe of Dan was encouraged to take the new territory and not be slothful or reluctant (Judg. 18:9). The wise, hardworking ant illustrates the opposite of sloth (Prov. 6:6), while the slothful wants only to sleep (Prov. 6:9; compare 10:26; 13:4; 15:19; 19:24; 20:4; 21:25; 22:13; 24:30; 26:16). The virtuous woman is the opposite of slothful, not having to live with the results of idle sloth (Prov. 31:27). Ecclesiastes apparently coined a word for slothfulness twice over and the resulting decay of present gain (10:18). Jesus condemned a wicked, slothful servant (Matt. 25:26) but praised and rewarded the "good and faithful servant" (Matt. 25:23).
The slothful person cannot lead but becomes subjected to another's rule.
Prov 18:9 He who is slothful in his work Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.
Prov 10:4 He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
Prov 10:5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.
God's work must not be done in such a spirit.
Jer 48:10 Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD deceitfully, And cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.
Eccl 10:18 Because of laziness the building decays, And through idleness of hands the house leaks.
St. Paul wrote to the Thessalonian Church concerning accidie, referring to those infected by slothfulness, as being “disorderly” and unwilling to work.
2 Th 3:7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you;
2 Th 3:8-9 nor did we eat anyone's bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.
2 Th 3:10-11 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.
2 Th 3:12-13 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.
When not confessed as sins, sloth (accidie) and envy lead to despair. That sense of utter hopelessness that characterizes those whose spirits have been so crushed by tragic events or by their own guilt that they do not see any meaning to their lives. In the Scriptures despair is described in such rich but bitter terms and images as "languish," "wailing," "anguish," "terror," "desolation," "gloom," "dwelling in darkness," "cowering in ashes," "torn to pieces," "wormwood and gall," "teeth grinding on gravel," "depths of the pit," "soul in tumult," "gnashing of teeth," or "heavy chains" Jeremiah’s sense of despair is recorded in Lamentations 3:5-20.
Events can strike with such devastating force that both Job and Jeremiah curse the day of their birth and wish they had died in delivery (Job 3:3ff.; Jer. 20:14-18). As the saying went, Rachel in Ramah laments and weeps bitterly for her children and refuses to be comforted (Jer. 31:15). Koheleth despairs of the seeming vanity and injustice of human striving (Eccles. 2:20).
Paul describes his own life as reaching the border of despair in his helplessness before the law and the desertion, persecution, and perplexity that the life of faith brings. Yet he proclaims confidence in the power of Christ to deliver from sin, and he affirms that the Christian's precarious walk of faith does not ultimately lead to despair and destruction but rather brings life and joy (Rom. 7:7-25; 2 Cor. 4:8-12; see also Rom. 8:35-39).
That the Christian often lives near the edges of despair was noted by Augustine and theologically developed by Martin Luther. Luther maintained that despair is a redeeming force in the salvation of the sinner. The believer shudders before the crucified Christ as he or she experiences with Christ the painful withdrawal of God in the face of human sin. Luther asserted, "All honest and pious Christians are like Jonah; they are thrown into the sea, yes, into the depths of hell...All saints must also descend with their Lord into the inferno." Nevertheless, at the cross the Christian also recognizes the overwhelming love of God expressed in Christ's sacrificial death. Thus, in the very midst of that despair caused by God's turning away from the Son who bears the world's sins, God's love is most fully comprehended and experienced.
Illustration
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen.
She filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs and the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word. In about twenty minuets she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked. "What's the point, mother?"
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity--boiling water--but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. the ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.
"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. " When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot , an egg, or a coffee bean?" Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after death , a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate to another level?
It is not unusual for Christians to be driven to the edges of darkness because of unforeseen tragic events or heinous sins they or others have committed. However, the children of God never lose hope by dwelling on the question "Why?" Rather, they humbly accept God's sovereignty and God's justifying acts with fortitude and with the expectation that they are instruments of God's redemptive change in a fragmented and misery filled world.
7. Pride-- putting oneself in the place of God, above everything and everyone.
The Sin of Pride.
Pride is undue confidence in and attention to one's own skills, accomplishments, state, possessions, or position. Pride is easier to recognize than to define, easier to recognize in others than in oneself. Many biblical words describe this concept, each with its own emphasis. Some of the synonyms for pride include arrogance, presumption, conceit, self-satisfaction, boasting, and high-mindedness. It is the opposite of humility, the proper attitude one should have in relation to God. Pride is rebellion against God because it attributes to self, the honor and glory due to God alone. Proud persons do not think it necessary to ask forgiveness because they do not admit their sinful condition. This attitude toward God finds expression in one's attitude toward others, often causing people to have a low estimate of the ability and worth of others and therefore to treat them with either contempt or cruelty. Some have considered pride to be the root and essence of sin. Others consider it to be sin in its final form. In either case, it is a grievous sin.
Paul describes this sin and its results in his Epistles to Timothy.
2 Tim 3:2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2 Tim 3:3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
2 Tim 3:4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
2 Tim 3:5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
1 Tim 6:3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness,
1 Tim 6:4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,
1 Tim 6:5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.
1. Vanity—Striving for perfection and trying to be the center of attention.
2. Narcissism—Creating oneself in whatever image one desires and becoming completely self centered and self absorbed; ie the most important thing in the universe.
3. Domination—Expecting others to always see to our own creature comforts.
4. Selfish Ambition—Wanting to achieve something at the expense of others without any concern about the means or cost of that achievement.
5. Self Deification—Self becomes a god and whatever self wants, self tries to possess.
6. Hypocrisy—Setting the highest moral standards for others but not for oneself.
7. Sacrilege—Either using holy things and holy words for one’s own advantage, or blasphemy (denying the real power of God).
"Boasting" can be committed only in the presence of other persons.
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the Father but is of the world.
1 John 2:17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
"Haughtiness" or "arrogance" measures self as above others (Mark 7:23; Luke 1:51; Rom. 1:30; 2 Tim. 3:2; Jas. 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). This word refers primarily to the attitude of one's heart. First Timothy 3:6; 6:4; and 2 Timothy 3:4 use a word literally meaning "to wrap in smoke." It emphasizes the plight of the one who has been blinded by personal pride.
Often, we recognize pride as vanity or self-conceit. In the Bible the English word “vain” is usually a translation of a number of words that mean, "nothingness" or "unreliability." In relation to God, trying to thwart His will is vain (Ps. 2:1; see Acts 4:25).
Psa 2:1 Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?
Psa 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.
Observing vanities in life forsakes mercy for self exaltation.
Jonah 2:8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
Trying to do things without God's help is vain (Ps. 127:1). We are warned not to take God's name in vain (as though it were nothing) in the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20: 7; Deut. 5:11). Mark warned that believers are not to give God vain lip service but obedience from the heart (7:6-7; see Isa. 1:13; 29:13; Jas. 1:26).
Pride may appear in many other less obvious forms. Some of the more common are pride of race, spiritual pride, and pride of riches. Jesus denounced pride of race (Luke 3:8). The parable of the Pharisee and the publican was directed at those guilty of spiritual pride, the ones who "trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others" (Luke 18:9). James 1:10 warns the rich against the temptation to be lifted up with pride because of their wealth.
James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
James 1:7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
James 1:8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
James 1:9 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,
James 1:10 but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.
James 1:11 For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
What Did Jesus Say About Pride?
Luke 18:9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
Luke 18:10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
Luke 18:11 "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men; extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
Luke 18:12 'I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'
Luke 18:13 "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'
Luke 18:14 "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
What Are the Results of Pride?
Prov 13:10 By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom.
Prov 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
Prov 16:19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.
Prov 21:24 A proud and haughty man; "Scoffer" is his name; He acts with arrogant pride.
Prov 29:23 A man's pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor.
Amos 6:8 The Lord GOD has sworn by Himself, The LORD God of hosts says: "I abhor the pride of Jacob, And hate his palaces; Therefore I will deliver up the city And all that is in it."
The Sin of Lucifer Was Pride
Isa 14:12 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!
Isa 14:13 For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;
Isa 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'
Isa 14:15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.
Repentance
God’s answer to the seven deadly sins is repentance. Repentance is a feeling of regret, a changing of the mind, or a turning from sin to God. As a feeling of regret the term can apply even to God. In the days preceding the flood, God was sorry that He had created the human race (Gen. 6:6-7). He later regretted that he had made Saul the king over Israel (1 Sam. 15:11,35). God also repented in the sense of changing His mind (Ex. 32:14). Most occurrences of the term in the Bible, however, do not refer to God but to people. These also do not indicate mere regret or a change of mind; they mean a reorientation of the sinner to God. In this more common sense, then, God does not repent like humans (1 Sam. 15:29).
In ancient Israel repentance was first expressed corporately. When national calamities such as famine, drought, defeat, or a plague of locusts arose, the people did not feel responsible individually for these catastrophes. Rather, they sensed that the incidents were caused by the guilt of the nation. All shared the responsibility and, consequently, the ritual of repentance. Fasting, the wearing of sackcloth (the traditional attire for mourning), the scattering of ashes (Is. 58:5; Neh. 9:1; Dan. 9:3), and the recitation of prayers and psalms in a penitential liturgy characterized this collective experience of worship.
With the use of such outward tokens of repentance, however, the danger of sham or pretense also arose. Ritual not accompanied by a genuine attitude of repentance was empty. Against such misleading and, therefore, futile expressions of remorse, the eighth-century prophets spoke out. Their attacks upon feigned worship and their calls for genuine contrition on the part of the individual gave flower to the characteristic biblical concept of repentance. What was needed was not ritual alone, but the active involvement of the individual in making a radical change within the heart (Ezek. 18:31) and in seeking a new direction for one's life.
Ezek 18:31 "Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?
What was demanded was a turning from sin and at the same time a turning to God. For the prophets, such a turning or conversion was not just simply a change within a person; it was openly manifested in justice, kindness, and humility (Mic. 6:8; Amos 5:24; Hos. 2:19-20).
A direct connection between the prophets and the New Testament is found in John the Baptist. Appearing in the wilderness, he, like they, issued the call to his own generation for this radical kind of turning. He baptized those who by confessing their sins responded to his invitation (Mark 1:4-5). Likewise, he expected that those who had made this commitment would demonstrate by their actions the change, which they had made in their hearts (Luke 3:10-14). He differed, though, from the prophets in that his message of repentance was intricately bound up with his expectation of the imminent coming of the Messiah (Luke 3:15-17; see also Acts 19:4).
The Messiah came also preaching a message of repentance (Mark 1:15). Stressing that all men needed to repent (Luke 13:1-5), Jesus summoned his followers to turn and become like children (Matt. 18:3). He defined His ministry in terms of calling sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32). Moreover, He illustrated His understanding of repentance in the parable of the prodigal who returned to the father (Luke 15:11-32). Like John, he insisted that the life that was changed was obvious by the "fruit" that it bore (Luke 6:20-45).
Mark 1:14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
Mark 1:15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
Jesus also differed from His predecessors in His proclamation of repentance. He related it closely to the arrival of the kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15) and specifically associated it with one's acceptance of Him. Those who were unrepentant were those who rejected Him (Luke 10:8-15; 11:30-32); those who received Him were the truly repentant. In His name repentance and forgiveness were to be proclaimed to all nations (Luke 24:47).
Acts shows this proclamation was made. Peter (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 5:31) and Paul (Acts 17:30; 20:21) told Jews and Gentiles alike "that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance" (Acts 26:20 NASB). The apostolic preaching virtually identified repentance with belief in Christ: both resulted in the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 10:43).
Paul described an earlier letter he had sent to the Corinthians which caused them grief, but which eventually led them to repentance. Here Paul described a change in the Corinthians' attitude about him (2 Cor. 7:8-13). Their repentance resulted in their reconciliation with him.
2 Cor 7:8 For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while.
2 Cor 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.
2 Cor 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
2 Cor 7:11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
2 Cor 7:12 Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.
Renewal of commitment or reaffirmation of faith seems to be the meaning of repentance in the letters to the seven churches in Revelation (2:5,16,21-22; 3:3,19). Twice the letters call for the readers to remember and thereby to return to what they had been. The call is for rededication and not initial conversion.
PENANCE: CONFESSION OF SIN
The sacrament of repentance, sometimes called penance, is also known as Confession the Rite of Reconciliation. Through this sacrament of grace, Christ forgives sin and restores the soul to grace: ``Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. '' (John 20:22-23; Matt. 18:18). This covenant act has to do with the human soul. In order to experience the blessings of the covenant, the soul must remain free of sin. Sin will block the benefits of the covenant from being enjoyed. Confession cleanses the soul and restores the flow of grace that is at work in a person’s life through being in covenant with God.
Psychology is really the study of the soul (psuche in Greek), and the soul is made up of three parts. The mind (intellect), the will (volition), and the emotions (feelings) are components of the soul-- the permanent, eternal essence of mankind. The church's ministry whereby it seeks to heal, comfort, and direct the wounded souls of its members. It is also called the "care" of souls. In early times, this was done mostly through the liturgy, in which there was opportunity for a public confession of sin and an announcement of forgiveness. This gave the entire community of faith a therapeutic function. To help priests perform this function, the rite of reconciliation or confession was established where a penitent person confessed his or her sins before the priest and received absolution-- forgiveness from God as declared by God’s representative (the priest). In the early Middle Ages, probably at first in Ireland, this custom of private confession appeared, and this soon placed the main responsibility for the cure of souls on those who heard confession. This was a form of counseling that helped many people to deal with problems that might otherwise have been ignored by society and church alike. This was, perhaps, the first realization that people's emotional problems were a part of the SOULISH realm-- the mind, will and emotions. By seeking and obtaining forgiveness, many people were able to prevent bitterness and anger from causing deeper psychological problems.