Seven Deadly Sins
May 4, 2022
We all do lots of bad things, and during the first 500 years after Jesus was born, various lists of those bad things came out. Probably the most well-known is the list of what are called the Seven Deadly Sins. That list and its counterparts follows. Pride always heads the list because, I think, Pride is the most common and the most powerful of our ills. Pride is believing you are better than you are. Anywhere, any time. Even the holiest of us has Pride, but the others are there to some degree in all of us. Maybe there are a few of us who are not touched by all of them but not many. I am too old to be bothered by Lust. Maybe there is a little Gluttony and Greed, a touch of wrath. Sloth almost pushes Pride aside as the major sin but never completely. Age makes a difference. If you think for a moment, I think you will agree that it is a pretty good list.
PRIDE…….............HUMILITY
LUST…………….…...CHASTITY
ENVY……………......KINDNESS
WRATH…………....PATIENCE
GLUTTONY….…..TEMPERANCE
GREED……………....CHARITY
SLOTH ……………...DILLIGENCE
We have not spent as much time working out a list of good behaviors, but one is available. It is by Paul the Apostle. and it is found in the book of Galatians (5:19-22). Paul calls them the fruit of the Spirit.
LOVE
GENTLENESS
JOY
GOODNESS
PEACE
SELF-CONTROL
PATIENCE
KINDNESS
GOODNESS
FAITHFULNESS