According to Wikipedia, the seven deadly sins are:
1. Lust
2. Gluttony
3. Greed
4. Sloth
5. Wrath
6. Envy
7. Pride
In the Book of Proverbs 6:16-19, among the verses traditionally associated with King Solomon, it states that the Lord specifically regards "six things the Lord hateth, and seven that are an abomination unto Him", namely
- A proud look
- A lying tongue
- Hands that shed innocent blood
- A heart that devises wicked plots
- Feet that are swift to run into mischief
- A deceitful witness that uttereth lies
- Him that soweth discord among brethren
Another list, given this time by the Epistle to the Galatians (Galatians 5:19-21), includes more of the traditional seven sins, although the list is substantially longer: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, "and such like". Since Saint Paul goes on to say that the persons who practice these sins "shall not inherit the Kingdom of God", they are usually listed as (possible) mortal sins rather than capital vices.
*******************************
In my life I have been close to most of the sins mentioned above. I would say Lust and Envy were at the top of my list and have caused the most trouble in my life over the years. Now I seem to be troubled by Gluttony and Sloth, according to my ever expanding waistline. (Who knew Sloth was such a popular sin that it has an animal named after it. ) However, Jesus has forgiven me of it all. God's love is a wonderful thing. I'm still not perfect and yet, God still loves me. I am truly blessed. Jesus didn't break anyone's arm and tell them to get right with God. Jesus was tolerant toward the woman taken in Adultery and showed mercy toward her and her situation. Jesus always fixed what was wrong in someone's life and then told them "go, and sin no more"
I can only imagine what that woman said to her family when she went home that day. "Mother, I met a wonderful man who saved my life from a rock throwing crowd and then told me to sin no more." I'm sure she was grateful for her life but I'm also sure she was affected by being told to "go, and sin no more".
In a more modern twist, Pope Francis said of the Catholic Church: “The church sometimes has locked itself up in small things, in small-minded rules. The most important thing is the first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you. And the ministers of the church must be ministers of mercy above all. The confessor, for example, is always in danger of being either too much of a rigorist or too lax. Neither is merciful, because neither of them really takes responsibility for the person. The rigorist washes his hands so that he leaves it to the commandment. The loose minister washes his hands by simply saying, ‘This is not a sin’ or something like that. In pastoral ministry we must accompany people, and we must heal their wounds. (http://www.americamagazine.org/pope-interview). The Pope also said “We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. This is not possible. I have not spoken much about these things, and I was reprimanded for that. But when we speak about these issues, we have to talk about them in a context. The teaching of the church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time."
Other people's sin is not my sins, nor are my sins everyone else's sins. It isn't up to me to get someone in a hammerlock and persuade them to turn from their wicked ways and turn to God. I am not the Judge. The simple part of Acts 16:31 "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household" is sometimes too simple for our human minds. You don't have to carry a 17 and a half pound bible and darken the doors of the church every time it is open, you just have to believe. I want people to see in me that I have something in my life that they might want in their lives.
I don't see a lot of people protesting Gluttony or Sloth but it seems some people, including myself, at some point got hung up on certain kinds of sin. Sin is sin is sin. Matthew 6: 14-15 says "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." How can we expect the Lord to forgive us and show us mercy if we can't get over the sin someone else is committing because it is on our "That's a REALLY bad sin" list?
I have seen a lot of churches in my past that seem to act like they are above sinners. They go through the motions of living a "good life" but they don't have much of an outreach program on a regular basis. I've seen small churches say "We can't do that, we don't have enough people attending church to do that" Remember, people, Jesus and 12 Apostle's changed the world! The size of your congregation does not matter, it is the spirit and faith your congregation shows that matters....even the Bible says in Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."
We need to look beyond other people's faults and see their needs and we need to love them, regardless of their shortcomings. We need to trust God that he will give us the ability to do these things. We have all fallen short at some point in our lives and we need to show people mercy as we have once had mercy shown to us when we were down.
I, for one, am glad that Jesus kept knocking on my hearts door. I'm still a sinner but now I'm a sinner saved by grace.
J.
