Has anyone been following the series in the Chronicle on the “Seven Deadly Sins?” It started last Saturday along with a report that the Catholic Church had modified the original list and added 7 more. Not sure that I necessarily agree with their selection of new “Sins” or even in their decision to modify the list, but it’s kind of refreshing in an era where some churches are modifying the list down and redefining some behaviour as not sinful.
In case you need to have your memory jogged the original list of seven deadly sins include: Pride, Envy, Anger, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony and Lust. To that list the Vatican newspaper recently listed seven modern social sins. These “social” sins were given as follows: Environmental pollution, Genetic manipulation, Accumulating excessive wealth, Inflicting poverty, Drug trafficking and consumption, Morally debatable experiments and the Violation of fundamental rights of human nature.
Now without getting picky the last list makes me feel kind of morally superior, which would of course be a violation of the number one sin on the original list, the sin of pride. I just don’t struggle with the new ones. I mean every once in awhile I might get a craving to do a little genetic manipulation but on the broad scope of things I can usually keep that under control.
But the first list, I don’t think there is any one of us who has not at one point or another struggled with those very things. I mean before I became a Christ Follower I didn’t see that list as a list of sins nearly as much as a set of goals.
A little background on the Seven Deadly Sins. This list is not a biblical list, that is not to say that the various sins are mentioned or listed in the bible, but they are never all combined together as one list in the bible. The closest you might come is Proverbs 6:16-19 There are six things the LORD hates— no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family. The Seven Deadly sins were originally eight and were defined by a monk by the name of Evagrius Ponticus in the fourth century. In that list sloth wasn’t found but both Sorrow and Discouragement were listed. It was Pope Gregory the Great who formalized the list in the 6th century and it came into popular and common usage after it’s inclusion in Dante’s Divine Comedy in the thirteen hundreds.
However through common usage they have become accepted in a fashion as a part of the make up of the Christian Church. Sometimes they are referred to as Cardinal Sins but are not to be confused with Mortal sins to be a mortal sin in the Catholic church there are three conditions that must be met: 1. It must be of a grave matter; 2. It must be committed with full knowledge that it is a mortal sin; 3. It must be committed with full consent.
And the Catholic Church can also provide a list of what a Mortal sin is: Abortion,
Anger, Adulterers, Amending the words of the Holy Bible, Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, (Eternal sin) Carousing, Cowards, Defrauders, Dissensions, Disrespect towards parents, Drunkenness, Enmities, Envy, Factions, Faithless, False witness (liars)
Fornicators, Greed, Holy Communion received while in a state of mortal sin, Idolatry, Impurity, Jealousy, Licentiousness, Love and practice falsehoods, Male prostitution, Murderers, Polluted, Quarrelling, Sodomites, Sorcery, Strife, Thieves (steal/robbers).
Wow, I think the only think they left out was parking in a handicap spot.
It is easy to point a finger at what we perceive to be “Sin” but the act really is simply a manifestation of sinful thoughts and attitudes, that doesn’t excuse the action. A prime example of that played itself just recently in the news regarding former New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer. Spitzer of course was caught in a federal investigation into prostitution and yet while that may be where his sin was revealed it began with a decision to lie to and betray his wife and break his wedding vows. The media had a field day with the story, especially considering that in his previous job as Attorney General of NY and then as Governor it was Spitzer who instigated a number of investigations into Prostitution and enacted tougher legislation aimed at cracking down on prostitution.
It was probably a result of his initiatives that he was caught which proves the truth of Billy Sunday’s words “Sin can be forgiven but stupid is forever.”
Spitzer of course was able to break a majority of the Seven Deadly Sins in one fell swoop. There was pride, in figuring that he would never get caught. Newsday wrote “Spitzer, is either viciously self-destructive or pathologically arrogant, believing he wouldn’t be caught.” There was greed, wanting more, there was envy wanting what wasn’t his to have and there of course was the self evident Lust. For some people his sin was committing adultery, for others it was paying for sex and for some it was simply paying $4,300.00 for sex. But the sin had started in his head and his heart before it moved to the Mayflower Hotel.
But where does that leave us? After all the big seven have inspired movies, books, art and apparently this message. But if we focus on the “Seven Deadly Sins” the temptation is “Well I don’t do any of those things so I must be alright” So this morning we are going to look at “Sin”.
The very first question has to be: What Is Sin? In the Maritimes Sin is a euphemism for bad luck, you know some one says “Bob’s car wouldn’t start the other day and he was late for work and got in trouble with the boss.” And the other person says “Isn’t that a sin.” No actually it isn’t a sin, bad luck maybe, perhaps bad planning but it’s not a sin. Sometimes it does work, “Did you hear, Bob’s wife left him for another man.” “isn’t that a sin.” Yes actually it is. Sometimes you hear someone say “That’s ugly as sin.”
I wanted to find out what ugly as sin was as so I goggled it and got this! (a picture of crocs)
Collins dictionary defines sin as “the breaking of religious or moral law, especially through a wilful act.”
While the Old Testament never formally defines sin the concept is “anything contrary to the known will of God”. The word used throughout the New Testament literally means “to miss the mark.” that is certainly testified to in Romans 3:23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Now I am sure that we could enter into all kinds of legal definitions of sin at this point, is this sin? How about this? In it’s simplest definition sin is disappointing God through our disobedience. That’s sin.
The second question then has to be: “Why Do We Sin?” and that is a good question why do people sin? Well the most elementary answer is “because”. You see we sin because that is the nature of the beast. Adam was created in the perfect image of God, but when he chose to sin in Genesis 3 that image became distorted, not destroyed simply distorted. When I was in college a friend of mine accidentally knocked a photograph of my sister onto the floor. In the fall the glass broke, and while the image of Dianne was still there it was distorted because of the cracks in the glass. The same thing happened at the dawn of time when the first man and first woman chose to wilfully disobey God’s commandment the perfect image was distorted not destroyed just distorted. The legacy that Adam and Eve have left us with is the legacy of sin.
I’ve mentioned it several times but it bears repeating, nowhere is original sin more clearly defined then in children. Have you noticed that you don’t have to teach children how to say no, won’t, don’t and other negative words, but you have to teach them how to say please, thank you and you’re welcome. Never had to teach a kid how to throw a tantrum, how to cry how to rebel. But kids have to be taught how to be polite, and pleasant, how to obey.
It was through Adam and eve that sin entered the world and it became their gift to us, along with the punishment for disobeying God’s will Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death . . .
When Paul gives us a list of specific moral sins in Galatians 5 he begins by saying these are the acts of the sinful nature. The human nature. But he tells us that they should not be the actions of someone who is a child of God because he says quite plainly in Galatians 5:19-21 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Well then the third question is: if we sin because we have to sin How Do We Not Sin? very frankly it’s impossible. You do not have the power to not sin. If you are a people and most of you look like you are a people then for the very reasons that we mentioned above you cannot not sin. Even when we try our hardest to please God, and do all the good things that we could possibly do the prophet Isaiah tells us in Isaiah 64:6 We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
Well preacher that is really depressing, first you tell us that we are all sinners then you tell us that because we are all sinners we are all gonna die, and then you tell us that there isn’t a thing that we can do about it, thanks bunches you made my day. Even though it’s true that there is absolutely no way that you can not sin, don’t forget that if you have been born again there is a difference, or at least there ought to be, Paul tells us in Romans 7:5-6 When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.
Paul talks about our sinful nature in the past tense, something that used to be but isn’t now. He backs this up in Romans 8:4 when he says He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
You see what we once were and what we are now should be two different creatures completely, 2 Corinthians 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! Does that describe you, has the old gone has the new come? Christ tells us in Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
You cannot serve both God and your sinful nature, either you will hate the one and love the other or you will be devoted to one and despise the other. Romans 8:8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
But How Do We Conquer The Sinful Nature? How do We get on top of it? Galatians 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
That statement concerning crucifying the sinful nature indicates an act of the will. The main reason why Christians don’t crucify the sinful nature is that they don’t want to. They enjoy the sin they are dabbling in. We hate to admit it but it’s the truth we sin because we want to sin.
During my fourth year of college I attended an ice hockey game that went until 2:00 o’clock in the morning, it was the only time we could rent the ice. The next morning I just couldn’t convince my body that we should get up at seven so I could be to my eight o’clock class, even though it was my favourite subject. Later that day I ran into my professor and apologize for not being there, “I really wanted to be there Dr. Kanzelmar” I told him. His reply has stuck with me now for over twenty five years because he said, “Denn if you had wanted to be there you would have been there, because you do what you want to do.” Profound isn’t it? “You do what you want to do.” “Preacher you don’t really believe that do you?” Sure do.
That philosophy fits right into the reality of Philippians 4:13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
You see what we can’t do on our own, we can do through Christ. What you can’t do on you own Christ can give you the power to do. And that is in all areas of your life. But the decision to obedience to God is a conscious decision. It’s something that you decide to do.
Falling into sin isn’t fatal, staying in sin is. A lady asked an old fisherman who was standing on a wharf, “if you fell in the water here would you drown” “naw” he said “falling in the water doesn’t drown anybody, it’s the staying under that does the drowning.” Falling isn’t fatal but staying down is.
Remember the list of sins that Paul gives us in Galatians 5:19-21? Do you remember how it ends? Galatians 5:21 Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Paul is being very straight forward, if we live in a sinful manner, that is continuing to sin we will not inherit the kingdom of God. No ifs, no ands, and no buts. And what it comes right down to your choice, not mine, not your parents not your spouses, nobodies choice but yours and yours alone. You will choose to serve God, or you will choose to serve your sinful nature. But make no mistake about it, it will be your choice.
You will only commit sins that you are willing to commit. Do I see a few raised eyebrows and detect some doubt among the faithful? One of the greatest promises of the bible is 1 Corinthians 10:13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
God did not say that we wouldn’t be tempted, even Christ was tempted. But God did say that you would never be tempted by something that you couldn’t resist. Our problem is that many of us are like Augustine who prayed save me God but not yet. We want to have our cake and to eat it too. We want to be Christians, we want to go to heaven but we want to sin as well. We want everything that this life can give and everything the next life can give.
But God doesn’t want anything less then everything. You can’t say this 95 percent of my life is God’s and this five percent is mine. Doesn’t work that way, not at all. You don’t plant a garden and then reserve a corner of it for weeds. Cause if you do the little green monsters soon want it all. No man can serve two masters. You can’t serve God and self. You can’t serve God and sin. You can’t serve God and the devil. Because you will either love one and hate the other or devote yourself to one and despise the other.
If you play with fire you will get burned. And if you play with sin you will get burned. Remember sin will always take you further then you want to go. Sin will always keep you longer then you want to stay and sin will always cost you more then what you want to pay.
You will never be sin’s master it will always be your master.
Galatians 5:16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.
The secret, And how do you live by the spirit? Well probably the first step is to admit that you can’t do it alone. As long as you are trying to live a sinless life by yourself you will blow it can’t be done. If you were to go to an a. a. meeting you would hear people get up and say “my name if Bob and I’m an alcoholic, or my name is Alice and I’m an alcoholic.” now they may not be drinking, may not have taken a drink for twenty years but even as a sober alcoholic they acknowledge that they have a problem with alcohol. Maybe in church we need to stand up and say “I’m Denn and I’m a sinner, or my name’s Jason and I’m a sinner” that doesn’t mean that we have to continue to sin, but it does mean that we know who we are and what we are. And we can’t do anything to change the fact that we are sinners.
But the apostle John tells us in 1 John 2:1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin.
Catchy isn’t it, I write this to you so you will not sin. John goes on to say if we fall it’s not fatal when he says I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.
The bottom line is not following a book of rules, or a list of do nots instead it is being obedient to God. And he promises that he will give us all the help we need in being obedient if we want it. But it is our choice. Because bottom line is this: the bottom line is not following a book of rules, or a list of do nots instead it is being obedient to God. And he promises that he will give us all the help we need in being obedient if we want it. But it is our choice. Because bottom line is what Jesus said in John 14:23-24 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me.
PowerPoint may be available for this message contact me at denn@cornerstonewesleyan.ca
