The Sins Of Mankind Series

1:29

“…being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness…”

It seems to me that these are not the first in the list, but a title over the list. “Sexual immorality” is not in more modern versions, following different Greek texts. But he does mention it in his lists in 1 Corinthians and Galatians. And need we say that he has definitely covered this subject matter quite well in the letter so far?

Another reason the translations follow a different Greek text here is that “unrighteousness” and “wickedness” seem to cover the rest of the list in a general way, and “sexual immorality” has already been covered.

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Regardless, following is a sample of all the unrighteous deeds men have committed. He is not saying that every man commits every vice, but collectively this is our pedigree. This is who we are. Stand by. Here is the darkest portion of the chapter, if not the whole letter.

And by the way, don’t cover your ears. Because you are now in the book of Romans. Your sin has found you out. You can’t get out of this chapter unscathed, un-convicted.

(You will see later that the Word does not do this to condemn you any further. You are already condemned. When God shows you your sin, you are being blessed. The next thing He shows you is the Saviour from sin!)

“…covetousness..”

Boom! Got most of the audience already! Ever wanted something you didn’t need? Ever visited a home and said, “Sure wish I had that”?

Covetousness is the national sin.

It’s the Greek word pleonexia (accent on “i”), from the basic idea of “more.” (pleon). Not satisfied. I want more. More stuff. More attention. More satisfaction with life. Greediness is the other way it’s translated. Scripture says, “Having food and clothing, let us be content.” But we’re not. We want more.

Isn’t it striking to you that covetousness is one of the ten restrictions God gives His people from the days of Moses? By the way, it is only one of the restrictions, not two, as the Catholic grouping has it. By putting commandments one and two together, they come up with only nine commandments, so they divide the tenth one into two. Voila! Ten commandments again.

But coveting, grouped together with adultery and murder and idolatry? People who want more are unhappy people. Always saying, “Well, once I get my raise, things are gonna be OK.” Or , “If I only had married that other woman, I wouldn’t be so messed up now.” Yes, you would. And so

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would she. “Once I get out of school and start a respectable job, life will be good.”

Not that “more” is an evil word. Tracing that same Greek word, pleon, I see Paul becoming all things to all men, that he might win more. More souls for Jesus, that’s good. I see that Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses. More praise to Jesus, that’s good. The church at Thyatira had more works now than before, and they are praised. More love for and working for Jesus, that’s good.

But more for me? How do I dare ask for more, when I have been promised eternal life with Christ? What more is there? The more of covetousness. Beware of it!

“… maliciousness…”

Malice. We don’t use the word that often. It means worthless. Depraved. Related to malignant. Now, that sounds familiar. A tumor, a cancer, that is so far gone as to be untreatable. Imagine a sin within mankind that is so far gone as to be untreatable, making the man worthless. Deep, deep evil. A conscience that is so seared that nothing touches it. No compassion. No caring. How can prison guards in Communist countries beat pregnant women until their child either dies or is deformed at birth? How can abortionist practitioners in our own nation vacuum out the remains of a live baby, the take the body parts and sell them to research labs? Hitler was malicious against six million Jews? Yes, six million people slaughtered because of their racial identity. How cruel, how senseless.

At least we live in a righteous holy nation? Since Roe V Wade, sixty million lives have been snuffed out by men calling themselves doctors.

Innocently. Legally. Inject the poison, suck out the remains of those unwanted pregnancies. How long can a nation be spared that kills its own children?

That, among many other American and human atrocities, is the very definition of “malicious.” If you wanted to know…

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“… full of envy…”

“painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another, joined with a desire to possess the same advantage.”

That person is pretty. I wish I was pretty like that. That person is smart. I wish I had a brain like that. That person is holy. I wish I had that person’s holiness.