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About The Seven Deadly Sins And Their Opposites: The Seven Heavenly Virtues
What are the seven deadly sins and their opposites the seven heavenly virtues?
Though the seven deadly sins is Roman Catholic doctrine and I'm a Baptist, I'll do my best to
answer this question simply because I believe that it's important to understand that some of our
nasty behaviors, which stem from our hearts (Matthew 15:19-20) can cause us to sin.
When we're living sinfully, we're creating a rift between God
and ourselves.
Another thing to note is though there are no Bible
verses pertaining to the seven deadly sins per se, the mention of the sins
themselves is not unscriptural. To give you my Baptist take on the 7 deadly sins, I've listed them, their opposites, which are known as the seven holy virtues
and sometimes called the heavenly virtues, and Bible verses that will help you combat
that sin.
But before I do, I'd like to make you aware that there are many more than just seven sins that can cause us to
travel down the road that leads straight to spiritual death or hell and I've
listed those as well.
1)
Pride
What it is: Conceit, thinking too highly of ones self. Arrogance. Not recognizing that it is God who does everything good
and without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5–6). A person can also be full of pride when
he or she thinks asking for help is beneath him or her. Men are oftentimes too proud to stop and ask for directions.
Opposite: Humility, humbleness.
How to overcome it:
Follow the apostle Paul's advice from Romans 12:3, which says: "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." The apostle Paul considered himself to be the chief of sinners. Meaning that even though he was an apostle of Christ Jesus, he never saw himself as being any better than the rest of us.
Keep in mind what Jesus
said: "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit
the earth." (Matthew 5:5) Not only did He preach this, but He lived it. If
we're to follow after Jesus, we need to try our best to live the way He did.
Remember, you don't have to take care of everything yourself. Jesus promised that God would take care of
your every need (Luke 12:24). God longs to help you, to take care of you, to
be your Father. He's waiting for you to ask Him for help. Jesus humbling
Himself and thanking our Father in heaven for whatever He received sets an
excellent example for the rest of us.
By giving the credit to God, we acknowledge that we depend on God for
everything. In addition, thinking that just being a child of God entitles
one to riches is a trap. Consider what Jesus said in Luke 9:58: "The Son of man hath not where to lay his head."
2)
Greed
What it is:
Self-indulgence. Stinginess: never sharing with others. Always wanting more. What you have is never enough.
Opposite: Charity, Kindness.
How to overcome it:
Ephesians 5:3 says: "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity,
or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people." (NIV)
Emphasis mine. Not only can greed can kill
our relationship with God, but it can cause problems in other relationships. When we're in pursuit of more, we end up putting our relationship with God on the back burner when He should be our first priority.
Greed also causes us to blow off our families.
Colossians 3:1-2
tells us, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” (KJV)
Everything we gain here on earth is temporary, but what we have in heaven is
eternal. When we die, everything we've accumulated on earth becomes meaningless. Solomon, the wisest man ever known, said in Ecclesiastes that the pursuit of riches is
pointless.
"Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys." Luke 12:33 (NIV)
If we're seeking God and His face, we'll have no thought of the
worldly stuff.
In Acts 20:35, the apostle Paul said: "'In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
As Christians, we are to help the less fortunate and the weak. When we do so,
not only are we heaping up treasure upon treasure in heaven for ourselves,
but we'll see just how much that God has richly blessed us.
Read Acts 5:1-10.
3)
Envy:
What it is: covetousness, jealousy. Always wanting what you don't have.
Never being satisfied.
Opposite: Contentment, satisfaction.
How to overcome it:
Philippians 4:11 says: "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." (KJV)
Our eyes are constantly finding things that we think we want, however, we're
supposed to be happy with what we have. One of the worst things we can do is
compare ourselves to others. Being a female, I can relate to looking at another woman and wishing that I was as pretty as her or as thin
as she is or whatever, but that's envy. And guys, don't be jealous of the man next door who seems to have it all.
Proverbs 23:17 says: "Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long." (KJV) Yeah, you may think they have it all, but how would you like to have to answer to God like they will?
Envy is the seed of hate. When you harbor envy in your heart, that kernel of jealousy will wax into a gigantic sore called hate. Think about Cain and Abel from Genesis. When Cain saw that Abel's sacrifice pleased the Lord more than his, he
became so envious, he became so jealous of his brother that he killed him.
4)
Wrath:
What it is: Anger, bitterness, lack of forgiveness. People who are full of wrath are known to have an ill temper. This
type of person holds grudges against everyone and has the tendency to drive everyone away.
Opposite: Patience, Love, Forgiveness
How to overcome it:
Matthew
18:21-22, “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin
against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say
not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.” (KJV) Being only human, I know that it's difficult to forgive certain people, but if we don't then God won't forgive us (Matthew 6:14-15). Whenever I get mad at someone and I stop and think about all that Jesus has forgiven me for, it makes it so much easier to have compassion on the person who has wronged me.
Ephesians 4:32, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” (KJV) Think about this: Even when Jesus was hanging on that cross, naked, bruised, and humiliated,
He asked our Father to forgive those who persecuted Him.
James 1:19, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” (KJV) Keeping your temper in check is a sign of strength,
not weakness.
5)
Lust
What it is: Perversion. Want kicked up several notches. Self-indulgence.
Opposite: Chastity, self-control.
How to overcome it:
Ephesians 4:22: “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.” Not only is this verse
addressing sexual lust, but also our desire to have everything, even things that are harmful to us. When we give in to our lusts, we step onto a path that we don't
ever want to be on.
Proverbs 6:25: “Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.”
Practice self-control and keep your pants on. Sex is only sanctified if it's between marriage partners.
Galatians 5:16: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Where would you profit eternally if you're in pursuit of your lusts all day?
James 1:14-15, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” Our lust comes from the desires of our own hearts.
Without a doubt, even Jesus was tempted, but He practiced restraint. Even though Jesus wasn't very comely, with all the power He
possessed, He most likely could have had any woman He wanted, but He chose to remain a virgin for our sakes,
so He could be a Holy and pure sacrifice that would be pleasing to God.
1 Corinthians 9:27, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” Even preachers are subjected to temptations and some have taken nasty falls because they gave in to their lusts.
Consider this: Nothing done in secret will be a secret forever. In other words, since secrets have a way of surfacing and biting us in the behind when we least expect it, it's better to abstain from doing anything that will
embarrass us later.
6)
Gluttony
What it is: Overeating. Too much drinking or abusing alcohol, abusing drugs and whatnot. Not only that, but it is
doing anything harmful to the body.
Opposite: Temperance, self-Control, moderation.
How to overcome it:
Matthew 11:19, “The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.” Eating and drinking in moderation is good, but anything beyond that is harmful.
Philippians 3:19: “Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)” If a person sits around and eats all day, or is in
constant pursuit of something else to eat, then he or she will become obese. Additionally, if a person's mind is on food, then how will he or she think about God?
Proverbs 23:21: “For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags." Have you ever met an alcoholic who remained rich? One way or another, whether by
car accidents or foolish spending, an alcoholic always parts with his money.
7)
Sloth:
What it is: Idleness, laziness. Not doing anything productive whatsoever.
Opposite: Fruitful, industrious.
How to overcome it:
Colossians 3:23-24, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” (KJV) Whether you're at work or at home, do everything like you're doing it for God. If you do, you'll always do the
very best job you can.
Matthew 12:36: "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." Idle talk is meaningless garble. It's unproductive. It doesn't serve a purpose. It neither lifts up nor
edifies another.
Proverbs 19:15, "Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger." Have you ever noticed how the
most employers tend to give the hardest workers the choicest hours? It's because the people who do their best at work are the ones who can be depended upon
and trusted to do a good job.
Ecclesiastes 10:18, "If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks." (NIV) Need I say more?
In addition to the above seven sins, I've listed several more below, all of
which are an abomination to the Lord:
Telling a lie
or any form of deceitfulness: Even a small
lie or a white lie, omission
of facts, or embellishment of the truth is a sin. “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.” (1 Peter 2:1, NIV)
Cheating: See stealing, lying and adultery.
I hope I don't need to tell you that cheating someone else out of anything
is the same as
stealing. Even just standing or sitting around and "milking the clock" at
work is cheating your boss out of their money. 1 Corinthians 6:9 says, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind."
Stealing: Ephesians 4:28: “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” (KJV) Also see envy and sloth above. Working and paying for your own stuff is
very satisfying. It's a reward for your hard work. My dad always told
me that a man who would steal from his brother would kill him, and I believe
that's true.
Murder: In Genesis 9:6,
it says: “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.” (NKJV) In Matthew 27:3-5, after Judas Iscariot
betrayed the Lord, he felt so guilty about it that he hanged himself.
Abortion: Jeremiah 1:4-5, “Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (KJV) The Lord knew and loved us all from before the foundation of the Earth. Isaiah 44:24, “This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself.” (NIV)
Suicide: Isaiah 44:2, “Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.” (KJV) If you kill yourself, the last act you commit is murder. Moreover, you're telling God that you don't believe that He will take care of you. You're telling Him that you don't believe that He has what's best for you in mind.
Disrespecting your parents or elders. When you do, you're disrespecting God
because you're choosing not to obey the fifth of God's commandments found in
Exodus 20:2-17. If you follow the advice given in Hebrews 13:17, you'll be
doing good: “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”
Bearing a false witness against someone: Lying about someone is
the same as slander. So is telling the police or the courts a lie about someone
that can get that person
either wrongfully jailed or freed. When you go to court, you're asked to swear on oath, usually with your hand on the Bible and you're asked to repeat
an oath an officer of the court that's very similar to this: "I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth... so help me God." What that means is that if you lie, you're lying to God's face. Don't think it's any big deal? Read the books of Exodus, Revelation,
and Acts 5 so you can discover for yourself what God
has in store for liars. He hates them.
For now, I'll give you this verse
to show you how much that God hates lying: “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” (Proverbs
6:16-19 KJV)
If you're a man who is reading
this, I can imagine the wheels turning in your head right now... I can hear
the question that's formulating in your brain as I'm writing this. I'll be honest here: rather than hear the half-truth or a sugar coated truth, if
any of my pants, skirts, shorts, dresses or whatever makes my backside look big, I really do want to know! At least then I'd have the chance to put on something presentable.
Yeah, I realize that most women are sensitive so here's what you do... you
say something like: "Hey Hon... What about that--inject another pair of
pants, skirt, or dress here that you know fits her better than what she has
on. I think you
look GORGEOUS in it!" Then, so you can get away with the distraction, go and
give her a huge kiss. (In case you haven't noticed, I'm a master at
manipulating others. Thankfully, I don't do it very often.)
And ladies, maybe you're thinking that if you tell your
friend that her new hairdo looks awful, she'll cry, but you don't have to be
so blunt. Once or twice, when I've had a bad haircut, my sister nicely began
to play with my hair and made it look better. I got the hint. See the advice I gave to the men above? You don't have to give your friend a huge kiss, but you can say, "I saw you get so many looks with your hair done such and such way." Or, "With your hair done such and such way, it really brings out your--eyes, lips, cheekbones or whatever here."
See, if you follow the advice I gave above, you don't have to lie and you're doing something kind for
someone else. :)
Committing adultery: See lust,
stealing, lying, cheating above. This is the seventh commandment and
trust me, it is there for a reason. By the way, when you commit adultery,
you're stealing your husband's or wife's time. You're forcing him or her to
waste their time and energy on someone who is
unfaithful. Not only is adultery cheating on one's spouse, but it is also following after other gods. If we
worship other gods, we're cheating on God. When we're in pursuit of the almighty dollar, we're making money our god and
we're cheating on the One true God, thereby breaking the first of the ten
commandments. 1 Corinthians 6:18 tells us, “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.”
Cussing: Just like cigarette smoking, this one is such an easy habit to pick up and so hard to get rid of. Parents, don't cuss around your children. Remember, monkey see, monkey do. The worst cuss word of all, however, is to take either God's or Jesus' name in vain or misuse
the name of God.
Here's my rule of thumb about sin: If it won't glorify God, you probably
shouldn't be doing it. If we heed the apostle Peter's advice, we'll be doing
much more than just good, we'll be doing our very best, which is what God
expects from us: "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." (1 Peter 2:11)
Recommended Verses: 1 Peter 2 (Yes,
read the entire chapter!)
* Copyright 2008 Sandra Purdue. You may swipe anything I write as long as you leave the byline intact.
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