The 7 Deadly Sins

(Below are notes from Pastor Michael's 1-24-16 sermon)

-Part 3 of the 4 part "The Line Between Good & Evil" sermon series-

The list we have of the 7 deadly sins is not found in the Bible as a list of 7, but was originally listed as such by Ponticus (desert father from the 4th century) who found that even being away from everyone he still had a tendency to sin in thought, in his mind.

The 7 deadly sins:
1. Lust
2. Gluttony
3. Greed
4. Sloth (Indifference)
5. Wrath (Anger)
6. Envy
7. Pride

Later this list was adopted by the Roman Catholic Church, and then popularized in Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” and Dante’s “Divine Comedy” (where hell is shown as having separate circles for the seriousness of sin. That’s a fictional account of hell!)

Any sin is a “deadly” sin because sin separates us from God. These were called deadly for 2 reasons.
First from Gal 5:19-21; this list called “mortal sins”
Second because they were viewed as gateway sins-each one would lead down a path to other sins in a snowball effect.

Each is a distortion of something that is good, that’s the way that the devil often works in our lives, twisting a truth of God that is good into something that is evil for us:

1.Lust is a distortion of sexuality—God’s gift for a man and a woman in the confine of marriage
2.Gluttony is a distortion of food and drink—taking a basic need and focusing solely on it, or using it in place of other things
3.Greed is a distortiona of working hard & taking care of families—want more wealth and things—Love of $$ root of all kinds of evil evil-1 Timothy 6:10; (context of passage is we come into world w/nothing and leave w/nothing and if in the meantime we food, clothing, and Jesus that should be enough)
4.Sloth (Indifference) is a distortion of rest and leisure—honoring the Sabbath a good gift, not willing to do things that stretch us
5.Wrath is a distortion of appropriate anger—Ephesians 4:26-27—holding onto anger gives the devil an opportunity to work
Anger—bitterness—hate—revenge
6.Envy is a distortion of admiration—beauty is meant to be admired, envy leads to resentment—1st murder was b/c of envy over offering
7.Pride is a distortion of a proper self-image

The first 6 sins put other things on the throne as gods in our life, pride puts ourselves on the throne. That is why I would say that this is quite possibly the most dangerous of these deadly sins, or at least it is for me. It is also the first of recorded sins. We think of the first sin as happening in the Garden of Eden, that was the first human sin, but sometime before that there was Lucifer’s sin of pride resulting in his banishment from the presence of God and his motives for enticing the same for us.

Read James 1:13-15 again.
James doesn’t blame this on the devil (like Geraldine did in the video clip we watched last week—the devil made her buy that dress!)

Conceive=give birth like in childbirth, there is this gestation period of thinking, of wondering… “a moment of the maybe”—that’s where the suggestive tricks/schemes of the devil works

How do we overcome?
In response to the 7 Deadly Sins, the Church had outlined 7 Virtues to stand in the armor of God and battle the temptations:

7 Virtues:
1. Faithfulness defeats lust
Promises, accountability, openness, transparency, don’t hide things in your life or in your marriage
2. Temperance defeats gluttony
We think “just a little more won’t hurt me” but it can. Moderation, not over indulgence, and maybe abstinence
3. Generosity defeats Greed
Thinking of others and giving something away to them
4. Sacrifice defeats Sloth
Comfort zone/expectations
5. Forgiveness defeats Wrath
Letting go and letting God, before resentment and revenge set up cold fortress in your heart, be set free through offering forgiveness
6. Kindness defeats Envy
1 Corinthians 13:4- love is kind, love is our law, love is our life
7. Humility defeats Pride
Philippians 2:3-4 (live like Jesus)

It’s not that you just say you are humble, b/c as soon as you start saying you are 100% humble what does that say about yourself?
It’s about practices that strive for humility in our life.
The parking spot at my first appointment was marked “Reserved”. I was later told that premier spot was for the pastor! When I came here I saw the closest spot marked “Guests”. So, I park in the last spot in the corner the farthest away now. I don’t park there because I am a naturally humble person, I park there because I am hoping that one day by doing this it can help make me a little more humble. It gives me a chance to pick up trash as I walk, and maybe if I can be a servant in a practical way at times that it may rub off on my soul.

Practice the virtues to defeat the vices.

Being aware of the sins help us be aware of what can happen if we put something else on the throne where God alone should be.

Martin Luther spoke of “simil iustis et peccator”- that we are both saved and sinner somehow at the same time.
I think that is because our sanctification isn’t complete yet.
God is still working on and in us, still transforming us, still holding up the mirror of truth and making us look at ourselves.

But there is also the quiet conviction that gradually, day by day, little by little, decision by decision God is with us, leading us, coaxing us, bringing us home.

Who/what is going to sit on the throne in your life?

A More Beautiful Song

Indulge me in a little Greek story.

               Once upon a time there was an island on the coast of Greece. On this island lived many beautiful sirens, who were mythical mermaid women with the most exquisite and enchanting physical beauty as well as the most splendid voices that humanity has ever heard. When ships passed by the island at night, the sirens would sing their songs, and the sailors would become so enthralled and seduced by the song that they would veer their ships into the darkness toward the lovely singing. The jagged rocks that surrounded the island tore apart the ships, sending the sailors to a watery demise.

Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, knew the stories of the siren’s legendary song. As his ship prepared to pass the siren’s island one night, he placed beeswax in the ears of everyone on board his ship so that they would not be able to hear the enchanting song of the sirens. But he was too curious himself, so instead of plugging his own ears, he had himself tied to the mast of the ship. As the ship passed the island the sailors continued to man the ship in the direction away from the craggy and rocky shore line, oblivious to the siren’s sultry call. Odysseus heard their song, and struggled to free himself from his binds. He tried to get his men to free him, but deafly they only pulled his ropes tighter. If he had been able to, he would have careened the ship toward the island immediately, so strong was the lure of the siren’s song. Eventually the ship was past the island.

Odysseus was hailed as a hero for his ingenuity in passing the siren’s island and being the only man to ever hear the alluring song and not pulled into a ship wreck death.

Orpheus was a skilled musician and legendary poet. When he masterfully played music on his lyre, forest animals were tamed, streams would stop flowing, and trees would bend down towards him, all in an effort to simply hear a part of his beautiful song and sublime voice. As Orpheus led the Argos by the siren island he began playing his lyre and singing his song. Everyone aboard the ship was entranced by the majestic Orpheus, and were charmed by his song. The sirens began singing louder as the Argos passed by, but to no avail. The ship continued on its journey past them, and Orpheus sang louder so that his men would not hear the sirens. And in the end, even the sirens were tamed by the beguiling of Orpheus and his enchanting song.

It is said that Orpheus led his men to safety past the sirens because he played a more beautiful song.

I am sure by now you are probably wondering what any of this Geek mythology has to do with anything. You might be reading this in a newspaper “Religion” section, or reading this on a “pastor’s” blog and might be thinking, “What does this have to do with Christianity?”

“A more beautiful song.”
That is what I want us to think about.

Today there are many seemingly beautiful and appealing songs that are luring people into dangerous and rocky places filled with death and destruction. The tempting songs that are drawing people from the church, their faith, and attempting to pull them away from God.

As Christians what are we to do? As a church what can we do?

Well, we could moan and groan about the other worldly songs being too loud, and flashy and how we just can’t compete with all that.

Or, we could stuff our ears full of beeswax and go about our holy merry way oblivious to the destruction happening all around us.

Or perhaps there is another way. Perhaps we could sing a “more beautiful song” than the songs of the world.

After all, we know the most beautiful song of all, the song of God with us, the song of the Creator adorning flesh and being born in Bethlehem. The Most High God submitting to torture and ridicule, not because of weakness, but because of love. The Most Powerful being nailed to a cross and dying a criminal’s death, not from His wrongdoing, but for ours. And then Adonai, the Lord Jesus, raised from the dead and ascending into heaven to sit at the right hand of God, the Father, Almighty. And in the name of Jesus, we are freely offered grace, forgiveness of sin through his death and resurrection, and eternal life in the everlasting presence of God.

Yes, we have a more beautiful song, we have THE most beautiful song.
But, are we singing it?

               “Encourage one another, and build each other up”- 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Genesis 9:3-5

Genesis 9:3-5New International Version (NIV)

³ Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

⁴ “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. ⁵ And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.

The context here are commands given to Noah and his covenant with Noah. Noah is told to multiply the human race on the earth, and that the animals of the earth will be subject to humanity. There is a responsibility here and authority here in this covenant.

V3- I believe that Adam & Eve were vegetarians in the Garden of Eden. There was no need to kill and eat animals. That changed when sin entered the human/divine relationship. And here with Noah God is expanding the once only vegetarian diet to be now supplemented with meat, but there are restrictions here also imposed by God:

V4- Blood was considered to be synonymous with life. When Cain killed his brother Abel God came to Cain and said “your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground”. When the “blood” was spilled it was considered taking the “life”.  Animal blood must be drained from the animal before eating it.

Many ancient civilizations had practices of drinking blood in their religious ceremonies, and in thoughts that this practice brought fertility. This is forbidden by God in the covenant that He is making with Noah. Since God is the creator of life, this life source (blood) should not be consumed by us. This would also guard against the concern for needless killing, since once an animal was killed then the blood would be drained and then the animal would be consumed/used for clothing/tools/etc.

V5- The focus shifts from killing animals to killing another human being. The “life blood” (or blood that gives life) should not be shed at all, let alone consumed. God will “demand an accounting” for killing another human, in essence that a murderer is accountable to God first and foremost, but that a penalty is required and that is the life of the one who murders (killing in cold-blood).

V6- This is due to the high demand that God places on human life as we are made in His image.