2024-09-10
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From the moment Moses stepped down from Mt. Sinai, the followers of God have been trying to wheel and deal. We want our cake, and by golly, we want to eat it too. We want the acceptance and approval of God, yet we still get to scratch that tingly “sin” itch we all have. We do this by making some sins super-duper bad and evil, yet at the same time, we’ll casually disregard others.

Sure, we know they’re sins (and, like all sins, will only bring death into our lives), but we still try to justify why they’re different from all of the other “real sins.” But a leopard cannot change his spots, and a sin is a sin. Here’s a list of some of the most prevalent sins that many believers commit on a weekly (dare we say, even a daily) basis without so much as batting an eye. Read on to see how many you’ve committed.

Gluttony.

This is about so much more than food. It’s about an attitude of the heart that fosters overindulgence. Excessive food and drink are the usual culprits, but they’re not the only ones. A weekend of Netflix binging would classify here (especially if we stuff our mouths the entire time). Perpetually treating meals as if they are feasts (eating way beyond that perfect point where you’re satisfied) is a massive red flag that gluttony is one sin you don’t mind committing. There’s a reason that Thanksgiving only happens once a year; our bodies (and souls) weren’t meant to have such a massive feast every month or week of the calendar year.

Lust.

One could easily make the argument that our entire culture is guilty of lusting sexually. Watching 2 minutes of commercials is enough to teach you that. With approximately one-third of all websites around the world being pornographic, it begs the question – who is looking at all of those sites? Indeed, many of them go to a church near you. But lust isn’t just about coveting thy neighbor’s wife or clicking on one of those naughty websites. It’s harboring an attitude of desire for your personal use and longings. As the old saying goes, love gives, and lust takes. If we’re longing to take anyone’s sexuality for our satisfaction, we’ve lusted.

Pride.

Thinking too highly of oneself is a sin that many of us don’t even bother to struggle with anymore. We call it “having a high self-esteem” and go along our merry way. It’s almost as if we’ve forgotten who we’re dealing with. God does not share his glory. But there’s another kind of pride that is particularly prevalent in the Christian circles that snags most of us – false humility. Mopping around with a hangdog face and a “look how not proud I am” demeanor is possibly the worst kind of pride. It’s still hyper-focused on self and not God. And it will rob us just as quickly, too.

Murder.

Sermon on the Mount type of murder. If you’ve boiled with rage after some nincompoop cut you off in traffic, then you are guilty of murder in your heart. Hatred is murder. When we hate someone else, then Jesus said that we’ve already murdered them in our hearts. Fortunately for us, we won’t be locked away in a prison because of it – but there will be bars placed on our hearts just the same. It will be a prison of our own making, and we would do well to get out of that rotten cell as soon as possible and walk in forgiveness.

Idolatry.

I don’t have a carved image of an ancient Greek god in my home, and I doubt you do, either. But idolatry (like all sin) is a matter of the heart. If we serve someone or something other than the Triune God with our time, money, and affection – then it could be an idol. Consider how excited most men would be if their favorite team won the Super Bowl – would they ever be that excited about God? One has to consider why a team winning some trophy named after a former coach would be more precious to us than the treasure we have waiting for us in heaven itself. Idols, like sneaky foxes, often slip in unnoticed – until we seek the wake of the devastation they’ve left.

As Christians, we all know that sinning is a bad thing, and yet, there are some sins that we’re entirely okay committing. Nonetheless, no matter how many times we sin, as long as we repent, God will forgive us and welcome us into His kingdom when the time comes.

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