The Seven Deadly Sins

by: Jane Olson

The seven deadly sins are hot these days. Oxford University Press released a seven-book series where famous authors weighed in on each of them. A few years ago, Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman starred in a horror film called Se7en. And last week in the grocery store I saw a wine for sale named “Seven Deadly Zins.” Americans are interested in the seven deadly sins, as long as that interest remains shallow and commercial.

For centuries, the Christian church has believed that taking these deadly sins seriously can help believers avoid gratifying “the desires of the flesh.” The church identified seven sins that are especially harmful to our spiritual lives: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. It also recognized seven virtues (prudence, temperance, fortitude, justice, faith, hope, and love) as antidotes to these sins.

As reformed Christians we believe that all sins are equally “deadly.” All sin separates us from God and requires Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross. Bearing that in mind, we can still benefit from studying the seven deadly sins if we think of them as seven habits that the human heart is especially prone to – habits that result in our estrangement from God. Over the next two weeks, we will study each of the seven deadly sins and the seven companion virtues. Acknowledging our inclination towards sin is the first step in walking by the Spirit.