- Mat 15:19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.
- Mar 7:21-22 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.
- Gal 5:19 – Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told {you} in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
- Eph 5:3-5a Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God.
- 1Ti 1:9-10 For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching
- Rev 21:8 “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death.”
I have highlighted the words that ought to catch your attention. I am sure these words would be toward the bottom of your ranking of sins. Go ponder these for a while. Shocking isn’t it! We wouldn’t expect these sins would be listed with the other “more heinous ones”. That is what turns the notion of sin on its head. It is all sin, not just the big ones.
I feel privileged to get a response from a personal friend to these Gems I have been writing on the matter of the ranking of sin. Not because he wrote or even what he said. What makes me feel so privileged is that he says and I quote: I know I should have replied before now, but hey, I never did homework when at school so why start now? Consider yourself privileged: the only teacher to ever get an assignment back from me. Actually I have been giving your assignment considerable thought, so here is what I think.”
The thoughts in italics are my friend’s but I thought I would share them with you all: They are thought provoking to say the least.
To break the first commandment is the worst sin. God states we are to have no other God, Yeshua said “To love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength, is the greatest commandment. Therefore to break these commands, which are the same, is the greatest sin. [Ian: A number of you share this thought]
The only other thought that I wonder about is this, Yeshua stated there is only one sin that cannot be forgiven. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This being the case surely God must consider that the greatest sin. [Ian: I wondered why no-one mentioned that thought before.]
One thing my friend thought that is interesting is that no one put “abortion” on their list, as it did not show up, at least not in the worst sins. Yet I think God probably views it as most serious even more so than murder, some may argue it is the same thing. Maybe some of you consider abortion a form of murder. Or maybe it just that the world media machine has ground you down to the point where it is now acceptable. At what point can child sacrifice be acceptable? Isn’t that what it is?
Self-discipline is when your conscience tells you to do something & you don’t talk back.
W K Hope