Day 1 – Established doctrine

“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.” James 1:14-16 NLT

Under the supervision of Pope Gregory around 600 AC, Biblical scholars studied all available Holy Scriptures to put together a doctrine to teach certain principles of God’s Word to the populace. This was before the invention of the printing press when Bibles were not available for the common man to study. It captivated the minds of many a scholar and it was only around 1400 AC that the doctrine was completed by the early Roman church and introduced as “The Seven Deadly Sins” which are: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride.

Not only did Pope Gregory put the doctrine of the Seven Deadly Sins in motion, but also the Seven Virtues: faith, hope, charity, justice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude. The latter, of course, did not get as much attention. The Bible validates all these concepts, but they are not notarised in a list and nowhere are they referred to as the seven deadly sins or virtues.

Today we have the Bible available in different formats, translations, and languages – printed, online, and on several apps. At any given time, you can study the Word of God and learn the truth for yourself. But in those days, people went to church to hear and gain an understanding of God’s Word. They did not have their own Bibles to open but had to trust the interpretation of the Priest. With a little crooked smile, I wonder how that would have worked today.

What I’ve noticed while studying this age-old topic, is that these sins are rooted in the basic desires of humanity which births sinful actions. Just like hopscotch, desire (or temptation) is the jump steps to sin, just like the first woman in Genesis, Eve, realized- she was tempted, she desired, and she sinned.

While working through this devotional we will take an in-depth look at each of these sins, meanings and implications of it in our lives, so we can heed the warning of being misled.

Prayer: Father, thank You for allowing us to understand the doctrine of the Seven Deadly Sins and the wisdom to heed the warning of not being misled and to use Your Word as guidance to stand firm in righteous faith. Thank You for Your written Word and that we can study it for ourselves to build a closer relationship with You. Amen.

Love, Pastor Iriza