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Our Sins

             Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.  They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:28-32)

 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (II Chronicles 7:14)

As we look around ourselves, we’ll likely find people who are speaking out against the sexual sins listed in Romans 1:24-27, as if they are terrible sins - and they are. The thing is, however, that the list doesn’t end with verse 27. Just as God gave people over to sexual sins, so He also gave them over to a host of other sins. The list is long.

Envy: A feeling of discontent or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck.

Murder: A desire to or act of taking the life of another person.

Strife: Angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues.

Deceit: Intentionally misleading or beguiling another (commission or omission.)

Malice: Harboring feelings of hatred, bitterness, or ill-will.

Gossip: Untrustworthy or meddlesome behavior that causes harm to others.

Slander: Harmful, destructive, and foolish behavior.

God-hating: Desiring what is not in the best interest of God.

Insolence: Presumptuous; insulting; haughty, contemptuous or brutal in behavior or language; overbearing; domineering; grossly rude or disrespectful; saucy; as, an insolent master; an insolent servant.

Arrogance: Overtly and excessively proud; making, or having the disposition to make, exorbitant claims of rank or estimation; giving one's self an undue degree of importance; assuming; haughty. (Either positive or negative)

Boastfulness: To vaunt one's self; to brag; to say or tell things which are intended to give others a high opinion of one's self or of things belonging to one's self; as, to boast of one's exploits courage, descent, wealth. (Either positive or negative)

Disobedient to Parents: Neglect or refusal to comply with authority; violation of a command or prohibition.

Foolish: Lack of understanding.

No Fidelity: Lack of …Faithfulness; loyalty; adherence to right; careful and exact observance of duty.

No love: Lack of …feeling of strong attachment induced by that which delights or commands admiration; preeminent kindness or devotion to another; affection; tenderness; as, the love of brothers and sisters.

No Mercy: Lack of… forbearance to inflict harm under circumstances of provocation, when one has the power to inflict it; compassionate treatment of an offender or adversary; clemency.

Approval and Encouragement of those who do the above.

It would probably be wise on our part to pray through this list now-and-then, to ask God’s perspective on our lives with regard to them. Not easy, but wise. But the thing is that we should be as quick to speak against these as we are against sexual sins. And our comments about them should not only be made about “them” but also about “us.” And if we want God to heal our land, we need to turn from these  things and seek God.

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