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Galatians 5:19-21:
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which
do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. |
This Gem identifies works of the flesh.
Seventeen separate sinful behaviors are mentioned together and then
a general "catch-all" ("and such like") is included for good
measure.
At first look some things in this list appear
as particularly easy sins to avoid: adultery, idolatry,
witchcraft, murder, drunkenness. But many of the sins in this
list are not so easily avoided. Uncleanness encompasses a wide
range of thoughts, words, and deeds. Lasciviousness is simply
lust. One doesn't need to explore pornography to fall prey to
this sin. Movies, TV shows, advertisements, and the people
around us can trigger lustful thoughts. Variance is creating
discord. One disparaging remark, whether deliberate or not,
can cause discord. Emulation is trying to appear better than
someone else. Playing the 'game' of one-upmanship is falling
prey to this sin. Sedition is causing factions.
Embracing a clique to the disservice of
individuals outside the group is one example. Envy is jealousy, coveting
another's possessions, success, position, health, beauty,
intelligence, eloquence, or popularity.
Both the 'big' sins and the 'minor' sins are
lumped together in this Gem without any real regard to sorting on
severity. In fact every one of these sins is tied to the
ultimate punishment of being disqualified from receiving Eternal
Life ("they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of
God").
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