Lists

And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. Revelation 20:12a

For some reason we tend to like lists. All kinds of lists. Shopping lists. Christmas lists. Things are easier to remember if always listed in the same order. How many of us know the taxonomy classifications because of an acrostic (which is a type of list) about good ol’ King Philip and his penchant for grape soda?! (Well at least we used to know it.) We like to-do lists because they keep us on task; not to mention that fulfilling moment when you get to check something off the list. That sense of accomplishment is hard to beat.

We like lists of do’s and don’ts. If we can boil right and wrong down to a list of rules, we feel we have a better idea of where we stand and where we need to go. And while we don’t want to reduce Christianity to nothing but a checklist, I think God must understand how lists help us.

There are several scriptures that give us lists, the most famous being, I suppose, the Ten Commandments. It might surprise you to know that one famous list— the so-called Seven Deadly Sins— is not in the Bible. But all seven of them—

Lust
Gluttony
Greed
Sloth
Wrath
Envy
and Pride—

are called sinful in various Bible passages. Of course all sin is spiritually deadly if not forgiven, but I would have to agree that these seven are particularly dangerous, perhaps foundational to other sins, such as the ones mentioned in this biblical list:

These six things the LORD hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren. –Proverbs 6:16-19

So is it six things or seven? Really there are six different things listed, but lying is listed twice which would seem to emphasize it. Yet lying is not on the traditional list of deadly sins. The one sin that made both lists is pride.

Below I have shared some other biblical lists of sins. As much as we like lists, probably our least favorite type is a list of sins. It’s not pleasant to come face to face with our wrongs.

But somewhere up there God is keeping some lists for Himself.

And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.… And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:12, 15

There is a record of each person’s works including “every idle word,” (Matthew 12:36), and we’ll have to answer for all of it at the judgment, unless we are listed among the faithful in God’s Book of Life.

Obviously God takes sin very seriously and so should we. He has gone to great lengths to make us aware of what constitutes sin, even giving us some handy albeit sobering lists. What’s more, He has taken extreme measures– costly measures– to make forgiveness freely available to all.

It will cost us something too— a change in heart, attitude, and action.

…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 will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Of course what we gain in return makes quite a list too.

You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul… 1 Peter 2:9-11

Heavenly Father, I thank You that through Your mercy and grace You have given Your Son as a ransom for my sins and as an Advocate to answer for me at the judgment. Please make me holy as You are holy. I ask Your forgiveness for my sins, through Jesus Christ my Lord, Amen.

by Christie Cole Atkins

If you have the time, it’s quite powerful to read aloud all the sins listed below. Take note of which ones are mentioned most often. See which ones surprise you. Think about which ones you have committed, and which you have made excuses for.

BONUS
Some Bible passages (ESV) that list sins:

Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20:1-17) (#4 and #5 are positive commands)
1 You shall have no other gods before me.
2 You shall not make for yourself a carved image.
3 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
4 (Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.)
5 (Honor your father and your mother.)
6 You shall not murder.
7 You shall not commit adultery.
8 You shall not steal.
9 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10 You shall not covet.

Mark 7:21-23 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.

Romans 1:29-31 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Colossians 3:4-9 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.

1 Timothy 1:8-11 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers (kidnappers NKJV), liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable (unforgiving NKJV), slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Titus 3:3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

Revelation 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”