sin and virtue Archives - A Proud Christian

What Are Sins

blogger — Sun, 29 May 2022 08:40:00 +0000

Sins are things we
do that are direct disobedience to God’s law. The problem of sin started from
heaven when an angel called Lucifer decided to take over the seat and authority
of God.

The Bible said the
sin of pride entered him. He was the most beautiful and most intelligent
creature God made. He was also the choirmaster in heaven and had all the
instruments of music created inside of him.

These special
endowments made Lucifer believe that he was far better than others and that he
could take God’s place. He said, “I will ascend above the heights of the
clouds. I will be like the Highest.” Isaiah 14:14.

Lucifer convinced
about one-third of the angels in heaven to join him in his evil plot. In the
battle that followed, angel Michael led the angels of God to fight against the
revolters.

The angels of God
defeated Satan and his cohorts and sent them out of heaven. After being kicked
out of paradise, Satan starts his devilish campaign against God by trying to
lead man astray.

Satan possessed
the serpent in the garden of Eden to deceive Eve into eating the forbidden
fruit. He told Eve, “You will not surely die. For God knows that your eyes
will be opened when you eat of it, and you will be like God, knowing good and
evil.” Genesis 3:4-5.

Eve obeyed him,
ate the fruit, and gave his husband Adam, who was not there when Satan came
visiting. The two of them later realized what they had done.

They have
willingly surrendered the power and authority God gave them as creatures made
in the image of God to Satan. They have made themselves to be subjects of
Satan.

Unknown to them,
they have rejected God as their Lord and chose Satan instead. That action gave
birth to the nature of sin in them, which got transferred to all humanity.

Every act of
disobedience ever done by man came from this nature.

Sins of Christianity

Sins of
Christianity or sins that Christianity has considered as the deadly sins a
seven in number. All sins are harmful because the Bible says, “The wages
of sin is death.” Romans 6:23. And also, “All souls that sin shall
die.” Ezekiel 18:20.

That is enough to
tell anyone that God does not categorize any sins as small or big, but as far
as the Almighty God is concerned, all unrighteousness is sin and must be
punished.

It is also interesting
that the seven deadly sins are not recorded or listed in the Bible as
categorized by men. Among several other wrongs committed by men, they are not
termed more toxic than others.

The story of
deadly sins started in the 4th century when a monk called Evagrius Ponticus
came up with a message which described eight evils man must resist.

That message made
the round for many years until a couple of centuries later. Pope Gregory 1
claimed they were seven sins and not eight.

Since that time,
many Christian circles have believed in the seven deadly sins. These sins
include; pride, envy,
wrath, gluttony, lust, sloth, and greed.

The truth is that
these are sins indeed, but they are not more deadly than other sins in the
Bible.

The danger of
accepting the idea of deadly sins is that people who are free from them would
see themselves as saints, though they may be committing other sins.

We should not seek
to be free from these deadly sins alone but all sins. That is the will of God
for us.

For the same
reason, Jesus came into the world to seek and save those lost in sin.

The blood that He
shed on the cross is the antidote to the problem of sin. It can cleanse us from
all forms of evil and deliver us permanently from their consequences.

What is an Example of Sloth Sin

Many people
believe that slothfulness means laziness. While this may be true, it is not
entirely true.

Sloth sin goes
beyond acts of laziness. Many people see it as deadly and more severe than
laziness.

The sin of sloth
has been classified into four parts: carelessness, unwillingness to act,
half-hearted effort, and becoming discouraged quickly by any possible
difficulty.

An excellent
example of slothfulness in the Bible is the case of the children of Israel in
the wilderness.

They had the
privilege of knowing God and His power like no other people have done, but they
abused the opportunity. God journeyed with them as pillars of cloud and fire
and performed many great miracles in their midst.

These miracles
include; parting the red sea, providing water in the wilderness, bringing down
the wall of Jericho, stopping River Jordan, and providing manna which they ate
for forty years before entering the Promised Land.

The children of
Israel saw all these miracles, but they didn’t see anything special about them.
They are ready to blame Moses and God for their predicaments in the face of any
little challenge.

It got to a stage
where God said they would not enter the Promised Land, and He made them wander
about for 40 years until all of them died.

It was their
children that they gave birth to in the wilderness that God made to enter the
land and possess it.

The Sin of Pride

The sin of pride
is one of the seven deadly sins. What makes this a grave sin is that those who
are proud are ascribing the glory and honor that are God’s to themselves.

God cannot
tolerate the proud. He resists them and keeps them far from himself. A proud
man will never give glory to God.

An excellent example of the sin of pride in
the Bible is that of Samson, a man endowed with extraordinary strength to war
against the Philistines.

He was so powerful
that he put the entire army of the Philistines to flight. He killed a thousand
of them with the jaw bone of an ass, and the rest ran away.

Because Samson saw
himself as invincible, he became proud and disobedient to God’s instructions.
All of these made him take steps that made it easy for the enemies to discover
the source of his strength.

Pride brought
Samson down from grace to grass. Pride goes before a fall.

You can overcome
the sin of pride by acknowledging God in everything you do. See Him as the
power behind all that you are doing. See Him as the one that supplies all your
needs.

It would help if
you also gave him praise at all times. Jesus commanded the leper, who came back
to give him thanks. The same thing God expects us to do. Hence He said in
everything, give thanks.

The Cardinal Sin

The Cardinal sin
is another name given to the seven deadly sins. It is an example of how
Christians have tried to categorize sins based on their level of understanding
of God’s word

Many people have
tried to find out whether God can forgive Cardinal sins. The answer is yes. All
sins can be absolved according to Jesus Christ, except the sin of blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit.

God does not
rejoice in the death of sinners, but He wants them to repent of their sins and
be saved. That was why He came to the world.

The fact that
Jesus loved sinners showed up in the book of John 8 when some people brought a
woman caught in the sin of adultery to Him. Her accusers had wanted to stone
her to death, following the law of Moses.

They also want to
use the opportunity to make Jesus say what will contradict the word of God.

They told Him.
“The law of Moses says she should be stoned to death. What do you
say.” Jesus, who knew their intention, did not fall for their trap.

He bent down and
was writing with his finger on the ground. He then raised his head and said,
“Whoever among you that have not sinned should stone her first.”

When they hear
that, the Bible says they were convicted in their hearts and left one after the
other.

When all of them
had left, Jesus looked at the woman and said, “where are your
accusers.” The woman answered, “they had left.”

He responded,
“neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.”

Jesus did not like
the fact that the woman was a sinner, but He loved her as a person created in
the image and likeness of God.

The power in the
forgiveness given by Jesus is the secret to overcoming the Cardinal sin, and
any other type of sin anyone might be committing.

Whoever the Son
makes free shall be free indeed. God has ordained Jesus to be the savior of the
world. He is the last Adam who has come to undo what the first Adam did in the
garden of Eden.

That is the reason
why He had to die and shed his blood. He took our place in judgment and
suffered for the unjust.

We should not look
at the Cardinal or the seven deadly sins, but we should look at Jesus, the
author, and finisher of our faith, who loved us so much that He willingly
surrendered himself to be killed so that we could be free from all bondage to
sin.

When is the second coming of Jesus Christ?

blogger — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 06:16:00 +0000

The second coming of Christ is undoubtedly a period many believers look forward to. It is seen as a time that will mark the end of sorrow and transgression from the world and the beginning of eternal celebration in our Lord Jesus Christ. The second coming is a very relevant topic in the Bible and it seems that all the events that have happened from the beginning of time will lead to this unprecedented moment. For this reason, believers have thought to themselves, “When will the savior come?”

Prophecies of the return of Christ

We have seen in the modern-day how prophets of God have made announcements and declarations towards the coming of Christ. This is not new as even in the Old Testament, some prophets spoke about Jesus. But what is often confusing is that these prophets spoke concerning one man, but two different events. The first event is the birth of Jesus Christ, while the second is his second coming. A major indicator of the second coming in the Old Testament is from Prophet Zechariah who said, “It will be a unique day-a-day known only to the Lord- with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light” (Zechariah 14:7).

The words of the Prophets came to pass concerning the birth and death of Jesus. He died over two thousand years ago so that we may have eternal life. His death followed lots of sorrow to his disciples. They were also met with shock and disbelief as he resurrected, and ascended into heaven. His disciples continued the work of the Lord, as Jesus advised, and preached the word of God. Apostle Paul also spoke about the return of Christ. “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). Paul elaborated on the events that happened on the day of the ascension of Christ.

When will Jesus come?

The world has never failed to remind us that the time of the second coming of Christ is not for anybody to know God. “But about the day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36). The Lord also declared that the son of man will come like a thief in the night. The return of Jesus will come as a surprise that catches everybody off guard-both believers and unbelievers. This is why we should always be alert and prepared because the Lord could return anytime. Jesus explains this by telling the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25. “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise” (Matthew 25:1-2). This parable represents preparation and readiness. The ten virgins symbolize the members of the church. The oil represents the Holy Spirit and it is apparent that the wise virgins had the spirit and truth, they were not deceived. The foolish virgins represent those who were not in faith and spirit. Jesus Christ was represented by the bridegroom. Christ reminds us to always be prepared, and not be like the foolish virgins. When the time comes, the door will be shut as Jesus describes, and those who are not prepared will beg and scream for the Lord to let them in. Jesus also made mention of his second coming to his disciples in John 14:2-3.

The second coming of Jesus Christ signs

While still with his disciples, Jesus announced the signs of the end times.

1) First Sign – He emphasized false prophets and false Messiahs as that was the first thing he made mention of when asked about the signs of the end time. “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and deceive many” (Matthew 24:4-5). He also warned about them in (Matthew 24:11, Matthew 24:23-26).

2) Second Sign – Greed is another sign as described in (2 Timothy 3:1-5). The Lord also talked about betrayal among parents, brothers, sisters, and families (Luke 21:16) as well as wars and rumors of war between nations (Matthew 24:6, Luke 21:9-10).

3) Third Sign – There will be signs in the sky and the heavenly bodies. “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On Earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming of the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken” (Luke 21:25-26).

We were also warned about the scoffers- the people who would mock the return of Christ and make jokes about it. “Above all, you must understand that in the last day’s scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘where is this coming he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4). In times like this, we have to stay strong in the Lord as this could also be a test of faith. The signs and happenings of the end times can seem very daunting as believers. There will be many more challenges that we will have to face and pull through. Regardless, we need to stay strong in the Lord and not depart from him. Jesus talked about this in Luke 21:28.

What happens when Jesus comes back?

Before the second coming, an event called ‘rapture’ will occur. This event refers to Jesus taking the believers away from Earth before the great tribulation. This is to protect them from the wrath of God. “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9). Then, the Church which was raptured will face judgment. Based on the works that a believer has done for Christ, they will be rewarded during this process. The rapture will be followed by the great tribulation. The great tribulation will occur in the end times where humankind will face troubles. The events of the great tribulation include Armageddon, persecution of believers, judgment, among others. After the great tribulation, the second coming of Jesus will take place. The Messiah will come with the angels and the Church which he had taken with him beforehand. A new Earth will then be created which will last for a thousand years. Satan and the Antichrist will be punished by being cast into a lake of fire for one thousand years. Blessings will be bestowed on the new Earth where Christ will reign.

Rapture vs. The second coming

People often mistake rapture and the second coming of Christ as the same event. Contrary to popular belief, rapture and the return of Jesus things are two different things holding different purposes. Here are the key differences between the rapture and the second coming.

1. Rapture centers more on deliverance and a way of removing believers from the Earth to escape God’s wrath (1 Thessalonians 4:17). However, the second coming deals with God’s judgment to unbelievers. (Matthew 24:40-41). 2. Rapture and the second coming takes place in two different places. Just as Christ ascended, he will come to us in the same manner and the living believers in Christ will meet him in the air. This will happen after the dead in Christ rise up and meet him. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). In the case of the second coming, Christ will come with his angels and land on Mount Olives after which there will be a battle which will take place at a valley called ‘Armageddon’ Here, he battles the opposing armies with his angels. (Revelation 16:16). 3. Unlike the second coming, the rapture would be more discrete with no hinting events preceding it. The second coming, however, will be visible enough for everyone to know the event that is taking place. Also, some things have to be fulfilled before the second coming. The Antichrist will first be revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8). The things that Jesus declared in Matthew 24:4-30 will come to pass and only then will Christ return? 4. Rapture will occur after the great tribulation (Revelation 3:10). However, the second coming will only happen after the great tribulation has occurred (Revelation 6-19). As we equip ourselves with the knowledge of the word of God, we must remember to stand firm in the Lord and keep our faith strong. The events leading to the second coming of Christ will lead to confusion, disbelief, and strife. In times like that, you have to be aware of the people around you and the words you listen to as things could get very deceptive. Thankfully, we will not suffer the Lord’s wrath as the Church of Jesus Christ will be taken home before he strikes.

Seven Deadly Sins in the Bible

blogger — Sun, 15 Aug 2021 05:50:00 +0000

Several people wonder, “What are the seven deadly sins in the Bible?” The seven deadly sins as perceived by tradition and writing are as follows:

Explanation of Seven Deadly Sins of the Bible

Lust means to have a burning urge or need: “But I tell you, anybody, who looks lustfully at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).
Gluttony – excessive eating and drinking: “for drunkards and gluttons become destitute, and drowsiness dresses them in rags” (Proverbs 23:21)
Greed – overwhelming or repugnant acquisitiveness: “Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality, indulging in every form of filth, with a constant thirst for more” (Ephesians 4:19).
sloth– a disinclination to action or exertion: a lack of energy or vigor: “The sluggard’s route is clogged by thorns, while the upright’s path is a highway” (Proverbs 15:19).
Wrath – intense resentful rage or indignation: “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh remark stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1)
Envy – an unpleasant or jealous awareness of another’s advantage combined with a longing to have the same advantage: “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.” Craving pure spiritual milk like newborns, so that you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Peter 2:1-2).
Pride – the trait or attitude of being proud – excessive self-esteem: “Pride precedes a disaster, a haughty spirit precedes a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

Sins like seven deadly sins –

“The Lord despises six things: arrogant eyes, a lying mouth, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that rush into wickedness, a false witness who pours forth lies, and a man who stirs up discord among brothers” (Proverbs 6:16-19)

One of our church leaders recently delivered a sermon on Acts 5:11. He spoke of Ananias and Sapphira selling property and donating the earnings to the church. They did, however, hold some of the cash while claiming to have given the entire amount. God’s wrath was death on the spot. Ananias and Sapphira’s guilt was not that they pocketed a portion of profits, but that they cheated God as well as the Apostles. Such an immediate consequence is not typical of God’s dealings with us today. Yet, God’s approach of operating a moral cosmos includes judgment and retribution for our misdeeds. We must learn the lesson that we do not continue to sin in the hope that we will not have to account to God or others.

When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we know that He has defeated sin in our lives. Our sins have been purged and will no longer be remembered as a result of His death. Jesus’ life makes the difference. “Blessed are those whose mistakes are forgiven and whose crimes are atoned for.” “Blessed is he whose transgression the Lord will not count against him” (Romans 4:7-8). The subject of the seven deadly sins in the Bible is inspired in many of the Hollywood horror films like Seven and Theater of Blood. According to Lori Wildenberg’s articles on the seven deadly sins, “sin is described as a “violation of holy or ethical rule” or walking against the will of God. However, there are truly seven sins that are exceptionally heinous, and that might permanently alienate a person from God’s love? We all have this doubt is the seven deadly sins listed in the Bible?

The worst Seven Deadly sins are –

1) Lust 2) Sloth 3) Greed 4) Gluttony 5) Wrath 6) Envy 7) Pride

Roger Barrier said according to that these sins are forgivable. Even though they still illustrate human depravity, Barrier writes that “As per the Scriptures, all seven deadly acts are totally redeemable by God.” They would not be able to detach a genuine follower from God’s love. We are indeed guilty of doing a few of them from time to time: Excessive eating during special events(gluttony), disregarding God’s path which he wants us to walk (pride), feeling envious of our friend’s new purchase(envy), wrath, laziness, or imaging being with somebody whom we feel much attracted (lust). “I would suggest that arrogance is the root cause for the sins,” Barrier continued. However, unless they were fatal sins, it would be impossible for anyone to be redeemed for eternity with Jesus Christ.

Is it possible to find the seven deadly sins in scripture?

The Bible doesn’t really list pride, greed, desire, envy, gluttony, anger, or sloth among the “seven deadly sins.” The above-listed ones are referred to by several names in a variety of contexts in the Holy Scriptures. The psalm writer David was correct when he advised his audience to “ Stay away from rage and abandon fury!”Don’t be concerned; it just leads to evil.” (37:8) The killing of his own brother Abel through his sibling Cain exemplified how rage may turn into cruel intent. And we can also witness the form of envy and jealousy that can drive them to kill when King David ordered Uriah towards the front positions to cover his adultery with Bathsheba. Ecclesiastes’ the author noted in (Ecclesiastes 4:4), “Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind. In the book of Acts 5, Greed and deception drove Ananias and Saphira’s deaths. They deceived about their money; therefore, God punished them. Solomon had amassed enormous wealth in the OT, and even though Solomon known for his wisdom, he was beginning to move out from God and turned out to be arrogant. According to first Kings Chapter 11:4, “his wives focused and started to worship other gods.” This is yet another illustration of how sins interact. In Solomon’s situation, all the major sins coexist. The Proverbs contain several references to the Seven Deadly Sins. We can read in Proverbs 11:2 “When pride arrives, humiliation follows.” As we read through Proverbs 22:2 it speaks about gluttony. The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. Proverbs 13:4. In 1 Thessalonians 5:14, we are likewise told to “admonish the unruly.” Proverbs 5 warns against adultery. Proverbs 15:2 handles Wrath and its consequences.

Can Deadly Sins Are Distinct from Other Sins?

What do seven deadly sins mean actually mean? According to Roger Barrier, “the prime sin that cannot be pardoned will be the one which is spoken against the Holy Spirit.” Blasphemy is the rejection of God’s grace; it is turning away from God’s call from our heart. Matthew 3:28-29 talks about the blasphemy against the all-powerful Holy Spirit and it cannot be forgiven. According to the article “What does Blasphemy mean?” the Pharisees had been charged with blasphemy since they opposed Jesus as they should have identified who have is and where he has come from. Blasphemy is often referenced with several terms such as Idolatry. Barrier uses pride as a primary example when connected with Blasphemy. The stubborn idolatry worshipper not only they worship on their behalf but also work in ways others to follow them, yet as we’ve seen, they could be forgiven by God, when a believer of Christ recognizes his or her sin, admits it to God, and repents.

The Prime Take away from the Bible about Sin and does seven deadly sins anime ended?

According to James 4:2, “You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it.” Sin is lethal because it causes us to turn away from God. We must continue to seek our Lord for guidance and provision. We don’t need any sort of things, which God is not willing to provide. If it is needed he will provide them. If we aren’t requesting the Lord regarding what we really desire, it may be a signal that our wants aren’t holy, and we are aware of this. They are contradictory to God’s doctrine. The Holy Spirit is prompting us in a way like, “Don’t do them” or “That’s not right for you.” We love to get what God doesn’t need for us, and while it may appear that we will perish if we don’t have it, the Lord has full 360 degrees of our life. Prideful thinking that we know what is ideal for us damages our faith with God, our relationship with him, and removes the peace: also it will never separate us from God’s love.

So, what is the solution for Seven Deadly sins?

To begin, consider all these seven sins, or read through first Cor 6:9-10, which states that “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: by sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who have sex with men, thieves, greedy, drunkards because they won’t enter into the gates of heaven for sure.” This is merely another means of characterizing the sins that have previously been mentioned, and remember that all of them are forgivable. Consider whether you are performing any of the sins jolted down.

Read the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 for an example of how to stay away from getting into sin.

The chapter explains how the believers and disciples whose hearts exhibit God’s heart. Blessed are once that longs and have a zeal for righteousness. That is, understand what the Lord wants, as this could be the only cure to envy and gluttony. It has also been quoted that the meek and merciful people are also blessed from God according to the (verses 5, 7, 9). These people aggressively endeavor to repair broken relationships. Their meekness is an antidote to their arrogance. The pure of heart are not lustful (v.8): they have a deep desire for the Kingdom God to arrive, they respect others, and their ultimate objective is to know God more and to spread the word to all who are lost. It seems to be their most ardent wants. Nobody can continue to live up to the Beatitudes, but keep in mind that our Heavenly Father is “leisurely to anger”. We can ask for forgiveness of our sins to the Christ Jesus without having any sort of being rejected, and more importantly, we can also ask him to assist us in becoming more like Him. Sin is against God, yet God functions in the hearts of all believers to eradicate those sins and make us pure. This is not a task we can complete on our own. If you believe that any of the seven “deadly” sins cling to our life, pray to God now to cleanse your heart with his precious blood. Also, you can consult a biblical teacher if you “desire” drugs or alcohol, or if your wrath is ruling you and destroying your relationships. No matter what your conflict is, the war has been won through Christ’s holy name for the one who calls on Jesus’. Also Read –

Seven Deadly Sins In The Bible

The Seven Heavenly Virtues

blogger — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 03:16:00 +0000

What are the 7 Heavenly Virtues and what do they mean

Virtue is affirmatively agreed to be a habitual and firm disposition to do the good. When Pope Gregory defined the seven deadly sins that we should avoid, he also included a counter-balancing set of values that we should espouse and adopt. These values were identified and know as seven heavenly virtues. These virtues are chastity, abstinence/temperance, liberality/charity, diligence, patience, kindness and humility. After Pope Gregory released his list of seven deadly sins in AD 590, the seven virtues became pronounced and practising them is said to protect one against temptation from the seven deadly sins

1) Chastity – Not doing unlawful sexual intercourse – First Heavenly Virtue

Merriam Webster dictionary defines chastity as abstention from unlawful sexual intercourse or abstention from all sexual intercourse e.g. The priest took a vow of chastity. Chastity in simple terms is a deliberate choice not to engage in any form of sex or its related acts. A chaste man/woman will not have a partner or practice activities that defile his/her body. Chastity also involves inward purging and total cleansing from all filthiness that has stained us. Living a holy life therefore must be the focus of every Christian that is thinking of heaven. The Bible says without holiness no man will see the Lord.

2) Abstinence/Temperance – Not doing sin – Second Heavenly Virtue

This is the practice of restraining oneself from indulging in something, typically alcohol or sex or generally sin. It is constant mindfulness of one’s surroundings; practicing self-control, abstention, and moderation in all things. It can simply be said that it involves intentional staying away from something. As a heavenly virtue, abstinence is directly staying away from sin, evil and every form of wickedness that can hinder us from having mutual fellowship with God, God’s people and fellow human on Earth. It is a crucial and important virtue for heaven.

3) Liberality/Charity – means generosity – Third Heavenly Virtue

It is the willingness to give and a product of nobility of thoughts or actions. In simple terms, a liberal man/woman will be known to give to people. He or she gives out to the needy the widow and the people around is the community. Liberality is an important heavenly virtue because God showed us an example of being liberal by giving out his only son to save humanity. To be able to be in heaven with God, we must be able to show this virtue here on earth. Giving is good but give liberally is better. We must be a giver at all times to show that we understand the value of liberality. It must be a culture and a way of our life to fulfil the heavenly virtues.

4) Diligence – careful and persistent work – Fourth Heavenly Virtue

Diligence is the opposite of laziness. It is a function that governs an individual’s attitude towards his approach in undertaking task and activities. Diligence involved being hardworking and determine to achieve a particular task all work assignment. As an aspect of heavenly virtues, it focuses on the determination of an individual to be persistent in actualizing something, most especially the day-to-day livelihood that qualifies us for heaven. It is another word for zeal and expresses careful nature in one’s actions and work, budgeting one’s time and monitoring one’s own activities to guard against laziness.

5) Patience – capacity to accept or tolerate delay – Fifth Heavenly Virtue

This cut across forbearance and endurance through moderation. Resolving conflicts peacefully, as opposed to resorting to violence. It is also the ability to forgive or to show mercy to sinners. Patience is a unique virtue that every Christian believer should have. Patience and endurance work hand in hand. A patient’s believer will continuously wait for the promises of God available in the scriptures. He or she will not because of the challenges around, change in his or her conviction. The hope that our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ is coming back wholly lies in the ability to be patient with the fulfilment of God’s word. Christians therefore must be patient to get all that has been promised for us.

6) Kindness – the quality of being and generous – Sixth Heavenly Virtue

Kindness is inward compassion from an individual towards another. It is the source of benevolence and sympathy without thinking of self-benefit. It eradicates self and put on others-first attitude. It brings about friendship and it is full of love and charity. Kindness is the total opposite of wickedness. When one is kind to another, he or she never thought of doing evil in any form or wish that evil come on the other. A kind individual does not hold grudges and easily forgives no matter the level of offence done to him. Our lord is so kind that He forgives us of our sins. He admonished us to forgive others as he has forgiven us. We must exhibit or show this lifestyle of kindness by living with everyone around us in peace and showing them the love of God towards us all.

7) Humility is the quality of being humble – Seventh Heavenly Virtue

This is a form of modest behaviour, selflessness, and the giving of respect. Giving credit where credit is due; not unfairly glorifying one’s self. Humility and entails the ability to respect those in authority and our fellow man. It is the total opposite of pride and self-gratification. A humble man will value the opinion of others and will not suppress their will. Humility is an essential value most especially as expected of all leaders and people of rank-and-file. Jesus Christ humbled himself, took the form of Man just to redeem us, how much more are we expected to leave a full life of humility and sobriety.

These seven heavenly virtues when kept and allowed to become part of our lives will keep us from being guilty of any of the seven deadly sins. 2 Peter 1:3 makes us understand that we have been called to virtue. It said, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” In everything you do, always ask yourself if you are keeping all of these heavenly virtues.

Seven Deadly Sins In The Bible