Many people have heard of the Seven Deadly Sins but do not understand their meaning. Learn what the Bible really says about the 7 Deadly Sins in this article based on the Bible.

I grew up in the American Midwest. We had several types of churches in my hometown of 1,100 people. In our county, there were dozens of kinds of churches. It seemed that there was a church everywhere you looked!

However, there were no Roman Catholic Churches in my hometown. The truth is I only knew of a tiny Catholic Church in a neighboring town. I only knew of one person in my school whose family attended it. Not many people went there. Roman Catholics view the rural midwest as a mission field because so few know of their teachings!

When God called me to New England, there were Catholic Churches everywhere. Although I had learned many Catholic doctrines in my study of various religions and preparation for ministry, I wanted to learn more to help people know the truth. Back then, I was shocked, and still am appalled today, at the unbiblical teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. They are wrong in so many areas!

The list of the top seven sins that God hates the most might surprise you! Share on X

In dealing with people in our region inundated with false doctrine, I have heard many philosophies that we correct with the truth of God’s Word.

For example, Catholics believe that you cannot go to Heaven if you commit suicide. The Bible does not teach that idea. It comes from Roman Catholic dogma.

One false teaching that we must correct regularly is the concept of the 7 DEADLY SINS. The idea of seven especially deadly sins was inspired and propagated by the Roman Catholic Church.  

Consider this article on the Catholic teaching on the Seven Deadly Sins FROM ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA.

Seven deadly sins, also called seven capital sins or seven cardinal sins, in Roman Catholic theology, the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behaviour. First enumerated by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and elaborated in the 13th century by St. Thomas Aquinas, they are (1) vainglory, or pride, (2) greed, or covetousness, (3) lust, or inordinate or illicit sexual desire, (4) envy, (5) gluttony, which is usually understood to include drunkenness, (6) wrath, or anger, and (7) sloth. Each of these can be overcome with the seven corresponding virtues of (1) humility, (2) charity, (3) chastity, (4) gratitude, (5) temperance, (6) patience, and (7) diligence.

Since the Seven Deadly sins are considered so fatal, the Catholic Church had to distinguish them from “regular sins.”

Review this article on Mortal Sins Vs. Venial Sins FROM ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA.

Mortal sin, also called cardinal sin, in Roman Catholic theology, the gravest of sins, representing a deliberate turning away from God and destroying charity (love) in the heart of the sinner. A mortal sin is defined as a grave action that is committed in full knowledge of its gravity and with the full consent of the sinner’s will. Such a sin cuts the sinner off from God’s sanctifying grace until it is repented, usually in confession with a priest. A person who dies unrepentant of the commission of mortal sin is believed to descend immediately into hell, where they suffer the separation from God that they chose in life. Although the Roman Catholic Church does not provide an exhaustive list of mortal sins, breaking the Ten Commandments, suicide, induced abortion, masturbation, rape, and divorce are well-known examples. Additionally, some mortal sins are considered so severe that the church punishes them with excommunication. These include apostasy (deliberate renunciation of the faith) and the desecration of the elements of the Eucharist. Mortal sins are contrasted with venial sins, which usually involve a less serious action and are committed with less self-awareness of wrongdoing. While a venial sin weakens the sinner’s union with God, it is not a deliberate turning away from him and so does not wholly block the inflow of sanctifying grace.

Wow. You won’t find one word of that mentioned in the King James Bible. It is complete heresy.

With so much confusion on the subject, let’s learn what the Bible REALLY Says About the Seven Deadly Sins.  

1. The Bible Doesn’t Mention The Seven Deadly Sins As Usually Presented.

The Seven Deadly Sins are commonly listed as:

1. Pride
2. Covetousness
3. Lust
4. Envy
5. Gluttony
6. Wrath
7. Sloth

Of course, the Bible says a lot about the sins of pride, covetousness, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. However, it never calls them “mortal sins” or identifies them as more deadly than other sins.

In fact, the list of the top seven sins that God hates the most might surprise you!

Proverbs 6:16–19 

16 These six things doth the Lord hate:

Yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

 17 A proud look, a lying tongue,

 And hands that shed innocent blood,

 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations,

 Feet that be swift in running to mischief,

 19 A false witness that speaketh lies,

 And he that soweth discord among brethren.

2. Every Sin is Deadly.

The sins listed among the “Seven Deadly Sins” are terrible, to be sure. However, the Bible makes no distinction between Mortal sins that send you to Hell and Venial sins that are bad but not terrible.

All sin is awful. Every sin corrupts the heart and condemns the soul.

Ezekiel 18:20 

The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

If you commit one sin, you are guilty of them all.

James 2:10 

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

There are no “small sins” in the sight of God. Never forget that the terrible sin that plunged the earth into chaos and condemned the human race was eating a piece of fruit from a forbidden tree.  

All sin is deadly.

3. There is No Purgatory, but There Is A Hell.

The Bible makes no distinction between sins that cut you off from the grace of God sending you to Hell and others that send you to a place called Purgatory for a time.

The concept of Purgatory is False Doctrine taught in the Catholic Church. Purgatory is not found in the Bible.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a “purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven,” which is experienced by those “who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified” (CCC 1030). It notes that “this final purification of the elect . . . is entirely different from the punishment of the damned” (CCC 1031).

The purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven (Rev. 21:27) and, while we may die with our mortal sins forgiven, there can still be many impurities in us, specifically venial sins and the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven.

Catholic.com

What nonsense!

Catholics are taught that they can help their dead loved ones, even shorten the length of their suffering by offering prayers or giving money to the Roman Catholic Church.

Catholic doctrine on purgatory is presented as composed of the same two points in the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, first published in 2005, which is a summary in dialogue form of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It deals with purgatory in the following exchange:[35]

210. What is purgatory?

 Purgatory is the state of those who die in God’s friendship, assured of their eternal salvation, but who still have need of purification to enter into the happiness of heaven.

211. How can we help the souls being purified in purgatory?

 Because of the communion of saints, the faithful who are still pilgrims on earth are able to help the souls in purgatory by offering prayers in suffrage for them, especially the Eucharistic sacrifice. They also help them by almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance.

Wikipedia

What a Devilish teaching! The Bible endorses none of this hogwash.

The Bible doesn’t mention the idea of the Seven DEADLY SINS. The concept was inspired and propagated by the Roman Catholic Church. Share on X

There is No Purgatory, but There Is A Hell.

There is no intermediate place of suffering. Souls go to Heaven or Hell when they die. There is no middle ground. The Catholic Church has gained untold wealth by conning money from the living trying to help their dead loved ones.  

Hell is Real.

Psalm 9:17

The wicked shall be turned into hell,

 And all the nations that forget God.

Jesus taught more about hell than heaven.

Matthew 5:30 

And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Matthew 23:33 

Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Hell is Eternal Fire.

Matthew 25:41 

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Hell is Torment.

Luke 16:23 

And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Matthew 13:41–42 

41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

There is no escape from Hell. It is the eternal abode of those sin-cursed souls who reject the saving power of Jesus Christ.

4. Any Sin Will Send You To Hell Unless You Accept Jesus Christ As Your Saviour.

The only way to earn your way to Heaven is to be entirely clean from sin.  

Not only is it impossible to live without sin in this life, but we were also born contaminated by sin. We are sinners by birth and by choice.

Romans 5:12 

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

God does not distinguish between sins that send you to Hell and sins that don’t send you to Hell. Every sin is punishable by the first death of the body and the second death of the soul.

Romans 6:23 

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Revelation 21:8 

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Every sin is deadly. Any sin condemns your soul to Hell.

5. Sinners Must Trust The Finished Work Of Jesus Christ To Save Their Soul.

The Roman Catholic Church falsely teaches that salvation is obtained through faith in Jesus Christ, baptism, and the keeping of the sacraments. What are the sacraments? Examine this excerpt.

Sacraments

Main article: Sacraments of the Catholic Church

There are seven sacraments of the Church, of which the source and summit is the Eucharist. According to the Catechism, the sacraments were instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church. They are vehicles through which God’s grace flows into the person who receives them with the proper disposition. In order to obtain the proper disposition, people are encouraged, and in some cases required, to undergo sufficient preparation before being permitted to receive certain sacraments. And in receiving the sacraments, the Catechism advises: “To attribute the efficacy of prayers or of sacramental signs to their mere external performance, apart from the interior dispositions that they demand, is to fall into superstition.” Participation in the sacraments, offered to them through the Church, is a way Catholics obtain grace, forgiveness of sins and formally ask for the Holy Spirit. These sacraments are: Baptism, Confirmation (Chrismation), the Eucharist, Penance and Reconciliation, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony.

Wikipedia

Although Catholic apologists use terminology that mimics born again believers, they add many works to faith in Christ.

In fact, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that there is no salvation outside of “The Church.” Consider this excerpt about Catholic doctrine.

Salvation outside the Church

Main article: Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus

The Catholic Church teaches that it is the one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church founded by Jesus. Concerning non-Catholics, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, drawing on the document Lumen gentium from Vatican II, explains the statement “Outside the Church there is no salvation”:

Reformulated positively, this statement means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body.

 Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.

 This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church … but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience – those too may achieve eternal salvation.

 Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men. [149]

Wikipedia

The process described above is not even close to God’s plan for true salvation!

Since the Saviour finished the Gospel plan through His sacrificial death and physical resurrection, the reason people go to Hell is clear.

People don’t go to Hell because they are bad, and they don’t go to Heaven because they are religious. They go to Hell because they don’t trust Jesus Christ as their Saviour.

John 3:18 

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

God made a simple plan for sinners to be saved. 

John 3:15–16

15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:36 

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

John 1:12–13

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

The Seven Deadly Sins – What the Bible REALLY Says Share on X

6. Christians Must Strive To Live Holy Lives To Please The Lord, But Human Righteousness Will Not Save The Soul.

Some religions use false doctrine to control members. By pronouncing some sins as so bad that they make salvation impossible, false religions use fear to command the masses.

God’s children don’t reject sin to earn their salvation. We renounce sin to please our Heavenly Father.

1 Peter 1:14–16 

14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Born again believers are called to live a holy life. Holiness is BEING right on the inside. Righteousness is DOING right on the outside. We are called to live a life separated from sin.

Christians don’t serve God to obtain forgiveness of sins, rather we serve Him because we have been forgiven.

CONCLUSION – The Seven Deadly Sins

The Bible doesn’t mention the idea of the Seven DEADLY SINS. The concept was inspired and propagated by the Roman Catholic Church.  

Every sin is deadly.  

Every lost soul goes to Hell.  

Only salvation through faith in the finished work of Christ can forgive sin and reserve your place in Heaven. Why not trust Christ today?