# data[].attributes.body
definition: Intense desire or appetite for something.

example:
A real-life example would be Khloe Kardashian getting cheated on multiple times by Tristan Thompson. The amount of times that he has done it, shows an example of lust. -Denise

Another one would be of travis scott still continuing his relationship with kylie jenner even with his cheating news.

https://aleteia.org/2019/09/04/lust-this-deadly-sin-is-not-just-about-sex/

Summary Of The Article: This article explains Lust sin is just not about sex, more so Lust is mind over matter. It discusses how sexual lust is the "tantrum" of a selfish person. It also discusses that God is the author of the "Sacred Revelation and that the "Undisciplined" soul can become drunk and have the power of rewriting the revelation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Aleteia - Catholic Spirituality, Lifestyle, World News, and Culture

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Looking at this deadly sin as more than sexual helps us understand what goes wrong within us.

So said an unidentified old man to a newly ordained priest after Mass; the elderly gentleman melted into the crowd, and was not seen or heard by the priest again. What was the old man getting at?

Lust is listed as one of the seven deadly sins. We've been taking a fresh look at the seven deadly sins (read about sloth ; gluttony ; anger ). So, we have to talk about lust, but why this story about the enigmatic old man? Isn't lust the body escaping from all rational control of the soul? Isn't lust just a physical thing? And how can lust have anything to do with novelty or theology?

Aristotle does identify the person characterized by vice as "vicious," one who is ruled primarily by passions. (Passions are not purely physical, but that's another story for another time.) A subset of the vicious person Aristotle calls "crafty." A vicious person may want to get drunk; a crafty person wants to get drunk. If we understand lust as a form of incessant craving, and the most dangerous kind of lust as conniving, we can see that lust is not just a bodily dynamic at all; moreover, we can understand better that old man's warning from all those years ago.

Let's put it this way:
LUST = MIND OVER MATTER
Countless saints and scholars have warned against letting the baser appetites get the better of us. Rightly so, but their case is understated. The proverb, "The corruption of the best is the worst" is a useful way of understanding the disorder of the soul that can succumb to the lust that the old man in our story warned us about. Our baser passions, left unchecked, can draw us down into behavior beneath our human dignity and harmful to our health. What if what is highest in us is left unguided, allowed to be goaded by cravings for novelty and self-seeking that one ordinarily associates with simpler, baser cravings?

In sexual sin, the human person allows his desire to become affixed to what nature and God have not allowed for. Sexual lust is the tantrum of a selfish person, enraged because the moral law says, "Don't cross these lines-or else!" What if we understood lust as also a tantrum of the soul in response to lines drawn by Sacred Revelation? For example: "This is how God has defined marriage"; "This is the purpose of sex"; "This is how God is to be worshiped."

In that case, "novelty is the lust of the theologian" (as described above) becomes easier to understand: Novelty is a disordered desire, allowed to become imperious by a person who should know better, for God to be other than who he says he is, the author of life, the standard of good and evil, our creator and our judge. Such a person is not satisfied ( satis facere - to make full ), not made full, with Sacred Revelation. As a promiscuous person wants sex on his own terms, so too the soul given over to the lust of novelty wants God on his own terms.

Surely, this is nothing new. Second-guessing God began in the Garden of Eden: "Did God really say ...?" ( ) The undisciplined soul, refusing to learn to be satisfied with the revelation of God, yields to an infinite craving. (This shouldn't surprise us. We're made for the infinite; if we're not filled with an infinite good, we will be left with an infinite emptiness.) The soul illustrates the formula: LUST = MIND OVER MATTER. That is, lust refuses limits. The undisciplined soul, refusing to be satisfied with God, begins to echo the serpent: "You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." ( Genesis 3:4-5 )

The undisciplined soul can become drunk on the (apparent, but fleeting) power of rewriting revelation, redefining God-looking for ever-new ways of deciding for ourselves what is true, good, beautiful, holy, divine, diabolical. But any addict will tell you that it's never enough. You always crash after the high; the thrill fades and recedes very quickly. Greater and greater doses are needed, yet they achieve less and less each time. Eventually, one stops-or one dies.

God is the author of Sacred Revelation. We are either fed and nourished by it, or we yield to the demands of cravings that can never come to rest. Let's work and pray together that we will yield to the truth, rather than strive to be its master.

When I write next, I'll continue our series of reflections on a renewed look at the seven deadly sins. Until then, let's keep each other in prayer.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Lust: This deadly sin is not just about sex

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
So said an unidentified old man to a newly ordained priest after Mass; the elderly gentleman melted into the crowd, and was not seen or heard by the priest again. What was the old man getting at? Lust is listed as one of the seven deadly sins.

# data[].attributes.body
the over-indulgence or lack of self-restraint in food, drink, or wealth items.

example: An example of gluttony in real life would be a YouTuber named Nikocado Avocado who made his whole career out of eating large amounts of food for his videos, but over time he let the fame and money get to him. Sooner or later he started to lose himself. -Jason Pham

Another example of Gluttony would be Henry the 8th who spent most of his time ruling over the diner table and he was very fat because of it. - Jason

https://www.breakpoint.org/gluttony-the-first-deadly-sin-2/

Summary Of The Article: This article explains Gluttony is the first deadly sin, that tempting thoughts come to control the person's behavior. Also, this explains how to understand gluttony, and how it is "obsessive and excessive interest in food". Gluttony takes food from its proper use to maintain a healthy life as explained in the article. Overall this article talks about how Gluttony can also involve health issues through out life.

# data[].attributes.body
greed is a sin of desire

example:
Blackpink's manager stole hundreds of money from Lisa.

Tristen Thompson cheated on Khole with Jordyn woods at the club.

https://cathstan.org/posts/the-seven-deadly-sins-greed-2

Summary Of The Article: This article rigorously explains that Greed is one of the more important of the seven deadly sins. Also Explains to us that we should always spend more time reflecting on the nature of greed. Also states that we live in a culture and community of consumption, which reminds us that we don´t have enough.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
One of the more underreported sins is greed. It is easy to conclude that greed is something manifested by "that other person," who has more than I do. Yes, that rich guy over there, the one who earns a dollar more per hour than I do; he's greedy, but I'm not.

Instead, most of us respond to a pay increase, for example, by expanding our lifestyle and continuing to complain that we don't have enough. At some point, we ought to admit that we Almost never would such a thought even occur to the average person. do cross over into greed.

It is the insatiable desire for more. St Thomas says, ) It is a deep drive in us that, no matter how much we have, makes us think that it's not enough. We still want more, and then if we get more we want more What is greed? Man seeks, according to a certain measure, to have external riches, in so far as they are necessary for him to live in keeping with his condition of life. Wherefore it will be a sin for him to exceed this measure, by wishing to acquire or keep them immoderately. This is what is meant by covetousness, which is defined as "immoderate love of possessing." ( S.T. II, IIae, q. 118 art 1 still.

Familiar though this sounds, too few of us are willing to consider that greed is really a problem for us. It's the other guy who's greedy.

Commercials tell us that the car we're driving isn't as good as this other one we Of course it doesn't help that we live in a culture of consumption, which constantly tells us that we don't have enough. could be driving. So even though we have a perfectly good car, one with four wheels, a working engine, and probably even air conditioning, it still it isn't good enough. So it is with almost every other product or amenity that is sold to us on a daily basis. The clever marketing experts of Madison Avenue are great at making us feel deprived. As a result, it almost never occurs to most of us that we may have crossed the line into greed. Despite having even six- and seven-figure incomes, many still feel that they don't have enough.

When do I honestly look at myself and wonder if I am greedy? When do I ever conclude that I have more than enough and need to be more generous with what has become excessive in my life? When do I ever apply the old precept that if I have two coats, one of them belongs to the poor? It's a good idea to have something saved up for a rainy day, but do I ever ask myself if I'm really trusting in God or just in my rainy-day fund? When do I ever wonder if I've crossed the line into greed?

). For, as St Thomas says, greed can create in us a kind of insensibility to mercy. Since by greed we adopt a certain passion to acquire and possess, often rooted in a kind of fear. Thus we focus unreasonably on our needs and do not advert to the needs of others. Greed can therefore lead individuals and nations to a hardheartedness and cruelty or violence in order to possess what we do really even need. It can lead us to be will to lie, or commit fraud for financial gain. Finally, as Thomas notes, greed makes us restless and anxious since, whatever we have it is never enough. Further, despite its false promises, wealth does not bring peace, it increases our anxiety. As regards this, Scripture says, Like all of the seven deadly or capital sins, greed sees many other sins flow from it. St. Thomas lists a number of these sins, which he calls the "daughters of greed." They are: fraud, lying, perjury, dissatisfaction (restlessness), violence, and hardheartedness. (see, S.T. II, IIae, q. 118 art 8 The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep. I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners. (Eccl 5:12-13)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
One of the more underreported sins is greed. It is easy to conclude that greed is something manifested by "that other person," who has more than I do. Yes, that rich guy over there, the one who earns a dollar more per hour than I do; he's greedy, but I'm not.

# data[].attributes.body
defined as a failure to do things that one should do

example: Rihana taking years to drop new music.

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/the-deadly-sin-of-sloth/

Summary Of The Article: This article minorly explains and describes sloth the sin, it is the sin that believes in nothing, seeks to know nothing, and basically does nothing. Also, it tells us that we have known It for too many years and that is a mortal sin.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Dorothy Sayers: “We have known it far too well for many years. The only thing perhaps that we have not known about it is that it is a mortal sin.”

# data[].attributes.body
anger is an uncontrolled feeling of anger, rage, and even hatred

example: Khole yelling at Tristen on the phone when she caught him cheating on her.

Another example would be Nancy when she fell in a pothole and hurt her ankle because she was very angry at that pothole after it took her out for a few days. -Jason

https://cathstan.org/posts/the-seven-deadly-sins-anger-3

Summary Of The Article: This article roughly explains ¨Anger¨. Anger is like an experience in life, a passion, or a feeling that requires some distinction. The article explains that the internal experience or feeling of anger must be distinguished from its external manifestation. The article also states that anger itself is not a sin.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The deadly sin of anger is defined as the inordinate and uncontrolled feeling of hatred and wrath. Unlike righteous anger, the capital sin of anger is understood as the deep drive to cling to hateful feelings for others. This kind of anger often seeks revenge.

The consideration of anger as an experience, passion, or feeling requires some distinctions, however. Not all anger is sinful nor necessarily a deadly sin. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus manifests quite a lot of anger and issues many denunciations, often accompanied by the phrase, "Woe to you!" In this way, He spoke in much the same way as all the prophets before Him.

We live in a culture that tends to be shocked by expressions of anger; it is almost reflexively rejected as counterproductive. In some situations, though, anger is the appropriate response.

Let's begin with some distinctions.

The internal experience or feeling of anger must be distinguished from its external manifestation. The internal experience of anger as a response to some external stimulus is not sinful because we cannot typically control the arising of feelings or passions. Anger usually arises out of some sense of threat. It signals to us that something is wrong, threatening, or inappropriate. Sometimes our perceptions are inaccurate, but often they are not. When they are not, anger is not only sinless, it is necessary; it alerts us to the need to respond and gives us the energy to set things right or to address a threatening situation.

Anger can arise for less-than-holy reasons. Some of the things we fear we should not. Some of our fears are rooted in pride or an inordinate need for status or affirmation; some come from misplaced priorities. For example, we may be excessively concerned with money, possessions, or popularity; this can trigger inordinate fear about things that should not matter so much. This fear gives rise to feeling threatened with loss or diminishment, which in turn triggers anger. We ought not to be so concerned with such things because they are rooted in pride, vanity, and materialism. In this case, the anger may have a sinful dimension. The sin, though, is more rooted in the inordinate drives than in the anger itself. Even when anger arises for the wrong reasons, it is still not an entirely voluntary response.

External manifestations of anger can and do sometimes have a sinful dimension, particularly when they are beyond what is reasonable. If we express anger by hurling insults or physically injuring someone, we may well have sinned. Even here, though, there can be exceptions. For example, it is appropriate at times to physically defend oneself. In addition, we live in thin-skinned times and people often take offense when they should not. Jesus did not hesitate to describe his opponents in rather "vivid" ways.

Scriptures says, Hence, of itself, anger is not a sin. Be angry but sin not (Ps 4:4). So anger is not the sin, but the expression of it may be. Further, it is possible that some of our anger springs from less-than-holy sources.

There are, however, some who respond to injustices with violent protests and who express hatred. In such protests, anger is no longer a creative energy that summons people to call for change and justice. Rather, it is a violent anger that manifests hate and often ends in the destruction of property and/or harm to other human beings.

You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell (Matt 5:21-22).

However, if that is the case then Jesus clearly broke His own rule because as we know He exhibited a lot of anger in the Gospels. What Jesus Taking the passage at face value, it would seem that Jesus condemns anger without exception. does clearly condemn here is unrighteous and wrathful anger. The two examples in this passage show the kind of anger He means. The first example is use of the term Raca, an epithet that displayed utter contempt for the recipient. Notice that Jesus links this kind of anger to murder because by using the term, the other person is so stripped of any human dignity that to murder him would be no different than killing an ox or mule. This sort of anger depersonalizes the other and disregards him as a child of God. Using the term fool has a similar, though less egregious, purpose. Hence, it would seem that the Lord is not condemning all anger but rather the anger of contempt and depersonalization. To absolutize Jesus' teaching here to include any anger at all would seem unreasonable given Jesus' own example, which included not a little anger.

We do well to be careful with anger, for it is an unruly passion. Above all we ought to seek the fruit of the Spirit that is meekness and to ask the Lord to give us authority over our anger and prudence in its use.

The meek person has authority over his anger and is thus able to summon its energy but control its extremes. The meek are far from weak; in fact, they show their strength in their ability to control their anger.

St. John Chrysostom said this regarding anger: He who is not angry when he has cause to be, sins. For unreasonable patience is a hotbed of many vices (Homily 11). St. Thomas Aquinas said, Consequently, lack of the passion of anger is also a vice, [for it is] a lack of movement in the will directed to punishment by the judgment of reason (Summa Theologica II, IIae 158.8).

The sin of anger is ultimately a hateful and hurtful thing. It tends to destruction and must be mastered by meekness and patience. Perhaps it is best to end with a scriptural admonition:

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not; it leads only to evil.
For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land .(Psalm 37:8-9)

This song is from the Carmina Burana and the Latin is translated as follows:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The deadly sin of anger is defined as the inordinate and uncontrolled feeling of hatred and wrath. Unlike righteous anger, the capital sin of anger is understood as the deep drive to cling to hateful feelings for others. This kind of anger often seeks revenge.

# data[].attributes.body
characterized by an insatiable desire. It can also be described as a sad or resentful covetousness towards the possession of something.

example: Ohgeesy's baby mama fighting his fans because she was insecure.

https://shepherds.edu/jealousy-envy-sins-we-hardly-discuss/

Summary Of The Article: This article mercilessly describes envy and jealousy. That the words ¨Jealousy, envy, and rivalry have sinful qualities. It brings up a lot about the writer´s past and hateful and cringing stuff it brings up about.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Jealousy & Envy: Sins We Hardly Discuss

Published September 22, 2020

By Les Lofquist, DD

Jealousy, envy, rivalry. We read those words and recognize their sinful qualities. We know they're wrong. But it seems most of us can easily dismiss them as something fairly minor, as if no more than dandruff of the soul. "Oh, of course it's a sinful way of thinking and feeling." Then we just brush it off and everything's fine.

The more I've examined my own heart, the more I've cringed at the ugliness of jealousy and the more I see its ugly tentacles wrapped around my heart and mind. It's not something insignificant. It's a sin that can entangle and corrupt my soul like an invisible barbed-wire. And if I do not repent of this sin, it can lead to bitter and vile emotions and actions. Jealousy. Pride. Greed. Covetousness. Rivalry. Hate. Murder.

Ugly is not too strong a word to describe the sin of jealousy.

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS
The catalogue of sins mentioned in the Bible is difficult to read and seriously consider. Throughout the first five books of the Bible all sorts of sins were forbidden and practiced and punished. The same is true in a most sweeping way throughout the Old Testament. Specifically in Proverbs 6:16-19 we read: "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." In the New Testament we read Romans 1:29-31 or Galatians 5:19-21 and shudder: "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like" (Galatians 5:19-21).

Just stop and see buried within that vile catalogue of twenty-four sins listed above the supposedly minor and insignificant sins of jealousy and envy. That should give pause to the notion that these sins are merely dandruff of the soul.

Through the years, godly men and women have attempted to understand the nature of mankind's tendency to indulge in sin. As the Church developed, many Christians tried to correlate Proverbs 6:19-21 with Galatians 5:19-21 and Romans 1-3 and all the other mentions of sin in the Bible. This speculation led to some kind of consensus. And for centuries Christians have traditionally referred to The Seven Deadly Sins... but where did this come from?

The beginning of this concept of listing and ranking deadly sins is often attributed to the works of a 4th century monk named Evagrio Pontico. He listed eight evil thoughts: gluttony, fornication (lust), avarice (greed), hubris (pride), envy, wrath (anger), vainglory (boasting), sloth (laziness).[1] The list was widely disseminated and became well-accepted. Two hundred years later, Gregory I (often referred by Protestants as the first Pope) reduced the list to seven sins, folding vainglory (boasting) into hubris (pride) and ranking them from most serious to least serious sins: pride, envy, anger, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust.[2] His purpose was to provide a list of sins that would be inclusive enough to implicate a vast range of sinful behavior, yet simple and memorable enough to cause guilt in illiterate peasants. He admonished Christians to behave morally by avoiding the Seven Deadly Sins and instead adhere to the Seven Cardinal Virtues: faith, hope, love, wisdom, courage, justice, and self-control.[3] Later theologians, including St. Thomas Aquinas, would contradict the notion that the seriousness of sins could be ranked in this way.[4] But the concept stuck. Through the writings of Dante Alighieri in his epic poem The Divine Comedy, and many others down through history, the Seven Deadly Sins (or at least the concept and phrase) became a well-known part of Western civilization. Debates about what sins should or shouldn't be considered "deadly" continue to this day.[5]

But what's striking to me is the fact that the Biblical catalogue of sin is so very much a part of our history, and right there in the list of Galatians 5:19-21 and in the traditional Seven Deadly Sins, we find the sin of envy and jealousy. This sin is seen as profoundly significant in God's Word and in Western civilization. Yet it barely merits more than a casual brush-off in the hearts and minds of all too many people today.

EXAMPLES OF JEALOUSY
What are some of the sad examples of jealousy in life? These below would not involve all of them, but here are some to consider. We can become jealous of another person's:

1. possessions, wealth, financial assets (this is what covetousness is).

2. recognition, opportunities, privileges, advantages.

3. looks, appearance, beauty, health.

4. personality, abilities, talents, skills.

5. awards, accomplishments, achievements, popularity.

6. position, job, status, placement at work, prestige.

7. intelligence, knowledge, education.

8. spouse, family, friends, relationships.

Those are just a few examples. All of them could be summarized with these words by Jerry Bridges in his book Respectable Sins: "Envy is the painful and sometimes resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by someone else."[6] Painful, resentful awareness of someone else's advantage over us. Such tragic words we can understand all too well!

WHY IS IT SO BAD?
By now perhaps you are in agreement that envy and jealousy are bad ways for us to respond. But you may still be unconvinced. Are they that bad? Aren't they more private sins that fail to rise to the level of even worse attitudes, actions and responses? Can't they just be brushed off since we are the only ones affected and no one can see into our hearts?

Jealousy and envy and covetousness are all declared to be sin in the Scriptures. That is reason enough to seriously consider the sinfulness of these related sins. God declares these attitudes of the heart to be sinful. That is all that is needed to condemn the sinfulness of such evil responses.

God also says that such attitudes are demonic. In James 3:14-16 "But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there." When your heart devises its petty jealousies, you are thinking and acting like a demon!

A third reason why envy and jealousy are so bad is because they lead to other depravities. When you allow such vile attitudes to fester, other sins are given a foothold into your soul. That's exactly what James 3:16 says: "For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there." Jealousy leads to bitterness leads to hate leads to rivalries leads to violence leads to murder. That's what James 3:16 is implying. And that's what James 4:1-2 clearly states: "Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain." Not a beautiful portrayal of humanity. Jealousy is the murderous spirit of envious hate.

DEFINING THE WORDS
It is helpful to understand the meaning of the words used in the Bible for the ugly attitudes being examined in this article. Similar words are used in both Testaments of the Bible.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word used is qana, meaning "zealous" or "jealous" depending on the context. In Genesis 37:11 Joseph's brothers were "jealous of him" and their jealousy led them to fake his death and sell him into slavery in Egypt. A similar use of qana in the negative is found in Numbers 5:14 (two times) and 5:20 referring to a husband who is jealous of his wife's behavior. But qana is also used in contexts where zeal and acts of deep devotion are seen in a positive light. Phineas was commended by the Lord for being "zealous for God" (Numbers 25:11, 13). Elijah claimed he was "very zealous for the LORD God" (1 Kings 19:10, 14). And then the word qana is used in a number of passages referring to God's jealousy for His people, a holy jealousy based on His claim for an exclusive relationship (Deuteronomy 4:24; 5:9; 6:15; Joshua 24:19; Ezekiel 39:25; Nahum 1:2). In fact, the reason God gives for the Second Commandment is because "I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God" (Exodus 20:5). Because Israel followed pagan gods, God was jealous (Deuteronomy 32:16, 21; Zechariah 1:14; 8:2).

In the New Testament there are basically two Greek words used to describe jealousy and envy, both words being used in Galatians 5:20-21. The word translated "jealousy" is the Greek word zēlos, from which we get the English "zeal." It literally means "heat" or "come to boil."[7] Figuratively it is used in two ways (like qana in the Old Testament): positively it is a great enthusiasm for a cause, a person or an object, which we normally refer to as zeal; negatively it is the darker side of envy or jealousy.[8] In the New Testament the word zēlos is thus translated either as "zeal" or "godly jealousy" (John 2:17; Romans 10:2; 1 Corinthians 12:31; 2 Corinthians 7:11) or as "envy" or "jealousy" (Acts 5:17; Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 13:4; James 3:14, 16).

A useful summary of all the above is given once again by Jerry Bridges: "There are legitimate occasions for jealousy, such as when someone is trying to win your spouse away from you... Sinful jealousy occurs, however, when we are afraid someone is going to become equal to or even superior to us."[9] The root emotion of jealousy is pride, which leads to the fear that someone, somewhere has an advantage over us and will overtake our place in life.

The second Greek word used in the New Testament is the word phthonos. Unlike zēlos, this second word is only once used positively (James 4:5 referring to God's Spirit jealously yearning for us). The word phthonos is translated most often by the word "envy." Pilate knew the Jews handed Jesus over to him for trial out of "envy" (Mark 15:10). In Galatians 5:21 phthonos is listed in that catalogue of sins and translated "envy" and then the verb form in 5:26 is translated as "envying." In Titus 3:3 it is used as a description of our past lives outside of Christ: "we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and phthonos." The idea behind the word is a sense of rivalry due to ill-will and spite. But in actuality, the words zēlos and phthonos are very close synonyms easily used together as in Galatians 5:20-21.

Together jealousy and envy germinate in the soil of pride. They lead to an unhealthy competitiveness that demands and aggressively seeks to be number one in every circumstance. Rivalry is another way of describing this twisted attitude which always needs to be the center of attention, always on top, always in charge, always the best. It can never take the back seat nor will it ever leave center stage. Not being recognized and not being in control is something to be avoided at all costs. Envy, jealousy and rivalry see everyone as a competitor, everyone as a threat, and every question as a challenge to my authority. I see these attitudes all too often in my fellow pastors and people in our churches. And I am ashamed to admit that all too often I see these attitudes in myself.

CONCLUSION
What can we do about these sins we hardly ever discuss? Is there any hope for miserable, jealous wretches like ourselves?

Yes, there is hope.

First, we need to understand the truth about ourselves. Our supposed secret attitudes of envy and jealousy are open scandals before the holy God. If you have never done so, you need to admit your sin and turn to the Lord in repentant faith, trusting in Jesus Christ alone as your Savior. If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you will experience the washing of regeneration and the forgiveness of sins. The Holy Spirit will cleanse your soul and indwell you and you will for the first time be able to live the life God commands you to live.

If you are already truly born again, then by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit you may grow in grace. And that is liberating! With each episode of sinful jealousy, you will have the option of confessing that sinful attitude and seeking to become more like Christ and less like the demons (James 3:16).

The true Christian is able to deal honestly with himself or herself. He or she can truthfully admit that nobody can do everything. So when someone is better than you at something, you can admit this is not a surprise. And if they are better at something that is REALLY important to you, then you should gulp hard and carefully admit: God created you as you are (Psalm 139:14-16; John 3:27); God gave you a certain family and set of experiences and giftedness and you choose to accept His calling for you (Psalm 75:6-7; Romans 12:3; 1 Corinthians 4:7) AND you choose to accept His calling for that other person; and you can humbly affirm your strengths and equally admit your weaknesses. And you finally admit that it is a sin to compare yourself to others, so you choose by the grace and power of God to stop with the uncontrolled resentment and insecurities and fears.

Jealousy, envy, and pride are not merely dandruff of the soul. They are ugly sins. You must guard against them with a serious and determined vigilance. And you must sincerely repent of them when they ooze into your attitudes and threaten to pollute your soul.

END NOTES
1 Evagrio Pontico, Gli Otto Spiriti Malvagi, translated by Felice Comello (Parma,Italy: Pratiche Editrice, 1990), p.11-12.

2 Will Durant, The Story of Civilization, Volume 4: The Age of Faith (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1950), p. 523. See also Kenneth Scott Latourette, A History of Christianity, Volume 1: Beginnings to 1500 (Harpers and Row, New York, 1953, 1975) and Catholic Encyclopedia: "Pope St. Gregory I ('the Great')" accessed at http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06780a.htm.

5 Just type into your computer's search engine the words "seven deadly sins" and look at the more recent postings. Modern people continue to be fascinated with categorizing and ranking the degrees of sin, debate whether even such a concept is a valid one!

6 Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2007), p. 149.

7 Joseph H. Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988 Revised edition.

8 Bauer, Arndt and Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature Second Edition (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979), p. 338.

9 Bridges, Respectable Sins, p. 151.

BIO
Dr. Les Lofquist is Assistant Professor of Practical Theology and Director of Church Relations at Shepherds Theological Seminary. He also serves on the pastoral staff of The Shepherd's Church and is Editor of Poimenas. Previously he served as Executive Director of IFCA International, a position he held for twenty years.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Jealousy & Envy: Sins We Hardly Discuss - Shepherds Theological Seminary

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Published September 22, 2020 By Les Lofquist, DD Jealousy, envy, rivalry. We read those words and recognize their sinful qualities. We know they're wrong. But it seems most of us can easily dismiss them as something fairly minor, as if no more than dandruff of...

# data[].attributes.body
dangerously corrupt of selfishness, putting one's own desires, urges, wants, and whims before the welfare of others.

example:
Kanye west was dropped by Adidas, Balenciaga, and vogue because of his ego and pride.

Another example of pride in a bad way would be a monster named Ronnie O Neal who was a man who killed his girlfriend and her kid, he ended up being his own lawyer that had to cross-examine his son who he stabbed and that showed how he put himself over anyone else. -Jason

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/is_pride_really_a_sin

Summary Of The Article: This article explains if pride is really a sin. It talks about how pride makes us feel good, and it´s indication to ourselves that we are behaving in a way congruent with the values of our society. This article also talks about the dark side of pride, and how pride is not all for the good.