How to Know the Seven Deadly Sins
The Seven Deadly Sins of the Bible, or Capital Sins, are not only considered dangerous in and of themselves, but also because of the vices they can breed when they are committed often. Many of these vices are mortal sins, sins that kill God's grace in your soul and allow you to stray further from God more easily, which can lead to damnation.
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Instructions
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Remember that pride is considered the root from which all other sins grow. It was the sin of pride which drove Lucifer out of heaven and is one of the most dangerous sins of all. Pride is exaggerated regard for yourself, which causes you to believe you are above even the laws of God. Vanity and desire for earthly recognition fall under the heading of pride.
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Avoid lust, as is often one of the most difficult of the sins to control. Lust is not only a sin that occurs in your mind, but also in your actions. It consists of inappropriate thoughts, desires and actions, such as sexual relations with someone with whom we are not married. Even within marriage it is possible to commit the sin of lust, because it is a sin of excess.
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Think of gluttony as excess in any area. Most people think of it as eating too much or being overly concerned with the perfection of our food, but gluttony is a vice which encompasses all areas in which we do not practice moderation. Some forms of gluttony encompass eating, drinking or consuming more of anything than we require.
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Recognize sloth as more than simply being lazy. This deadly sin of the Bible, can be involved in many areas of our lives, including spiritual indifference, neglect in using the talents which God has given us and not doing our best in every area of our lives. On the whole, it is laziness of the body, mind and soul.
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Keep in mind that wrath, like all of the deadly sins, begins with giving in to the small urges or temptations in our lives. Wrath is the product of refusing to control your anger. This, like any vice, grows and begins to encompass other areas of your life. Anger may turn into uncontrollable wrath and hatred, assault, rape and in extreme cases, murder.
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Fight envy when you feel it taking hold of you. It seems like a small sin and we are all guilty of it at times. But it can grow like a weed and when it matures it turns into an excessive desire for other peoples' goods and the wish to deprive them of it. Envy is an excess of self-love and causes us to strive for the adulation of others.
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Let go of your desire for worldly goods. It is natural to try to fill our needs and possess things that give us joy in life. But to carry this to excess is greed. Greed places material wealth over spiritual wealth and separates us from a God who knows what we need and will always provide for us.
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