“And baptism now saves you not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him” (1 Peter 3:21).
1 . I am the Lord your God; you shall not have other gods besides me
Anything that does not arise from faith is a sin.
“But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.” (Rom 14:23)
Christ shall dwell in your hearts through faith.
“So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love” (Eph 3:17)
- Idol worship in the heart:
Importance given to worldly things (Mt 6:21-24; 1 Tim 6:17; Sir 5:1-8; Deut 8:17-20; 1 Tim 6:9-12; Ps 49)
Gathering wealth in wrong ways, craving to pile up wealth, gold etc. (Micah 6:10-15, James 1:9-11; Lk 12:13- 21)
Problems we face as a result of excess wealth. (Sir 31:1-8; Proverbs 11:28)
Fame, Power, recognition (Lk 16:14-15; Mt 6:19-24; Chro 29:11)
Seeking worldly recognition rather than being pleasing to God. (Lk 6:24-26)
Work, Time (Lk 9:59-60; Eccl 3:13)
Family, friends (Lk 9:61-62; 14:15-24)
Use of Liquor, Drugs, smoking habits, chewing tobacco, mobile-phone, internet etc.(1 Cor 3:16; 6:10; Gal 5:21; Lk 21:34)
- Worshiping statues or other gods: Do not worship gods other than Jesus. (Jud 2:17-19; 2 Macc 12:40; Deut 4:15-18)
- Worshipping creation rather than the Creator: Astrology, Palm reading, going to fortune tellers, wearing magical straps, bands, black magic, considering certain days or times as good or bad (Is 47:12-15; Ezek 13:20; Deut 18:9-13)
- Worshipping the planets and stars (Kgs 17:16) Depending on astrology to know the future-black magic, palm reading (Is 47:11-15; Jer 10:15).
- Giving importance to certain days or months. Choosing to do certain things only at certain times or days. (Gal 4:9-10; 2 Kings 21:6)
- Practice of black magic: Wearing magical straps. Bands, worshipping other gods (Ezk 13:17-23; Jud 2:19. 3:6). “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.” (Deut 18:9-13)
2. You shall not use your God’s name in vain
- Making a false, incomplete confession, not revealing sins in confession, ignoring or disrespecting the Holy Bible, not spending the required amount of time in prayer, not praying to God, etc.
- Hurting the priests. Insulting the anointed people of God. (Ps 105:15) “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.”
- Being too busy at work or giving more importance to job and thus finding no time to spend for the Lord. (Lk 10:38)
- Promising in the name of God and not fulfilling it.
3. Keep the Sabbath Day holy
- Working too much. (Lk 10:38-41; Ps 127:2).
- Giving no or less importance to the Sabbath Day (Is 58:13-14).
- Not observing the Sabbath Day. (Num 15:32-36).
- Questioning the Word of God (Jer 17:15).
- Insulting the word of God. (2 Chron 36:16; Is 30:12).
- Hating the word of God. (Jer 6:10-13).
- Insulting the gifts of Holy Spirit.
- Preventing the Word of God from being preached (Joel2:12-13, Acts 9:4)
- Hating those who preach the Word of God. (Amos 5:10)
- Forgetting God. (Jud 3:7)
- Getting tired of God, prayer etc. (Is 43:22)
- Causing hatred towards God among others. (1 Sam 8:3; Jud 1:81
- Turning away from God after receiving graces (1 Sam 8:3; 2 Pet 2:22)
- Ignoring the Word of God; rebellion against God, arrogance, rejecting the Word of God (1 Sam 15:23)
- Speaking ill of God. (L:ev 24:10-23)
- Insulting God. (Num 11:20)
- Forsaking God. (Jud 2:11-13)
- Provoking the Lord your God. (Deut 9:5-8; 8:11-18)
- Ignoring the Lord. Having no willingness to give up evil practices and stubborn ways. (Jud 2:16-19; Rom 2:4)
- Violating the Lord’s covenant and worshipping other gods. (2 Jud 1:20; Ezek 20:28)
- Insulting God (2 Chorn 36:16, Gen 19:9; Get out of our way, they replied…..)
- Our actions which turned God’s glory into shame. (Ps 14:2; Rom 2:24)
- Testing God. (Ps 78:18; Deut 4:16)
- Forsaking God’s plan of salvation. Lack of believe and lack of trust in his deliverance (Ps 78:22)
- Hurting God. (Ps 78:40; Gen 6:7)
- Forgetting God’s miracles and kindness. (Ps 106:7)
- Worshipping our own actions. (Is 2:8)
- Having no regard for the deeds of the Lord. (Is 5:12)
- Telling lies-especially between believers. (Col 3:9; Eph 4:25; 30,:31; Eph 5:6-9; Rev 21:27)
4. Honor your parents
- Disrespecting parents. (Ex. 20:12)
- Disobeying parents. (Eph 6:3; 1 Sam 15:22-23)
- Not taking care of parents. (Sir 3:1-16)
- Cursing Parents. (Prov 20:20; Sir 21:27)
- Failing to be responsible for one’s children. (Eph 6:4)
- Disrespect for husband. (2 Sam 6:16-23; 2 Sam 6:16-22)
- Not being submissive to husband. (Eph 5:22-24)
- Examine the relationship with wife as described in (Eph 5:25-33; Heb 13:4)
- Examine the relationship with our boss as in (Eph 5:6-9)
- Examine the relationship with your servant or subordinates (Eph 6:9)
- Coveting your neighbor’s home, wife, servants or things. (Ex 20:17)
- Giving false testimony against your neighbor (Ex 20:16; Sir 20:24)
- Rejoicing in the downfall your neighbor.
- Withholding good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. Lack of generosity. Denying proper wages to workers. (Pro 3:27-35, 11:25; James 4:17; Sir 34:22)
- Not helping others who deserve your help. “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” (James 2:16)
- Taking revenge. Deciding to pay back others for wrong done to us. (Pro 20:22; Mat 13:24-30)
5. You shall not kill
- Killing someone. Planning to kill someone. (Gen 37:18 22)
- Abortion (Gen 9:5-6; Eph 1:4; Jer 1:5; Wis 12:3)
- Sowing the seeds of hatred, speaking ill of others. “Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him” (1 Jn 3:15)
- Having hatred in the heart. Speaking ill of others. (Gen 4:6-7; Eph 4:29; Col 3:8; Rom 3:13; 2 Tim 2:16; Heb 12:15; Sir 28:25) “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice slander, and filthy language from your lips” (Col 3:8)
6. You shall not commit adultery. Be pure,
- Masturbation (1 Tess 4:3-7; 1 Cor 3:16-17; Rom 12:1-2)
- Enjoyment in remembering old sins. (Rom 13:14)
- Committing adultery in the heart. Looking at men/women lustfully. (Mt 7:28, Mt 15:19-20)
- Sexual relationship with relatives. (Deut 27:22)
- Sexually abusing kids. (1 Thess 4:3-6)
- Homosexuality (1 Cor 6:9-13; Rom 2:31; Lev 18::22)
- Sinning by committing homosexuality among married people, unnatural relationships.
- Sins in this category: “Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor 6:9-10)
- Committing adultery (Prov 6:20; Mt 15:19, 1 Cor 6:9-10)
- Committing Rape (Gen 34:2; 2 Sam 13)
- Sexual relationship (adultery) after drinking alcohol.
- Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure. (Heb 13:4)
- Watching pornographic films and distributing them to others, keeping dirty CDs, SMS, etc., 14. Imagining other women or men in sexual relationship and thus committing adultery. (Prov 4:24-27)
- Having sexual relations with an animal. (Levi 20:15; 18:23)
7. You shall not steal & 10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s belongings
- Stealing (Exodus 20:15) Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his OX or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
- Robbing God with time and treasure. (Mal 3:8)
- Failing to pay the workmen. (James 5:4)
- Oppressing the righteous and taking bribes and depriving the poor of justice in the courts. (Amos 5:12)
- Taking possession of other people’s property. (1 Kings 21:1-29)
- Move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of others. (Prov 23:10)
- Ignoring the fact that we are answerable to God.
- Gaining wealth in dishonest ways and accepting or giving bribes and perverting justice. (1 Sam 8:3)
- Collecting interest on money lent. Accepting bribes to kill. Etc. (Lk 3:13; Deut 27:25)
- Harassing and molesting workers or subordinates. (Gen 26:29-34; Gen 29:23-25)
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
- Speaking ill of others, judging others (Rom 2:1-2; Sir 19:10)
- Obscene, foolish talk or coarse joking (Eph 5:4-12)
- Setting a bad/wrong example for others. (Lk 17:1-2)
- Covering the offenses done. (Gen 20:16; Mt 5:37)
- Using inaccurate weights (Prov 11:1)
- Failing to pay the required taxes.
- Making false documents and judgments.
- Gossiping, speaking ill of others, speech against God and his providence, and grumbling. (Wis 1:11; Prov 20:24)
- Gossip is Satan = Satan is gossip.
- Hypocrisy and pretension as righteous. (Mt 23:29-33)
- Actions or words that endanger your neighbor, unwholesome talk. Anger, rage, malice, slander, and use of filthy language. (Lev 19:16; Eph 4:29; Col 3:8)
- Flattering talk, Godless chatter which could make people more ungodly. (2 Tim 2:16)
- Hiding the truth in talk. Deliberately deviating from truth. (Prov 4:24).
- Making a false confession or not revealing and repenting of sins in confession.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife
- Destroying the family life of others. (Ezh 22:11)
- Not keeping the family life sacred.
- Looking lustfully at men/women and thus committing adultery and prostitution. (Mt 5:28; Hos 4:12)
- Receiving Holy Communion in an unworthy manner is a sin against the body and blood of Christ. (1 Cor 11:27)
- Secretly hearing other people’s conversation, revealing secrets to others.
- Insulting others, teasing others, judging others. (Lk 6:37). “Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (Mt 18:10)
- Secret happiness in other people’s pain, sickness and suffering, jealousy of others. (Mt 5:21-22)
- Wish for appreciation and approval from people more than from God; trying to please others. (Gal 1:10)
- Selfishness, pride in oneself, arrogance, violence toward others, not giving glory to God. (Sir 10:7)
- Hatred, anger to towards others, wickedness, evil, greed, depravity, envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. Disobeying authority. “They were filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, craftiness, they are gossips, slanderers, God haters, and insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, rebellious toward parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, and ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” (1 Jn 3:11-20, 1 Jn 3:15; Prov 10:12; Gen 4:3-8; Eph 4:31-32)
- Considering ourselves as wise. Not glorifying or thanking God. (1 Cor 1:29-30; Deut 18:8-10)
- Impatient nature. (Eph 4:24)
- Leading others to sin, setting a bad example, etc. (Mt 18)
Other sins which destroy the soul
- Mt 8:19-22; Rom 1:29-32; 1 Cor 6:9-10; 2 Chro 12:20; Gal 5:19-21sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery: idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness
- Eph 4:17-32; Dph 5:3-21 obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking.
- Col 3:5-10 anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language, telling lies
- 1 Tim 1:8-21; 1 Tim 4:1-8; 1 Tim 5:11-13; 1 tim 6:3-10 envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people.
- 2 Tim 3:1-13 lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of Godliness but denying its power.
- 2 Tim 4:1-4 Selfish desires
- Heb 12:12-17; 1 Pet 3:8-13 not being compassionate and humble. Repaying evil with evil or insult with insult, instead of with blessing; deceitful speech, nor seeking peace and pursue it.
- Revelation 21:8 “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. Revelation 22:14-15 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs, sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”
