According to Catholic tradition, the seven deadly sins are: pride, envy, greed, anger, lust, gluttony and laziness . These sins are not listed as capital sins in the Bible .
The list of the seven deadly sins was formed around the 4th century AD. Catholic tradition considers that the seven deadly sins give rise to all other sins. The Bible does not say this but agrees that they are sins and should be avoided.
Proud
It is linked to vanity and pride. Pride is when someone feels superior, despising other people. It is also the lack of recognition of our dependence on God. Pride is the opposite of humility. The Bible says that the proud will be humbled, but the humble will be exalted ( 2 Samuel 22:28 ).
Find out here: what is superb?
Envy
Envy is a form of greed . Whoever is jealous is not happy when another person receives a blessing, because he wants that blessing just for himself. Envy is selfish. The Bible warns us not to be jealous, but to be content with what we have and to rejoice in the joy of others ( Galatians 5:26 ).
Avarice
Avarice is a sickly attachment to riches. The greedy person accumulates wealth, does not like to spend and does not want to share with anyone. Avarice is the love of money. The Bible teaches us to be generous, not too attached to money ( 1 Timothy 6: 8-10 ).
Will
Wrath is getting very angry, acting cruel or violent. There are things that make us angry and rightly so, but anger creates a wrong reaction. Whoever is overcome by anger hates his brother and wants revenge, failing to forgive. The Bible teaches us to control our anger, overcoming evil with good ( Romans 12:19 ).
Lust
Lust is the desire for wrong carnal pleasures. The person dominated by lust lives for pleasures, without exercising self-control. Lust leads to sexual immorality, because the person does not control his desires. The Bible exhorts us to escape sexual immorality and to control our bodies ( 1 Corinthians 6:18 ).
Read more: what does the Bible say about lust?
Greediness
Gluttony is eating much more than is necessary, just for the desire to eat. It is also linked to drinking and lack of self-control. The greedy person only thinks about the pleasure of eating and mistreats his own body. The Bible teaches us to avoid drinking and gluttony and to respect our bodies.
See here more about gluttony: gluttony is sin?
Laziness
Laziness is not wanting to work. We all have the right to rest, but we also have to work to support our families. The lazy person shuns his responsibilities and only causes problems. The Bible warns that the lazy person ends up becoming poor, but the diligent one will be rewarded.
See also: what does God say about laziness?
Seven sins in the Bible
The Bible does not have a list of deadly sins but in Proverbs 6: 16-19 it has a list of seven sins that the Lord hates :
- Haughty eyes
- Lying tongue
- Hands that spill innocent blood
- Heart that traces wicked plans
- Feet that rush to do evil
- The false witness, who spreads lies
- One who causes discord among brothers
