You may get asked the same questions I am asked.

I sometimes get asked about sins and their order of magnitude. Which ones are worse than others?

The question about which sins are worse implies an additional question. People want to know  which sins are acceptable.

Through the centuries, the church and Christians have had sins that seem to be accepted.

For example, think of how often the church accepts bad temper in its pastors and in its members. In some ways, we almost reward some sins. Greed, gluttony, prejudice, and many other transgressions have been acceptable in the church.

But which sins are the worst? You may have your own list. Some rebellious behaviors certainly affect us outwardly more than others. They also affect society more than others. In that sense, we can rank actions and attitudes which displease God.

In the middle ages, the church talked about seven deadly sins.

As I look at myself, I think I have the answer of which are the worst sins.

The worst sins are mine.

My sin causes more havoc in my life and in my network than any others. My rebellion puts up a barrier between me and God. My sin grieves the Holy Spirit and keeps me from a close, personal encounter with Him daily.

Interestingly, the Bible talks more about “sin” than “sins.” In other words, the Bible speaks more about the attitude of the heart than the actions of the body.

Our problem is our attitude of rebellion and pride. We tend to leave God out of our lives and look out for our own self interest. All of this is repugnant to God and keeps us from His presence.

Because this problem is bigger than ourselves, God did the unimaginable and sent His own son to become sin for us. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).