Spiritual Sins
Spiritual sins are wrongdoings that reduce your rank in heaven. In a marriage
context, these things will cause your prayers to be hindered as it says in 1
Peter 3:1-7. In other words, what happens to a man outside the home (in his
job, business deals etc.) is determined largely by what happens in the home.
The converse is also true. These sins include (but not limited to):
1. Pride
The most common manifestation of this is a refusal to listen to spiritual
authority. The attitude of ‘my home is my business; no pastor or leader in
Church has the right to interfere or advise or tell me what to do. I run my
home as I deem fit’. This kind of person will struggle in his job, business or
whatever else he/she is involved in as there will no be no release of grace to
enable him excel (1 Peter 5:5)
On the other hand God is very impressed with humility. In 1 Kings 21, we see
Ahab a very wicked king doing terrible things including stealing and murder.
Yet when corrected by the prophet, he humbled himself and God deferred
the punishment!
2. Anger
It was Moses’ anger that prevented him from entering the Promised Land –
cutting short his ministry. David on the other hand committed adultery and
though God punished him, he did not lose his throne. Jacob cursed Simeon
and Levi’s anger (Genesis 49). In both of these cases, it can be argued that
the anger was justifiable maybe even out of a righteous indignation however
the consequences were far more serious than the perpetuators imagined.
Anger that is violent and incontrollable leading to saying all sorts of things is
far more serious in God’s eyes than stealing, adultery and the other
traditional ‘big’ sins. In fact this type is influenced by demons.
3. Complaining
We see this in the life of Elijah (1Kings 18,19). In 1Corinthians 10:1-12, we
see God classifying complaining (murmuring) in the same category as
fornication, idolatry and tempting God. Even when you have to do more that
your share of an activity, do not complain, otherwise you reward may be
burnt up by your mouth and it may even lead to bitterness.
4. Unforgiveness, Bitterness & Strife
Unforgiveness that is unchecked will lead to bitterness, which will in turn
lead to strife. Then you have a situation described in James 3:14-16, an
atmosphere of confusion and demonic activity. In short the devil enters the
home/situation and starts wrecking all sorts of havoc in the health, finances,job, business, children and all other aspects of the home. Hebrews 12:15
gives a further revelation on this: it is the offended party that harbours the
bitterness & un-forgiveness that will be troubled not the offending party
unless of course both parties are equally guilty.
5. Physical Abuse & Cruelty
In such extreme situations, immediate physical care must be taken to
prevent continuation. There is even legal/police recourse. The guilty party if
not repentant should be left alone as God deals very harshly with those who
physically abuse His children (1Corinthians 3:16-17).
6. Profanity
Anther spiritual sin is profanity, which is defined as having no regard for
sacred or spiritual things. Heb 12:16-17 gives the example of Esau who
signed away his birthright with his mouth and several years later when he
realized what he had done, it was too late to make amends despite the fact
that he cried painfully. He did not realize that he was making a grave
spiritual mistake when he signed away his birthright.
Spiritual sins are wrongdoings that reduce your rank in heaven. In a marriage
context, these things will cause your prayers to be hindered as it says in 1
Peter 3:1-7. In other words, what happens to a man outside the home (in his
job, business deals etc.) is determined largely by what happens in the home.
The converse is also true. These sins include (but not limited to):
1. Pride
The most common manifestation of this is a refusal to listen to spiritual
authority. The attitude of ‘my home is my business; no pastor or leader in
Church has the right to interfere or advise or tell me what to do. I run my
home as I deem fit’. This kind of person will struggle in his job, business or
whatever else he/she is involved in as there will no be no release of grace to
enable him excel (1 Peter 5:5)
On the other hand God is very impressed with humility. In 1 Kings 21, we see
Ahab a very wicked king doing terrible things including stealing and murder.
Yet when corrected by the prophet, he humbled himself and God deferred
the punishment!
2. Anger
It was Moses’ anger that prevented him from entering the Promised Land –
cutting short his ministry. David on the other hand committed adultery and
though God punished him, he did not lose his throne. Jacob cursed Simeon
and Levi’s anger (Genesis 49). In both of these cases, it can be argued that
the anger was justifiable maybe even out of a righteous indignation however
the consequences were far more serious than the perpetuators imagined.
Anger that is violent and incontrollable leading to saying all sorts of things is
far more serious in God’s eyes than stealing, adultery and the other
traditional ‘big’ sins. In fact this type is influenced by demons.
3. Complaining
We see this in the life of Elijah (1Kings 18,19). In 1Corinthians 10:1-12, we
see God classifying complaining (murmuring) in the same category as
fornication, idolatry and tempting God. Even when you have to do more that
your share of an activity, do not complain, otherwise you reward may be
burnt up by your mouth and it may even lead to bitterness.
4. Unforgiveness, Bitterness & Strife
Unforgiveness that is unchecked will lead to bitterness, which will in turn
lead to strife. Then you have a situation described in James 3:14-16, an
atmosphere of confusion and demonic activity. In short the devil enters the
home/situation and starts wrecking all sorts of havoc in the health, finances,job, business, children and all other aspects of the home. Hebrews 12:15
gives a further revelation on this: it is the offended party that harbours the
bitterness & un-forgiveness that will be troubled not the offending party
unless of course both parties are equally guilty.
5. Physical Abuse & Cruelty
In such extreme situations, immediate physical care must be taken to
prevent continuation. There is even legal/police recourse. The guilty party if
not repentant should be left alone as God deals very harshly with those who
physically abuse His children (1Corinthians 3:16-17).
6. Profanity
Anther spiritual sin is profanity, which is defined as having no regard for
sacred or spiritual things. Heb 12:16-17 gives the example of Esau who
signed away his birthright with his mouth and several years later when he
realized what he had done, it was too late to make amends despite the fact
that he cried painfully. He did not realize that he was making a grave
spiritual mistake when he signed away his birthright.
