Question: "What are the seven deadly sins?"

Answer: Many people fear a list of seven sins that God supposedly will not forgive. This list is known as the “seven deadly sins.” Is the idea of “seven deadly sins” Biblical? Yes and no. Proverbs 6:16-19 declares: “There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: (1) haughty eyes, (2) a lying tongue, (3) hands that shed innocent blood, (4) a heart that devises wicked schemes, (5) feet that are quick to rush into evil, (6) a false witness who pours out lies, and (7) a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.” However, this list is not what most people understand as the “seven deadly sins.”

Most people understand the list of the “seven deadly sins” to be: pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, and sloth. Although each of these are undeniably sins, they are never given the description of "the seven deadly sins" in the Bible. The traditional list of the “seven deadly sins” can function as a good way to categorize the many different sins that exist. Nearly every kind of sin could be placed under one of the seven categories. More importantly, however, is that we realize these seven sins are no more “deadly” than any other sin. All sin results in death (Romans 6:23). Praise be to God, that through Jesus Christ, all of our sins, including the “seven deadly sins,” can be forgiven (Matthew 26:28; Acts 10:43; Ephesians 1:7).