Lent | Vice & Virtue
The Seven Deadly Sins, or what we will refer to as Capital Vices, are a grouping of sins within the teachings of Christianity. “Capital” comes from the Latin word for head (caput), meaning source, like the head of a river. These sins have long been considered capital sins not because they are the worst, but because they are gateway sins through which all others flow.
The seven vices should also be seen as deeply ingrained, character-shaping habits of the heart. This insight is captured by the language of virtue and vice.
In our day, these vices are often seen as virtues — celebrating with pride our disordered love. While “sin” and “vice” are not popular concepts, removing sin from our language does not remove the reality that the wages of sin is still death.
In the New Testament the Apostle Paul used the language of “putting off” the old-self, dying to our sinful nature, and “putting on” the new-self — the process of transformation of our character from vice to virtue (Eph. 4:22-24).
The Apostle Peter tells us to “make every effort” to supplement our faith with virtue (2 Pet. 1:5).Therefore, throughout Lent we will identify particular vices in our lives that we are called to put to death and make every effort through repentance, spiritual disciplines, and Holy Spirit-empowered grace to replace them with the opposing kingdom virtues.
You are invited to embark on the well-worn path of historic, biblical Christianity by mediating on, wrestling with, and addressing the capital vices and replacing them with kingdom virtues through the season of Lent, following Jesus into the wilderness, resisting the devil, being ministered to by God’s Word, spurred on by God’s people, and filled with the Holy Spirit.
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Showing items 1 to 10 of 1201
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Sloth // Diligence | Promontory Campus | Vice & Virtue
2 Thessalonians 3:6-12
We are among the most comfortable people in all of human history. And so it is no surprise that laziness is an easy vice to fall into. But instead of rebounding into a workaholic lifestyle, the Bible calls us to rightly understand the place of both work and rest. True rest is found in Jesus, trusting God’s provision, and we work diligently to honour God.
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Sloth // Diligence | Agassiz Campus | Vice & Virtue
2 Thessalonians 3:6-12
God worked, then rested ... and created us to do the same – fully engaging in His purposes on earth. When we disobediently and selfishly disengage from His purposes ... when we abandon kingdom work ... we cease to love, to worship, and to point people to the work of Christ – His saving grace.
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Sloth // Diligence | Harrison Campus | Vice & Virtue
2 Thessalonians 3:6-12
The Bible clearly teaches that genuine believers commit themselves to cultivating their ongoing relationship with Christ through daily diligence and work. This is how we demonstrate our love for the Father and walk in his love for us. Sloth is the vice of avoiding this demand of love either in laziness, apathy, or busyness. In Christ, we have forgiveness for our slothful hearts and we can walk in his ways in order to live a life of true meaning, purpose, and joy.
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Sloth // Diligence | Chilliwack Campus | Vice & Virtue
2 Thessalonians 3:6-12
Sloth may be one of the most misunderstood of the seven Capital Vices because typically, we think about sloth as simple laziness. However, with sloth there is more than what meets the eye because beyond laziness, sloth is more a condition of our hearts than of our hands. It numbs our hearts to the beauty of God and resists our created purpose to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.
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Envy // Charity | Promontory Campus | Vice & Virtue
James 3:13-17
Envy is the relentless desire, not simply to have more, but to deprive others. While greed seeks the objects, envy wants what others have. In this way, envy is far more destructive both to ourselves and to those around us. The gospel calls us to be thankful in all that we have, so that we might show the charity of Jesus to those around us.
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Envy // Charity | Agassiz Campus | Vice & Virtue
James 3:13-16
Envy is an inward heart sin that inevitably has destructive, outward effects. Because of this, it’s imperative that we repent and look to Christ to shape us in His loving ways.
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Envy // Charity | Harrison Campus | Vice & Virtue
James 3:13-16
Envy is an inward heart sin that inevitably has destructive, outward effects. Because of this, it’s imperative that we repent and look to Christ to shape us in His loving ways.
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Envy // Charity | Chilliwack Campus | Vice & Virtue
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Envy is similar to jealousy, covetousness, and greed, but has the person in the crosshairs not the thing they possess. It is a sickness of the heart that finds it hard to love God and neighbour because it is so consumed with the gifts and possessions that others have. The remedy is found in the gospel and allows us to think, act, and speak with love and rejoice in the well-being of others.
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Gluttony // Temperance | Chilliwack Campus | Vice & Virtue
Philippians 3:19-20
God not only made food good but gave us taste buds as well so it would be enjoyed! But the vice of gluttony takes the good gift and twists it into a self-indulgent appetite that dictates your life. Temperance, on the other hand, is the virtue that rightly orders the pleasure of eating and drinking so that we can treat it as the gift and sign it is not as an end in itself.
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Gluttony // Temperance | Promontory Campus | Vice & Virtue
Philippians 3:18-21
A large part of our lives is spent on food but if we let it, food can become an idol we worship. God gave us food as a gift, but when our focus leaves the giver we have a problem. Our physical hunger should point us to the true spiritual hunger in Jesus that brings eternal satisfaction.
