Eight sins. How is mortal sin different from ordinary sin? Repentance for sins Orthodoxy

Often using the word “sin” in his vocabulary, he does not always fully understand its interpretation. As a result, the term is used for other purposes, gradually losing its true content. Nowadays, sin is perceived as something forbidden, but at the same time attractive. Having committed it, people boast, proud of their act in the “bad boy” style, gaining popularity and a scandalous reputation with its help. Such individuals do not realize: in fact, even the slightest sins in Orthodoxy are something for which each of us will suffer heavy and eternal punishment after death.

What is sin?

Religion interprets it differently. It is usually believed that sins in Orthodoxy are states of the human soul that are diametrically opposed to morality and honor. By committing them, he goes against his true nature. The famous theologian John of Damascus, who lived in Syria in the 7th century, for example, wrote that sin is always a voluntary deviation from spiritual rules. That is, it is almost impossible to force a person to do something immoral. Yes, of course, he can be threatened with weapons or reprisals against his loved ones. But the Bible says that even in the face of real danger, he always has the right to choose. Sin is a wound that a believer inflicts on his own soul.

According to another theologian, Alexei Osipov, any offense is a consequence of the fall of mankind. However, unlike original wickedness, in the modern world we take full responsibility for our mistakes. Each individual is obliged to fight the craving for the forbidden, to overcome it by all means, the best of which, as Orthodoxy claims, is confession. The list of sins, their immoral content and retribution for what they have done - teachers are required to talk about this even in elementary grades during theology lessons, so that children from an early age understand the essence of this evil and know how to fight it. In addition to sincere confession, another way to atone for one’s own immorality is sincere repentance, prayer and a complete change in the way of life. The Church believes that without the help of priests it is not always possible to overcome sinfulness, therefore a person should regularly visit the temple and communicate with his spiritual mentor.

Deadly sins

These are the most serious human vices, which can only be redeemed through repentance. Moreover, this must be done exclusively from the heart: if an individual doubts that he will be able to live in accordance with the new spiritual rules, then it is better to postpone this process until the moment when the soul is completely ready. In another case, confession is considered evil, and lying can be punished even more. The Bible states that for mortal sins the soul is deprived of the opportunity to go to heaven. If they are very heavy and terrible, then the only place that “shines” for a person after death is hell with its pitch darkness, hot frying pans, seething fiery cauldrons and other devilish paraphernalia. If the offenses are isolated and accompanied by repentance, the soul goes to purgatory, where it gets a chance to cleanse itself and reunite with God.

How many especially serious offenses does religion provide for? It is known that when analyzing mortal sins, Orthodoxy always gives a different list. In various versions of the Gospel you can find a list of 7, 8 or 10 points. But traditionally it is believed that there are only seven of them:

1. Pride is contempt for one's neighbor. Leads to darkening of the mind and heart, denial of God and loss of love for him.
2. Greed or love of money. This is the desire to acquire wealth in any way, which gives rise to theft and cruelty.
3. Fornication is adultery itself or thoughts about it.
4. Envy is the desire for luxury. Leads to hypocrisy and humiliation of one's neighbor.
5. Gluttony. Shows excessive self-love.
6. Anger - thoughts of revenge, anger and aggression, which can lead to murder.
7. Laziness, which gives rise to despondency, sadness, sorrow and murmuring.

These are the main mortal sins. Orthodoxy never modifies the list, since it believes that there is no greater evil than the above-described vices. After all, they are the starting point for all other sins, including murder, assault, theft, and so on.

Pride

This is too high a person's self-esteem. He begins to consider himself the best and most worthy. It is clear that it is necessary to develop individuality, unusual abilities and genius talents. But placing one’s “I” on an unjustified pedestal of honor is real pride. Sin leads to an inadequate assessment of oneself and making other fatal mistakes in life.

It differs from ordinary pride in that a person begins to boast of his qualities before God himself. He develops the confidence that he himself is capable of achieving heights without the help of the Almighty, and his talents are not a gift from Heaven, but exclusively personal merit. The individual becomes arrogant, ungrateful, arrogant, inattentive to others.

In many religions, sin is considered the mother of all other vices. And indeed it is. A person affected by this spiritual illness begins to adore himself, which leads to laziness and gluttony. In addition, he despises everyone around him, which invariably leads him to anger and greed. Why does pride arise? Sin, Orthodoxy claims, becomes a consequence of improper upbringing and limited development. It is difficult to rid a person of vice. Usually higher powers give him a test in the form of poverty or physical injury, after which he either becomes even more evil and proud, or is completely cleansed of the wicked state of the soul.

Greed

The second most serious sin. Vanity is a product of greed and pride, their common fruit. Therefore, these two vices are the foundation on which a whole bunch of immoral character traits grow. As for greed, it manifests itself in the form of an indomitable desire to receive a lot of money. The people whom she touched with her icy hand stop spending their finances even on what is necessary, they accumulate wealth contrary to common sense. Apart from a way to earn money, such individuals do not think about anything else. It is from the seeds of greed that such vices of the human soul as greed, self-interest and envy sprout. They are the reason that the entire history of mankind is drenched in the blood of innocent victims.

In our time, greed continues to occupy a leading position in the sinful hierarchy. The popularity of loans, financial pyramids and business trainings confirms the sad fact that the meaning of life for many people is enrichment and luxury. Greed is going crazy for money. Like any other insanity, it is destructive to the individual: the individual spends the best years of his life not searching for himself, but on the endless accumulation and increase of capital. Often he decides to commit a crime: theft, fraud, corruption. To overcome greed, a person needs to understand that true happiness is within him, and it does not depend on material wealth. The counterbalance is generosity: give part of what you earn to those in need. This is the only way to cultivate the ability to share benefits with other people.

Envy

Considering the 7 deadly sins, Orthodoxy calls this vice one of the most terrible. Most of the crimes in the world are committed based on envy: people rob neighbors just because they are richer, kill acquaintances who are in power, plot against friends, angry at their popularity with the opposite sex... The list is endless. Even if envy does not become an impetus for misconduct, it will invariably provoke the destruction of a person’s personality. For example, an individual will drive himself into a premature grave, tormenting his soul with a distorted perception of reality and negative emotions.

Many people reassure themselves that their envy is white. They say that they appreciate the achievements of a loved one, which becomes an incentive for personal growth for them. But if you face the truth, no matter how you paint this vice, it will still be immoral. Black, white or multi-colored envy is a sin, because it involves your desire to conduct a financial inspection in someone else's pocket. And sometimes you take over something that doesn’t belong to you. To get rid of this unpleasant and spiritually devouring feeling, you need to realize: other people's benefits are always superfluous. You are a completely self-sufficient and strong person, so you can find your place in the sun.

Gluttony

The word is old and beautiful. It also directly points to the essence of the problem. Gluttony is serving one’s body, worshiping earthly desires and passions. Just think how disgusting a person looks, in whose life the main place is occupied by a primitive instinct: satiation of the body. The words “belly” and “animal” are related and similar in sound. They came from the Old Slavonic source code alive- "alive". Of course, in order to exist, an individual must eat. But we should remember: we eat to live, and not vice versa.

Gluttony, greed for food, satiety, eating large quantities of food - all this is gluttony. Most people do not take this sin seriously, believing that the love of goodies is their slight weakness. But one has only to look at it on a more global scale, how the vice becomes ominous: millions of people on Earth are dying of hunger, while someone, without shame or conscience, stuffs their belly to the point of nausea. Overcoming gluttony is often difficult. You will need iron willpower to strangle the baser instincts within yourself and limit yourself in food to the necessary minimum. Strict fasting and giving up your favorite delicacies help to cope with gluttony.

Fornication

Sins in Orthodoxy are the base desires of a weak-willed person. The manifestation of sexual activity, which is not carried out in a marriage blessed by the church, is considered fornication. This can also include infidelity, various kinds of intimate perversions and promiscuity. The most important thing is that this is only the physical shell of what is actually gnawing at the brain. After all, it is the gray matter, its imagination and the ability to fantasize that sends impulses that push a person to an immoral act. Therefore, in Orthodoxy, fornication is also considered viewing pornographic materials, listening to obscene jokes, obscene remarks and thoughts - in a word, everything from which bodily sin itself is born.

Many people often confuse fornication with lust, considering them to be the same concept. But these are slightly different terms. Lust can also manifest itself in a legal marriage, when the husband rightfully desires his wife. And this is not considered a sin; on the contrary, it is encouraged by the church, which considers such a connection necessary for the continuation of the human race. Fornication is an invariable deviation from the rules preached by religion. When talking about it, they often use the expression “sin of Sodom.” In Orthodoxy, this term refers to an unnatural attraction to persons of the same sex. It is often impossible to get rid of a vice without the help of experienced psychologists, and also due to the lack of a strong inner core within a person.

Anger

It would seem that this is the natural state of a person... We get angry or indignant for various reasons, but the church condemns this. If you look at the 10 sins in Orthodoxy, this vice does not look like such a terrible offense. Moreover, the Bible even often uses such a concept as righteous anger - energy given by God aimed at solving problems. An example is the confrontation between Paul and Peter. The latter, by the way, gave the wrong example: the angry complaint of David, who heard from the prophet about injustice, and even the indignation of Jesus, who learned about the desecration of the temple. But please note: none of the mentioned episodes refers to self-defense; on the contrary, they all imply the protection of other people, society, religion, and principles.

Anger becomes a sin only when it has selfish motives. In this case, Divine goals are distorted. It is also condemned when it is prolonged, so-called chronic. Instead of generating indignation into energy, we begin to enjoy it, allowing anger to subjugate us. Of course, in this case the most important thing is forgotten - the goal that needs to be achieved with the help of anger. Instead, we focus on the person and the uncontrollable aggression towards him. To cope with it, you must in any case respond with good to any evil. This is the key to transforming anger into true love.

Laziness

More than one page is devoted to this vice in the Bible. Parables are filled with wisdom and warnings, saying that idleness can destroy any individual. There should be no place for idleness in the life of a believer, because it violates God’s purpose - good deeds. Laziness is a sin, because a non-working person is not able to provide for his family, support the weak, or help the poor. Instead, work is a tool with which you can get closer to God and cleanse your soul. The main thing is to work for the benefit not only of yourself, but of all people, society, the state and the church.

Laziness can turn a full-fledged personality into a limited animal. Lying on the couch and living at the expense of others, a person becomes an ulcer on the body, a creature sucking blood and vitality. To free yourself from laziness, you need to realize: without effort you are a weakling, a universal laughing stock, a creature of low rank, not a person. Of course, we are not talking about those people who, due to certain circumstances, cannot work fully. This refers to vigorous, physically healthy individuals who have every opportunity to benefit society, but ignore them due to a morbid tendency to idleness.

Other terrible sins in Orthodoxy

They are divided into two large groups: vices that bring harm to one’s neighbor, and those that are directed against God. The first includes such atrocities as murder, beatings, slander, and humiliation. The Bible teaches us to love our neighbor as ourselves, and also to forgive the guilty, honor our elders, protect our younger ones, and help those in need. Always keep promises on time, appreciate the work of others, raise children according to the canons of the Christian faith, protect plants and animals, do not judge for mistakes, forget about hypocrisy, slander, jealousy and ridicule.

Sins in Orthodoxy against God imply failure to fulfill the will of the Lord, ignoring the commandments, lack of gratitude, superstition, turning to magicians and fortune-tellers for help. Try not to pronounce the name of the Lord unless necessary, do not blaspheme or complain, learn not to sin. Instead, read the Holy Scriptures, go to temple, pray sincerely, get spiritually enriched and read everything

A destroyed city after the war, the bodies of dead soldiers are scattered everywhere. The old knight asks the young soldier to help him, during the conversation it turns out that all the warriors were killed at once, and the killers were a certain group of criminals known as the seven deadly sins. At the top of the hill there is a drinking establishment, where its owner is a young guy. In fact, this is the most dangerous criminal - Meliodas. The bar was opened with the purpose of bringing his entire team together. At this time, a knight in rusty armor and a wanted princess stumble into the pub. A detachment of knights, led by one of the holy knights, comes after her soul. During his fight with Meliodas, he remembers him and is surprised that he is still young. After his victory, Meliodas promises to help Princess Elizabeth and rebel against the tyranny of the Order of Holy Knights.

Meliodas and Princess Elizabeth arrive in the village of Bernia, famous for its beer. However, one of the holy knights stuck his sword into the ground and stopped the flow of the river, the bed dried up, and eventually beer production became impossible. The common people tried to pull out the sword, but could not, and even the soldiers who arrived on the orders of my lord (holy knight) ordered to pull out the sword by the evening, otherwise they would increase taxes 20 times. Meliodas helps pull out the sword, in retaliation for this the holy knight throws a spear at the village, trying to destroy it. But the main character catches the spear and returns the “gift”. From the conversations of local residents, Elizabeth learns about a certain sleepy forest that even holy knights bypass. A team of heroes is heading there, perhaps they will meet one of the seven deadly sins.

Meliodas and Princess Elizabeth head to the forest of white dreams. Being a shrewd warrior, he removes the underwear from the princess, who noticed something was wrong too late. They are surrounded by forest trolls, who imitate them, taking on the appearance of the main characters. Meliodas asks the girl to jump, she refuses in embarrassment, but the trolls jumped and at the same second received a sword on the sides. In the depths of the forest, they meet one of the seven deadly sins - Diana. They are later overtaken by a holy knight who tries to kill them. Meliodas pretends to be wounded in order to find out from the knight where the other deadly sins are and receives information about the location of the sin of greed and laziness.

Meliodas lost consciousness from injuries received in battle. Concerned, the comrades went to the nearest city to find a doctor, but fell into a trap built by agents of the holy knights. The doctor was in league with the order and gave Meliodas poison. At this time, the city was attacked by one of the fangs of fate - Frisha, the lord of the beetles. Sin of Envy - Diana playfully crushed a cloud of bugs and engaged in battle with this insect queen. At this very time, Ban, known as the sin of greed, having heard a conversation about Meliodas, pulled the pins from his body with which he was chained and left the walls of the dungeon. All his wounds healed instantly, but on his neck there is only one scar, once left by Meliodas.

Christians know that deliberate violation of God's commandments leads to the death of the soul. Sin is a crime of the moral law against God and man. What are mortal sins in Orthodoxy? Is it possible to atone for your misdeeds before God, and how to do this? Is a sincere repentant prayer enough or do you need to take some special actions? Let us consider these exciting questions in detail.

The Bible tells us that because of the Fall they were expelled from. They lost grace and eternal life and became mortal. From this tragic moment in human history, death became a constant companion of life. The penalty for sin is death. This is an immutable law of God that cannot be abolished.

Sin is a distortion of human nature. Unconquered sin entails other sins. Thus, gluttony can lead to greed and lust. The desire to get more money to satisfy greed can lead to theft, money-grubbing and even murder. Therefore, victory over one sin leads to liberation from other vices. Because everything is interconnected.

Violation of one commandment is considered a violation of the entire law.

Do all sins lead to death, or are there minor sins? The Bible says that any sin separates a person from God and is an obstacle to God's grace. Violation of even one commandment of God is considered a violation of the entire law. And it doesn’t matter whether a person is overcome by envy or the need to steal - he is a transgressor of the law and commandments.

The concept of mortal sin has roots in the Old Testament, when people were physically destroyed for committing untruths. For example, they stoned people for fornication. It was believed that this sin could not be atoned for by any repentance. The basis of this belief lies in the concept that the fornicator has long departed from the Source of Life and draws his inspiration from the waters of death. The logical chain of reasoning leads to the fact that the fornicator has long been dead spiritually, so he must be laid to rest forever and physically.

The Old Testament religious doctrine was based on the eradication of everything that opposed God's commandments. The carrier of spiritual death must be destroyed so as not to infect the entire society with it. That is, sin was seen as an infection to be exterminated.

For the first time, people heard about God's commandments from Moses in the Sinai desert. These were the 10 commandments on which modern Christianity is based. The commandments were given to people to save them from trouble. Not everyone understood that violating moral laws leads to disaster. The commandments explained to people how to behave in society and what to avoid.

The Concept of Sin in the Gospel

In the gospel, the concept of sin remains the same, but the attitude towards it changes. The good news (gospel) is filled with forgiveness and God's mercy towards sinners. In this way it differs from all the holy books of any religion in the world. God's grace descended to earth thanks to the atoning sacrifice of Christ, and now man has a chance to be forgiven. But this requires faith in the atoning sacrifice and sincere repentance for what has been done.

Why do sins lead to death if sinners live happily for many years and do not die? Because death refers to spiritual death—the death of the soul. Unrepentant sins destroy love for God in a person’s heart, so his soul cannot enter the heavenly abode and find eternal existence in the heavenly palaces.

Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov gives an example of the classification of eight sins that lead to death. However, this classification should not be understood as exclusively 8 deadly sins: these are 8 groups of passions that can take possession of a person. In fact, there are many more of them. Abba Dorotheus believes that a person can be possessed by 3 passions - love of money, voluptuousness and selfishness. Other sins are only a consequence of these passions.

The division of sins into small and large, mortal and non-mortal is very conditional. Any unrepentant sin leads to death and separation from God.

Will a person be condemned for repenting sin? The church fathers instruct: there are no unforgivable sins, only unrepentant ones. That is why the sacrament of confession exists, so that a person can cleanse his soul with repentance for what he has done. Why can’t you just pray to God and repent of your sins? Because the sacrament of confession was given by God, and this law cannot be broken either.

According to the church fathers, only one sin leads to the death of the soul - suicide. This is the biggest and most terrible sin. Because a person deprives himself of the opportunity to repent and receive redemption. Therefore, it is unacceptable to fall into despair due to committing sins, since despair can lead to suicide. There are no unforgiven sins - they can all be redeemed by repentance.

The danger of unrepentant sins leads to sin becoming a habit. A person gets used to living in sin and does not feel its deadly influence on the soul. This is facilitated by the human enemy - Satan, who tirelessly traps souls in his networks of temptation.

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

In addition to suicide, there is another most terrible sin in Orthodoxy - blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. If a suicide, through his stupidity, is deprived of the grace of eternal salvation, then blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a conscious and purposeful refusal of eternal life.

How can you blaspheme the Holy Spirit, in what way? The Church Fathers give us the following interpretation. For example, the Great Saint said:

Why is blasphemy against the Spirit never forgiven? Because Christ's opponents accused his miraculous actions of demonic power. Here's what they said:

Christ's opponents did not see divine grace in his actions and considered miracles a demonic obsession. Their logic was simple: since demons obey him, it means that Christ is the supreme demon. To which he answered that they were blaspheming the Holy Spirit working through him.

List of sins in Orthodoxy

There are 7 sins that lead to death. Why did Christianity single out these particular sins from all the others, which are countless? The history of the definition of mortal sins originates from the identification of eight grave vices of humanity, which were described in the 5th century AD by Evgrafiy Pontius. In 590, this list of vices was changed by the Pope, who identified only 7 deadly sins. It is the list of sins approved by the Pope that is still used in Orthodoxy to this day.

Sins in Orthodoxy - list:

1. pride;
2. greed;
3. envy;
4. anger;
5. lust;
6. gluttony;
7. despondency.

Pride- this is faith in yourself and your capabilities. Pride excludes faith in God and his help to people.

Greed overshadows thoughts about the spiritual, since all human aspirations are aimed at obtaining and increasing material wealth. A person is so absorbed in this process that he simply has no time to think about his soul and its state.

Envy- this is the desire to be different, to achieve or steal his destiny. Envy does not provide the opportunity to realize one’s purpose in life, constantly directing the envious person’s attention to the fate of another person. The envious person loses peace of mind, languishing from a feeling of “injustice in this world.” Thus, he reproaches God for his biased attitude towards people and the unfair distribution of mercy and grace.

Anger carries destruction. An angry person forgets about God's mercy; he is completely controlled by the devil's will. During anger, a person can commit a serious crime, including murder. Anger is the opposite of love, which is a consequence of distance from God's grace.

Lust is called any excess that a person allows himself. It is an addiction to sensual pleasures that lead away from spiritual truths. A person does not think about the salvation of the soul, but is absorbed in satisfying carnal desires. He pleases his body, which will die anyway, to the detriment of the eternal and incorruptible soul.

Gluttony is excess food consumption, which leads away from spiritual truths. A person is absorbed in eating delicious dishes, which becomes the meaning of his life. He fills the mortal body with pleasure, forgetting about the immortal soul.

Dejection is also considered a mortal sin, as it deprives a person of the incentive to act. He is absorbed in thoughts about the futility of any actions, since he does not find any meaning in anything. But the purpose of earthly existence is to serve the Lord, and the absence of such a purpose is a sin. Although despondency does not harm other people, it leads the sinner to spiritual death due to refusal to serve God. Also, a depressed person constantly blasphemes God in his heart for his unfair treatment.

Sins are contrasted with virtues, of which there are also 7 in Orthodoxy:

1. Love;
2. patience;
3. humility;
4. kindness;
5. moderation;
6. zeal;
7. chastity.

These are the spiritual fruits that a person will take with him into eternity. Therefore, every Christian must carefully cultivate virtues in order to come to God’s judgment with spiritual fruits instead of sins.

Remember that any sin begins with a thought with which the devil tempts us.

If a sinful thought takes over a person’s mind, it will inevitably lead to a sinful act. Therefore, it is important to monitor your thoughts and keep them pure and holy. Prayer helps a believer to cleanse his thoughts of filth and prevent the fall from sin. As long as sin exists at the level of thought, everything can be corrected.

Uncorrected sin does not disappear anywhere; it haunts the soul even after the death of the body. In hell, the soul undergoes terrible torment, as unsatisfied sinful thoughts literally tear it apart. Therefore, it is important to get rid of sins here on earth, since after death this opportunity will not exist. After death there will be only hellish torment from the unfulfillment of sinful desires. Just imagine for a second your unquenched thirst, your torment from this sensation - and everything will become clear. No one will allow the sinner to quench his thirst for sin in hell, so his suffering will be unbearable.

How to deal with sins

We found out what sins are. Now let's look at the question of how to deal with them. One should not think that only monks should fight temptations and charms - this is a clear delusion. Monks bear a certain responsibility before God, but lay people are also not without responsibility for their actions. At baptism, a person renounces the devil, thereby confirming his position as a Christian - to overcome sin in daily vigil.

In the lives of many Christians, sins have become simply a habit that is very difficult to break. But this must be done, since human sins separate us from God. What needs to be done to get rid of vices?

Rules for dealing with sins:

• Realize the harmfulness of vice and hate it with all your heart.
• Repent of sin in confession in order to free yourself from the burden of guilt.
• Sincerely renounce sinful thoughts in your heart, and not just in words.
• Overcome fear and shame of the priest, honestly reveal your sinful inclinations.
• Trust in God's help in getting rid of sins.

Sins in Orthodoxy are viewed as a weakness of human nature. Man is so spiritually weak that he is unable to resist the devil’s charm on his own. Therefore, he must perform a feat of prayer every day, asking God for help in getting rid of vices.

A confidential conversation with a spiritual mentor - a priest - also plays an important role in getting rid of passions. The servant of God will help you find the right path to liberation from addictions and will indicate methods of combating the evil seducer.

Remember that continuation of sinful acts is unacceptable. Once you have realized your sinfulness and repented of it, it is unacceptable to continue sinning and following a wicked path. A person cannot find grace if he is a slave to earthly passions. You need to find the courage to put an end to the devil's obsessions once and for all and realize that deadly sins really lead to spiritual death. Sin kills a person's spiritual nature, depriving him of eternal life. Therefore, only by acquiring grace can one be rewarded with the kingdom of heaven. Decide once and for all what you choose - death or life?

Tell your fortune for today using the “Card of the Day” Tarot layout!

For correct fortune telling: focus on the subconscious and don’t think about anything for at least 1-2 minutes.

When you are ready, draw a card:

When reading the holy scriptures, many believers very often come across such an expression as “the seven deadly sins.” This phraseology does not in any way relate to any specific sins. The list of such acts is much longer. Back in 590, Gregory the Great proposed conditionally grouping actions into 7 main groups. There is also division in the church.

Pride or intoxication with one's dignity

Today you can also see books, films and cartoons that tell about terrible human vices. The word passion translated from Church Slavonic means suffering. Peccata capitalia means “chief sins” in Latin. Christianity describes pride as a mortal sin, which has the classification:

Unhealthy attention to one's own person is the result of all these diseases. When this spiritual deviation develops, a person first develops vanity. Not everyone can get sick with pride. Since everyone, without exception, strives for good. In a person, any manifestation of love and virtue always generates only approval. A child always tries to do things better and more correctly if he receives praise for his success and diligence. Encouragement is considered one of the most important aspects in raising children.

However, the thirst for praise can cause a person to deviate from the right path. If a person will seek praise great deeds that he will do for the sake of impressing others - this can lead to hypocrisy. Excessive self-confidence breeds pride. The development of this sin prepares excellent ground for lies and hypocrisy. Subsequently, feelings such as irritation, hostility, anger and cruelty may develop. Pride is the rejection of God's help. It is the proud person who really needs the help of the Savior. Since, except for the Almighty himself, no one can heal his spiritual illness.

The vain person's mood begins to deteriorate over time. As a rule, he cares about everything except his own correction. He never observes any shortcomings in himself or always tries to find reasons that would justify his behavior. He very much craves recognition of his superiority , so he always tries to exaggerate your abilities and life experience.

Criticism and disagreement with his opinion very painfully affects his mood. He perceives someone else's independent opinion in any dispute as a challenge to himself. This increases arrogance. Its manifestation most often meets with resistance from others. Subsequently, irritability and stubbornness greatly increase. A vain person begins to believe that all the people around him are very envious of him.

With the development of the last stage of this disease, the human soul becomes cold and dark. Contempt and anger arise in her. His mind becomes very darkened and he is no longer able to distinguish evil from good. It becomes increasingly difficult for him to recognize other people’s priorities, as he begins to be burdened by the “stupidity” of his bosses. Proving his superiority comes first for him. As a rule, he lacks this like air. He takes situations very painfully when he turns out to be wrong. Another person's success are perceived as a personal insult.

Insatiable desire to have everything

Greed is one of the most common sins in the modern world. The Lord helped people acquire knowledge that through charity they can overcome the love of money. Otherwise, a person tries to show throughout his life that earthly wealth is valued much more highly. He is ready to exchange eternal life for momentary gain. To prevent evil, it is worth taking care of systematic donations. God saw that greed takes true piety out of the heart.

An immeasurable love of money tends to cool and harden hearts and discourages generosity. It also makes a person blind and deaf to the needs of those who suffer. Greed has a paralyzing effect on the soul of people. Their thoughts are increasingly filled with the desire to get rich. Ambition is often ingrained in a person's character. He becomes indifferent to the interests and needs of other people, since the passion for accumulating funds pacifies all noble motives in him. Over time, he becomes insensitive.

In modern society, the world has dulled the moral senses of people. Even those people who were raised in the Orthodox faith often allow premarital affairs and divorces. A fornicator is considered much worse than a harlot. Since it is easier for him to part with his sin. As a rule, he expects impunity. But a harlot woman always risks her reputation. Today, many people have lost this sense of sin. This has never happened in the history of mankind.

Great people all over the world have always tried to erase this sin from people's consciousness. The Evil One has always been outraged by God's Commandments. Therefore, it is no coincidence that one can find an increase in crime in various countries. In some of them, at the moment, even the sin of Sodomy - sodomy - is not considered something reprehensible. Today, even same-sex relationships receive official status.

The poison of the human heart is envy

Envy means resistance to the creator, enmity against everything that God has given. There is no more destructive passion in the soul than envy. Damage to life and desecration of nature itself greatly eats away at the soul in much the same way as rust eats away at iron. Envy is one of the most insurmountable types of enmity. As a rule, an envious person is greatly annoyed by a good deed done to him.

The devil is the first destroyer of life and, which gives envy as a weapon from the beginning of the world. From this arises the death of the soul. Such a person is characterized by alienation from God and deprivation of all the blessings of life, to the delight of the evil one, although he himself is struck by the same passion. It is necessary to beware of the envious person with special zeal. Envy that has taken possession of the soul can leave a person only after it has driven him to complete recklessness. Despite the fact that a spiritually ill person can lead a sober life, give alms and fast regularly, this will not protect him from crime; he will still be envious despite all his actions.

An envious person will consider everyone around him to be his enemies, even those who have never offended him in any way. Envy originates from pride. A proud person always wants to rise above everyone else. It is very difficult for him to be around people who are equal to him, especially those who are better than him.

Gluttony - slavery to one's own stomach

Gluttony is a great sin that forces one to eat food for pleasure. Such passion can lead to the fact that a person ceases to be a rational being and turns into a kind of cattle. He will cease to have the gift of speech and understanding. A person is capable of harming not only his health, but also all his virtues if he gives full rein to his belly. And also the owner of this sin will kindle lust in himself, since excess food greatly contributes to this. It is necessary to be well armed against this passion, since lust leads to downfall.

Under no circumstances should you give the womb as much as it wants. Eating food is necessary only to maintain vitality. Oddly enough, gluttony is considered one of the seven deadly sins, since through it various passions arise. To remain human, you must contain your womb. It is worth taking special care to guard yourself so as not to accidentally be overcome by gluttony. First of all, you need to think about how gluttony depresses the human body.

Gluttony and drunkenness bring a lot of hardship to the stomach. What could be so special about gluttony? The pleasant taste of treats lasts only when they are in the mouth. After swallowing occurs, not only the taste remains, but even the memories of tasting them do not remain.

Anger as a property of the human soul

Sin which removes the soul most from God, is anger. An angry person will spend his life:

• Worried.
• Confused.
• Losing peace and health.
• The soul begins to grieve.
• The mind is gradually weakening.
• The flesh begins to wither and the face turns pale.

Anger is the most dangerous advisor. He often forces people to resort to revenge. Since all actions done under his influence cannot be called prudent. There is no greater evil than anything a person does in the power of anger. Strong anger especially darkens clarity of thought and purity of soul. Such a person is unable to think sensibly, he begins to lie and dodge. Most often, he is likened to those people who have lost the ability to reason. Anger, like an all-consuming fire, scorches the soul and harms the body. It covers the entire human being, burning it. Moreover, even the very appearance of the person is quite unpleasant.

Dejection and endless worry

Under the seventh number is a grave sin, despondency is an endless worry that can crush the strength of the soul. It brings the soul to exhaustion. It gives rise to inconstancy of body and mind, drowsiness, laziness, idleness, wandering, talkativeness and curiosity. Dejection is the helper of all evil. You shouldn’t make room in your heart for this bad feeling.

Only demons can bring despondency to the soul. They suggest that patience wears out in the long wait for God's mercy. However, love, abstinence and patience can resist demons. Only despondency for a Christian is a striking passion. Of all the seven passions, despondency cannot be abolished by any of the Christian virtues.

Some preachers and believers believe that there are 10 sins in Orthodoxy. In the East, the eightfold scheme of serious sins is studied. The Bible does not list sins as an exact list, but tries to warn against committing them in the Ten Commandments. To figure out how many deadly sins there really are, there is a whole list in the form of a table that clearly describes the meaning of each sin and its explanation.

The most serious possible sin is called a mortal sin. It can only be redeemed by repentance. Committing such a sin prevents the soul from going to heaven. Basically in Orthodoxy there are seven deadly sins. And they are called mortals because their constant repetition leads to going to hell. Such actions are based on biblical texts. Their appearance in the texts of theologians dates back to a later time.

In order to prepare for confession, it is necessary to repent and gain faith. Reading prayers of repentance and fasting are best suited for this. A repentant person needs to confess his sins, thereby showing recognition of his sinfulness. It is necessary to highlight those passions that are especially characteristic of him. It is best to name specific sins that burden the soul. Today you can find a huge number of descriptions of all vices and it will be quite difficult to describe the entire list. The first who began to describe sins were:

• Gregory the Great listed the hierarchy of sins in a work entitled “Commentary on the Book of Job or Moral Interpretations.”
• The poet Dante Alighieri in his poem “The Divine Comedy” described seven circles of purgatory.
• Saint John Climacus told us how to deal with the eight main passions.

To sin or not to sin is everyone’s personal choice. But, knowing the list of sins, you can still abstain from some of them, thereby ensuring your place in heaven.

The Bible is a truly wise book that can give advice in any life situation. Heroes and villains, vices and virtues - all this is mentioned on its pages. It is worth noting that the Bible does not just give instructions on what to do and what not to do - it always tries to explain everything and convey the meaning to people in the most visual way. In addition to the Bible, it is customary to include the works of famous figures in this field as sacred Christian texts, since it is believed that they wrote on behalf of the Lord.

Painted in great detail. They differ from each other in many ways: degree of severity, possibility of redemption, and so on. Speaking about what kinds of sins there are, special attention should be paid to seven. Many have heard about them, however, not all of them know exactly what sins are included in this list and how they differ from all the others.

What are the seven deadly sins

It is not by chance that they are called mortals, since in Christianity there is an opinion that it is these sins that can lead the soul to death. It is worth immediately noting that, contrary to popular belief, the seven deadly sins are not described in the Bible, and their concept appeared much later than it is believed that they were based on the works of a monk named Eugarius of Pontus, who compiled a list of eight human vices. Towards the end of the sixth century, Gregory I the Great shortened this list, and only seven deadly sins remained.

You should not think that the sins that will be described below are the most terrible in Christianity. The fact is, they are not those that cannot be redeemed, but simply can lead to the fact that a person himself becomes much worse. You can live your life without breaking any of the Ten Commandments, but you cannot live your life in such a way as to avoid the seven deadly sins (or at least some). The Seven Deadly Sins are what nature has given us. Perhaps, under certain circumstances, this helped a person survive, but it is still believed that these “sins” cannot lead to anything good.

Seven deadly sins

1. Greed. People very often try to get them without even thinking about why they need them at all. All life turns into a constant accumulation of property, jewelry, money. Greedy people always want to get more than they have. They don’t know the measures, and they don’t want to know.
2. Laziness. A person who gets tired of constant failures may simply stop striving for anything. Over time, he begins to be satisfied with a life in which nothing happens, there is no hassle and fuss. Laziness attacks quickly and mercilessly; by succumbing to it just once, you can lose yourself and your personality forever.
3. Pride. Many people do something not because it is really necessary, but only because it will help them rise above others. General admiration kindles a fire in them that burns all the best feelings that are stored in the soul. Over time, such a person begins to think only about himself.
4. Lust. The reproductive instinct is inherent in each of us, but there are people who cannot get enough of sex. Sex for them is a way of life, and only lust is on their minds. Everyone is dependent on it to one degree or another, but abuse of it has never brought anyone any good.
5. Envy. It very often becomes the cause of quarrels or even crimes. Not everyone is able to normally accept the fact that their friends and loved ones live better than themselves. History knows many cases when envy even forced people to commit murders.
6. Gluttony. Is it pleasant to look at a person who knows nothing better than to eat deliciously? Food is needed in order to live and do something good and meaningful in this life. However, gluttons believe that life is needed so that they can eat.
7. Anger. You need to be able to restrain your emotions. Of course, it’s easy to cut from the shoulder, but the consequences can be irreversible.

At one stage or another in life, almost all people commit at least some of these sins. And it is very important to stop in time, take a critical look at your life, so as not to waste it and try to become cleaner and better.