In Christendom, one of the primary targets is to make heaven after life here on earth. It is because of the joy and better life satisfaction promised by Jesus Christ to those who will make heaven. To be granted access to heaven, there are things you must not do to maintain your holiness, and sin is among them.
In the Bible’s Original translation, “sin” means to “miss the mark” or to miss a target. When we sin, we miss the target of God’s standards in our life. With sin, no man shall see God.
Sin is any act, feeling, or thought that goes against God’s standards. According to 1 John 3:4: it was made known to us that anyone that sinned has transgressed against the law. Sin is also breaking God’s law by doing what is unrighteous in the eyes of God.
Generally, sin goes contrary to the preset rules and regulations guiding a particular group of people. God has given us his laws through the scripture, and he expects us to live righteously with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Are some sins more significant than others?
The above question has been a bone in some believers’ throats. We will try as much as possible to answer the question appropriately. There are some sins the Bible warns us against because of their consequences and heavy repercussions, not just for heaven’s sake.
For instance, the Bible made us understand that the people of ancient Sodom were extremely “wicked, severe sinners.” The Bible said that the Sins were weighty. (Genesis 13:13; 18:20). Let’s consider some factors that can determine the gravity of sins.
Factors that Determine the Gravity of Sins
- Severity: The Bible advises us to flee from sins that fall under this category, such as sexual immorality, idolatry, drunkenness, stealing, extortion, murder, and spiritism. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Revelation 21:8). The Bible also differentiated those severe sins with sins such as thoughtless, intentional sins, for instance, speaking words or doing something that will hurt others. (Proverbs 12:18, Ephesians 4:31,32). However, we should not start practising any sin, thinking it’s severe or minimal. The Bible urges us to live right.
- Motive: As human beings, we are bound to make mistakes. Sometimes we sin ignorantly (Acts 17:30; 1 Timothy 1:13). While ignorance is not an excuse for sin, the Bible differentiated/distinguished them from the one committed knowingly (Numbers 15:30, 31). This is because a sin committed willfully comes from a heart that doesn’t fear God. (Jeremiah 16:12).
- Frequency: The Bible also makes us understand the difference between a single sin and a sin done over an extended period. (1 John 3:4-8) . Those who sin consistently, even after learning how to live right, will receive God’s adverse judgment (Hebrews 10:26, 27).
List of Sins That Will Keep You Out of Heaven
According to the Bible, the worst thing that can happen to anyone is to miss heaven. And the only thing that will make an individual miss heaven is a sin, and we should try our best to avoid it. We may not exhaust the list of those sins, but we will list out the majority of them.
Stealing
Stealing is taking what does not belong to you forcefully or when no one is watching. Stealing is one of the significant challenges facing our society today. God frowned at it, and any Christian involved in stealing will not make heaven. In the book of Ephesians 4:28: the Bible encourages those who steal to stop stealing and embrace honest and hard work with their own hands so that they can be able to get something for themselves and other people.
Sexual immorality
Sexual immorality is one sin that God frowns upon. He hates it so much that he constantly warns us against such sin. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of sexual immorality. So if we want to make heaven, we should try as much as possible to avoid sexual immorality. Sexual immorality includes
- Gay
- Lesbianism
- Adultery
- Function
- Pornography
- Elicit dressing.
- Rape
The scriptural verse about sexual immoralities.
1 Corinthians 6:18: The Bible encouraged us to flee from sexual immorality, as it is a sin we commit against our bodies. Taking note that our body is the house of God, and no one should destroy God’s house.
Lying
Lying is a severe offense in the eyes of God. Lying means not being truthful. You can tell the truth when you are asked about something. Remember what happened to Ananias and his wife, they lied against the holy ghost in the presence of St. Peter, and they died Instantly. This shows how bad lies can be. In the scripture, the Bible referred to Satan as the father of all lies. So if we want to make heaven, we should flee from lying.
Here is what the scripture says about lying.
In Leviticus 19:11: The Bible encourages us not to either steal or lie or falsely deceive one another as it is wrong in the eyes of God.
Idolatry
Idolatry is one of the issues facing humanity today. Many people have idolised several things and made them take the place of God in their life. God frowns at such, and his riot befallen the Israelites countless times because of the same act. If we want to make heaven, we must give God his place. Don’t let any caved image take his glory. Sometimes we put money in place of God in our life, it is not good, and we should avoid such.
What the scripture says about idolatry.
1 Corinthians 10:7: Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”
Drunkenness
Some believers have argued that Alcohol drinking is not a sin, but drunkenness is. Let’s get something proper through drinking a small portion of alcohol; one will migrate to drinking too much. The best thing is to avoid Alcohol. However, Bible didn’t openly condemn the drinking of alcohol, but it did show us the harmful effects of drinking too much of it. Do you remember what happened between Herod and his daughter because of his excessive Alcohol intake? He made a promise he wouldn’t have, had he been sound-minded. The book of Ephesians 5:18 says; Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.
Greed
A greedy person is somebody that has an excessive, extreme, and aggressive desire for something, which is usually money, power, and Authority. The person is selfish, and cojealousHe only desires to take advantage of others for his benefit. This act doesn’t please God, and such a person won’t enter the kingdom of God. This is because, with such spirit, he can do everything to ensure that he achieves his aim, even at the expense of another people’s life. See what the scripture says about being greedy.
1 Timothy 6:9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
Conclusion
Sin is not the true nature of God, and as such, a believer should not be entrapped in it. We can’t live right through our struggles, but through the holy Spirit that empowers us with Divine power, we can live righteously.
