Justice
Read: Romans 12:14-21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (v. 21) There is a great debate in legal and philosophical circles about the nature of justice. The ancients defined justice as giving others their due. Modern theories of justice often talk about fairness and equality. Micah 6:8 says, “And what does […]
Fortitude
Read: Hebrews 10:19-39 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. (v. 36) Fortitude is a word rich in meaning. It is derived from the Latin word for strength, and it means the strength of mind that allows a person to withstand […]
Temperance
Read: 2 Peter 1:3-11 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with . . . love. (vv. 5-7) In America, we tend to associate temperance with history lessons on the era of Prohibition. But temperance really is just an older word for the […]
Prudence
Read: Proverbs 1:1-7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. (v. 7) The first four of the seven virtues (prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice) are called the cardinal virtues. The word cardinal comes from the Latin word for hinge; according to medieval thought, the cardinal virtues were pivotal […]
Pride
Read: Luke 18:9-14 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. (v. 14) According to St. Augustine, pride is the sin that led Satan to rebel against God. The medieval church believed that pride was the root of all sins and was therefore the most dangerous. In […]
Envy
Read: Psalm 73 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. (v. 25) Shakespeare famously described jealousy as “the green-eyed monster.” The sin of envy warps our ability to see clearly, blinding us to the blessings with which God has filled our lives. Envy is not […]
Wrath
Read: Ephesians 4:25-32 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger . . . be put away from you. (v. 31) We often think of wrath as a fiery emotion—being red in the face, shouting at the top of our lungs, threatening violence. But wrath can also be served ice-cold. Think of the stony heart of the servant in […]
Sloth
Read: Psalm 90 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. (v. 14) Sloth is a tricky word to define. Medieval monks called it acedia. To them, it was “the noonday demon” that often visited in the afternoon during their times of work and study. […]
Greed
Read: Matthew 6:19-24 You cannot serve God and money. (v. 24) I was sitting in church, and the head pastor announced that the church might have to cut $70,000 from the missions budget due to a drop in congregational giving. To prevent this, he exhorted us to give sacrificially. As I sat listening, I felt a […]