The Answer
Repenting and turning to God for help are first steps toward the freedom from sin that we so desperately desire. But as we have said, that requires facing up to the fact that sin is at the heart of our problem. We have to come to grips with sin.
Christians in earlier centuries identified what they called the “seven deadly sins,” namely anger, sloth, gluttony, envy, greed, lust, and pride.³ In Soul Prescription, we have done something similar in defining what we call “parent sins.” These are sins that seem to be widespread in the human population in every generation. If you will check out the list, chances are that you will find some of your own thoughts, attitudes, or behaviors reflected there.
Actually, each of these ten parent sins is at the head of a family of sins. For example, along with the parent sin of pride, we find the related sins of conceit, boasting, and vanity. The sin families will help you zero in on your sin problems.
For now, just begin thinking about how the different parent sins correlate with your own sin problem. Those are the areas where you will need to seek God’s help to free you from the chains that bind you. And as you think about your sin, do not be discouraged! We are just beginning this journey of soul healing together. There is hope for you.
Our next step, though, is to redirect our attention temporarily away from sin and onto its opposite: holiness.
³The list went through some modification over time, but it ended up with these seven elements. The list was not meant to identify the worst sins but rather the basic sins from which others arise—similar to our concept of sin families.
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