A LIST OF EVILS FROM JESUS HIMSELF

Here is a  list of EVILS from Jesus, as found in Mark 7:20-23:

"What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person's heart, that evil thoughts come - sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person."

If you're like me, you read this list and shake your head over mention of the evils of sexual immorality, theft, murder and adultery.

 Shameful! Sinners! Tsk, tsk.

We feel pretty righteous because we know these words do not describe us.

But then Jesus gets into "greed", "malice", "deceit", "lewdness", "envy", "slander", "arrogance" and "folly". And, I don't know about you, but I hit those words later in Jesus's list and find myself dismissing them just as quickly as "theft" or "murder".

But should I?

Can I?

Here's a little expansion on each concept thanks to biblehub.com:  

Greed: covetousness, avarice, aggression, desire for advantage

Malice: badness, depravity, wickedness

Deceit: guile, treachery

Lewdness: licentiousness, debauchery

Envy: misuse of the eye

Slander: abusive or scurrilous language, blasphemy

Arrogance: pride, disdain, haughtiness

Folly: impiety, lack of sense

Could any of these words apply to you or me?

Before you answer, keep in mind two things:

1) Jesus says these things are in our hearts. Thus, they don't even need to be expressed out loud to be a problem for us!

2) It seems that even a little envy, a little greed, or a little arrogance is just as serious as a little murder or a little theft!

Jesus, make us holy!