There are ten sins of which church members are frequently guilty. Each of them is plainly forbidden by the Word of God. Because of this, those who indulge in them merit God's strong displeasure. However, as each member honestly faces these issues, the church will receive the fruits of his favour. The ten sins are:
1. Hypocrisy:
How we live before the world is vital. Lack of care and thought about how we live before those outside the church is one of the most common sins of church members. Colossians 4:5 says: "Walk in wisdom towards them that are without". By a careless disregard for this rule, we harden the wicked in their sins, bring guilt upon ourselves, and reproach upon the name and ways of God.
2. Laziness:
Idleness or neglecting your duties in your work place is plainly contrary to 2 Thess 3:11,12. "There are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread." Idleness brings poverty (literally) on yourselves and scandal on the name of Christ.
3. Tale-bearing:
Tale-bearing and gossiping includes revealing things which should be kept confidential within a family or between persons. This causes much strife, cooling and quenching mutual love. It is expressly forbidden in Leviticus 19:16: "Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people". 1 Timothy 5:13 warns about those who are "not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not".
4. Receiving gossip:
Christians sometimes believe rumors or gossip and take rash action against others on this basis. We ought not to do this against even the lowliest member "lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults" (2 Cor 12:20b). We must especially guard against doing this against church officers. "Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses" (1 Tim 5:19). This sin strikes at the bond of peace in the family, the church and society.
5. Neglecting worship:
Do you neglect God's worship or the Lord's Supper for trivial reasons? That is, reasons other than works of necessity or mercy, contrary to Hebrews 10:25, "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is ... ". Minor matters should never hinder us from our chief duty - to worship God.
6. Lateness:
Arriving late for worship demonstrates a lack of zeal for God's house. It also shows that you are not expecting God's blessing in worship. "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD." (Psa 122:1)
7. Irreverence:
Irreverence and lack of seriousness at worship are common sins. "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him" (Psa 89:7). One evidence of this is an excessively casual attitude towards how we dress for worship. Another evidence of this sin is a lazy posture. The pew is not a resting place. Nor is it the place for idle chatter. Ecclesiastes 5:1 admonishes, "Keep thy foot [guard your steps] when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil."
8. Reproof:
Reproof is universally neglected. We have a duty to prove sin biblically. "Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him" (Lev 19:17). This is Christ's own rule; "Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone" (Matt 18:15a). We are also to receive reproof from our brothers when it is necessary. "Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil" (Psa 141:5a).
9. Disunity:
Unresolved strife and friction between members causes division. Differences are to be nipped in the bud prudently and promptly, not allowed to blossom into public scandals. The apostle's rule in 1 Corinthians 6:5-7 is, "I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?" Paul was always concerned about disunity (1 Cor 1:10, Phil 4:2).
10. Self-centeredness:
Beware of a self-centered attitude. Preoccupation with our own concerns is expressly condemned in Philippians 2:21. "For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's." How different was Paul's attitude to his brothers and sisters in Christ! "Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended, and I burn not?" (2Cor 11:29).
Blessings that flow from faithful self-examination:
Facing these sins and repenting of them will put a luster on your Christian witness before the world. It will make it look glorious to many who now despise you: "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things" (Titus 2:10b). Paul says this to encourage us to take care about how we live as Christians.
This will powerfully shut the mouths of all who mock or blaspheme the Christian faith. "For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men" (1 Pet 2:15).
This will greatly glorify God which is our chief reason for living. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matt 5:16).
This will bring God's blessing of much inward peace to his people, according to Galatians 6:16, "And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God."
