Overcoming Sin through Christ

A Comprehensive List of Sins

(Alphabetically Arranged)

Richard Hollerman

The plan of this study is simple.  We will look at a large number of sins, one by one, alphabetically.  We will define the sin, describe it, and comment on it, along with noticing Scripture references on the particular entry.  Some illustrations will be offered along with the description.

Petulance and Sourness

We all know how a person with these characteristics behaves and what responses he makes.  You may say, “Hello,” but he responds with a negative comment.  You greet a person with a cheerful, “Good morning!” and he replies, “What’s so good about it!”  You try to engage someone in a positive conversation and attempt to direct the attention to some good activity or event, and the person reacts with a negative note of pessimism.

The word petulant means “unreasonably irritable or ill-tempered; peevish. . . . Contemptuous in speech or behavior.”[1][1]  It denotes, “Showing sudden irritation, esp. over some trifling annoyance; peevish.”[2][2]  The petulant person is sour in his attitudes.  This means “cross; peevish,”[3][3] or “bad-tempered and morose; peevish: a sour temper.”[4][4]

Notice some of the synonyms for sour: nasty, disagreeable, unpleasant, peevish, surly, bad-tempered, cragged, crabby, jaundiced, uncivil, ill-tempered, tart, testy, irritable, grouchy.[5][5] Can you imagine Jesus, our loving Savior, being described like this?  When He worked as a carpenter in Nazareth during His life, can you conceive of anyone seeing these traits in His peerless character?  Can you imagine Paul, Barnabas, or John manifesting these traits after they received the Spirit?

A person with traits like this is difficult to be around.  He is disagreeable and unlikable.  He or she sours the whole atmosphere with a negative and gloomy attitude.  It is hard for him to influence others because of his sour disposition and negative attitudes.  Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).  But the petulant person can’t or won’t fulfill such a command.  Scripture says, “We know that God causes all things to work together for good” (Romans 8:28), but the person with a sour disposition gives the impression that “all things work together for bad.”

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28), but the petulant man or woman will refuse to receive this refreshing spiritual rest, choosing rather to manifest a grouchy and irritable attitude toward others.  Scripture says, “Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7), but the sour personality insists on looking at the gloomy side of things and refuses to be comforted and encouraged by the Lord. Let’s never display a sinful sour disposition and attitude that shames our Lord Jesus Christ.  Let’s be filled with the fruit of the Spirit, including love, joy, peace, and patience (Galatians 5:22-23).

[1][1] The American Heritage College Dictionary.

[2][2] Random House Webster’s College Dictionary.

[3][3] Ibid.

[4][4] The American Heritage College Dictionary.

[5][5] Family Word Finder.