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.

Partiality or Favoritism

The word partial means “biased or prejudiced in favor of one person, group, side, etc., over another.”[1]  It denotes, “favoring one person or side over another or others; biased or prejudiced.”[2]  Does God favor one person or group over another?  Should we?

The good news is that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  God loves the world—and this includes all who are in the world.  We may not fully understand how God can be filled with wrath for the ungodly and unrighteous (Romans 1:18; 2:5), but we fully believe that God loves people and wants them to come to repentance to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9).

God created everyone (cf. Acts 17:24-28) and doesn’t close the door to anyone who is willing to repent and come to Him through Christ Jesus.  This is why Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15).  He told His followers to “make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19; 24:14; cf. Luke 24:47).  Although God did work in a special way with Israel before Christ’s death and resurrection (Matthew 10:5-6), He now wants the good news of Christ to be taken to every person in every nation around the world.

This was demonstrated when He sent the message of salvation to Cornelius, a Gentile from Caesarea (Acts 10).  Peter had formerly kept himself away from non-Jews but God opened his eyes to the universality of the great commission and the need of all people for the gospel.  He told Cornelius, “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him” (vv. 34-35).  If God doesn’t show “partiality,” neither should we.

In the assembly or community of the Lord, there is no place for partiality either.  James says, “My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism” (2:1).  In this case, James says that we should not give preferential treatment to the rich person who wears “fine clothes” and then reject the poor who is clothed in “dirty clothes” (v. 2). He says that it is wrong to make “distinctions” among ourselves (v. 4).  He says that if we fulfill the “royal law” of love—your shall love your neighbor as yourself—we will treat all in a loving way.

“But if you show partiality, you are committing sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors” (v. 9).  He concludes his argument, “Judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment” (v. 13).  If we are merciful, we will lovingly seek the highest good of all people.

Although the world shows favoritism to certain classes of people, the early believers were to be a community of love and acceptance.  Paul writes, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Within the body of Christ, there is no distinction between “Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3:11).

If Christ is in “all” people who are part of the body, we need to be accepting of others.  Paul mentions this common experience of salvation and common unity in Christ: “By one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13). In the family of God, there should be no partiality and preferential treatment.

In our day, we need to realize that God is “color-blind.”  He accepts those who are white, brown, and black.  He accepts both male and female. He accepts Russians, Japanese, Canadians, Brazilians, South Africans, Australians, Indians, Iranians, Italians, British, and Columbians!  He accepts the rich and the poor, the educated and the uneducated.  He accepts singles and married.  He accepts those who speak different languages.  Without distinction, He accepts all people as proper objects for the preaching of the gospel of Christ.  He “desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).

Beyond this, within the body of Christ, some of these differences will be altered.  For instance, God accepts both male and female without distinction, but He insists that there are inherent differences between the genders (1 Corinthians 11:3), and He says that each of the genders has a different role in marriage and in society (cf. Ephesians 5:22-33).  He accepts all languages, but He insists that the only language to be spoken in a public gathering of Christians is to be that which is spoken by the locals or the dominate language (1 Corinthians 14:7-11).  He accepts the rich and the poor, but He works to minimize the differences in wealth distribution (cf. 2 Corinthians 8:12-15).  He accepts all nationalities and people groups, but we know that certain people are more open to the gospel than others (Romans 15:20-21).

[This is not to suggest that we don’t see a distinction between the children of God (believers) and the children of the devil (sinners) (1 John 3:10). Scripture says that we must see a radical difference and make a clear distinction between our brothers and sisters in God’s family and unbelievers who don’t know God.  Therefore, God says, “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?  Or what harmony has Christ with Belial [Satan], or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?  Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols?” (2 Corinthians 6:14-16a).

While we love all people without distinction, we should have a special and unique love for and relationship with one another in the body of Christ (John 13:34-35).  We are to “do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Galatians 6:10; cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:15).]

The point we wish to emphasize here is that since God doesn’t show partiality, we believers should refrain from partiality ourselves.  While we may feel more comfortable with our native language and in our homeland, we should not be limited in our perspective, our interest, and our prayers.

[1] Random House Webster’s College Dictionary.

[2] The American Heritage College Dictionary.