Introducing The Seven Heavenly Virtues (Cardinal Virtues) as the Antithesis of The Seven Deadly Sins
The seven virtues include humility, sincerity, chastity, gratitude, temperance, patience, and diligence. And these are said by the Catholic Church to counter the seven deadly sins, however, it is important to note that no amount of knowledge or information, or good works can rid you of sin and lead your soul to glory.
Correcting The Error Of Thinking That Man Can Counter Sin On his Own.
No amount of knowledge or information or good works can cause you to become righteous. You are only righteous through the work that Jesus did.
He is our righteousness, and through Him, through faith in Him, we become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
So all of this talk about this and virtues would be remiss if it was lacking the truth; the eternal truth, that Jesus is the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Him (John14). The life that we are to live is His life. We're supposed to live through the Son of God who died and rose again from the dead (2 Corinthians 5:15).
He died for us (paid the penalty of sin) so that we may live through Him (the gift of righteousness)!
So all of our work, all of our use of Scripture are as filthy rags if we do not depend on the work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of our souls, for the scriptures indeed declare that it is by grace through faith, we are saved (Ephesians 2:8-9), and we know that this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith (1 John5:4). So I hope that you have gathered some information on what is believed to be the seven deadly sins, but know that there is forgiveness in the name of Jesus and there's no other name by which men can be saved.
Acts 4:8-12
8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Salvation is not by virtues to outdo the Seven Deadly Sins, Salvation is By Grace Through Faith in The Lord Jesus Christ
But by that name of Jesus, if you are in need of a Savior, if you know you are in a sinful state, and you're looking for help and forgiveness and remission of sins and forgiveness of sins, then the only Way, and the only solution to this sin problem is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. You have to yield to His grace that saves you and then He gives you the grace to then work out these thingthat include these virtues of humility and thankfulness and so forth, but it's not man trying to do something, but Christ doing it through us.
And I'm not talking about the kind of grace that the world loves to promulgate. I'm talking about biblical grace.
Check out Titus 2:11-15
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
You see, The Lord Jesus gave Himself that He might redeem us, and purify us. We don't do that. HE does it as we humble ourselves before Him, realizing that what sinful man couldn't do, God did by sending His Son.
Romans 8:3-4
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
So it's because you're born again that you can live right. This is the result of Christ's work in you.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
How do you receive this saving grace so that He can do the work of redemption and purification in you?
By humbling yourself - for those who are poor in spirit, cower, and yield to Him, receive the Kingdom.
Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Isaiah 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
Matthew 25:34 Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Salvation is not as the Catholics have it. It is not man's work or righteousness that brings about salvation, it's faith in Christ and the work that God did in Him for us that brings us to the place of salvation. For without the Lord Jesus Christ there would be no salvation for humankind. Every other road leads to eternal damnation, even the one dressed up by virtues.
True virtues come after salvation, not before.
Romans 8:3-4
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
John 17:3
3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
You're saved by grace through faith, for having faith is the work of God by the power of the Holy Spirit.
John 6:29: Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
