Florida is not the innocent sunshine state with decent tax laws and a good place to retire. According to a new study by Wallethub, we are the second most sinful state behind Nevada. To rank the states, they compared data from 43 metrics that ranked each state in seven areas: anger and hatred, jealousy, excesses and vices, greed, lust, vanity, and laziness. Sounds like a lonely mathematician’s Friday night. Not only did they find the most and least sinful states (well done, Vermont), this study also highlighted problem areas that certain states have. It is no surprise that Nevada has the highest rate of gambling addicts, which proves that legalization doesn’t eliminate the problem. However, you wouldn’t think that Missouri would have the highest rate of drug usage. While this may have been just a ploy to get people clicking, it raises an interesting thought. What are people thinking about sin?
Wallethub used the infamous seven deadly sins list that was compiled by Pope Gregory I around 600 A.D. The Bible mentions several lists of sins, even things God hates. “There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers” (Prov. 6:16-19; cf. Gal. 5:19-21). While it is clear that the Bible condemns these things, do we, as a society, think that they are something we should be condemning? The answer is rather obvious. By our actions it is clear that mankind is not against sin. We are more on the “heart that devises wicked plans” level. Nor is it a good social practice to draw attention to anything you think is a sin. We are not just alright with sin. We are against anyone labeling anything a sin.
As children of God, we are called to help people see sin for what it is. Not a cute thing to joke about but a great danger. “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light” (Eph. 5:11-13). It is obvious that we need to be careful with the tactics we use when doing this, but we do not need to get comfortable with sin. A danger we have is living in a world of sin and getting “used to it.” Sin still needs to bother us. We should still be repulsed by it, enough to help people make changes in their lives. People and family around us are “being deceived with empty words” (Eph. 5:6). We, children of light, need to walk in wisdom and help people come out of their sinful state and into the marvelous light of the gospel (Eph 5:8; 1 Pet. 2:9).