Some years ago I heard Richard Owen Roberts speak in Cardiff, Wales.
In his talk he spoke of 'Root' sins and 'Fruit' sins, suggesting that behind every sin there is a root cause.
He took us to Jude 5-7, and suggested that the root cause of the Israelites' refusal to enter the Promised land was unbelief (Hebrews 3:19). Then he suggested that the root cause of the fall of the angels was rebellion, and the root sin of the Sodomites was pride (Ezekiel 16:49-50).
So there you have three 'root' sins: unbelief, rebellion and pride. Certainly I think that many sexual sins are occasioned by pride. A man thinks along these lines: "I know God has rules for ordinary folk, but a man like me, handsome, virile, intelligent- well God Himself would not expect me to remain faithful to the miserable little woman I'm married to." But what do you wise brothers think? Are there more than three? Or is there just one- unbelief? Is rebellion a 'fruit' of pride? Is this a helpful distinction to make?
In his talk he spoke of 'Root' sins and 'Fruit' sins, suggesting that behind every sin there is a root cause.
He took us to Jude 5-7, and suggested that the root cause of the Israelites' refusal to enter the Promised land was unbelief (Hebrews 3:19). Then he suggested that the root cause of the fall of the angels was rebellion, and the root sin of the Sodomites was pride (Ezekiel 16:49-50).
So there you have three 'root' sins: unbelief, rebellion and pride. Certainly I think that many sexual sins are occasioned by pride. A man thinks along these lines: "I know God has rules for ordinary folk, but a man like me, handsome, virile, intelligent- well God Himself would not expect me to remain faithful to the miserable little woman I'm married to." But what do you wise brothers think? Are there more than three? Or is there just one- unbelief? Is rebellion a 'fruit' of pride? Is this a helpful distinction to make?
