The Holiness Nightmare

• Sin is to feel a secret pride in success, training or appearance. It is to feel an important, independent spirit. It is to feel bitter over what someone has told you about the success of another.
• Sin is a hard, sarcastic, or unyielding spirit. It is a touchy, bitter, sensitive spirit, resigned to attract the attention of the opposite sex, to say and do things to attract attention to self. It is a constant complaining and a desire to quit trying to do right. It is abusive acts to self and others. It is a deceitful or an evasive spirit that seeks to create false impressions, depict flaws, and criticize when set aside unnoticed.
• Sin is lustful and wandering eyes, a shrinking from duty and reproach, a tendency to retaliate when crossed, and permitting things you do not permit in your idea of a consecrated Christian.
• Sin is a shallow stinginess, an uncleanness in thought or desire. It is a joke that reflects the vain or light manner of conversation or life of the jester. It is being unwilling to put out for others unless personal advantage is involved; it is partiality to certain persons or classes or denominations in your dealings.
• Sin is always thinking of what might have been if certain things hadn't happened. It is an unthankful, unappreciative attitude toward your lot in life. It is living in constant fear of failure; it is taking an unmerciful attitude toward those who do fail. It is taking an inferior attitude toward those of wealth or position.
• Sin is putting on a false or exaggerated humility or imagining how others are praising you or speaking well of you. It is straining at the truth, showing an apathetic attitude toward being caught in sin, or shirking responsibilities.
• Sin is the feeling of nervousness you get when you watch somebody do something you think you could do better.

The Bible Believer's Commentary Series,

The Book of Romans, page 563

Dr. Peter S. Ruckman