Yes, I know an odd title, but hey I didn't come up with it! So where did it come from? I got it from Jerry Bridges' book called "Respectable Sins: Confronting The Sins We Tolerate". It's a book that I enjoyed and yet I dreaded! One that I learned a lot from and enjoyed doing in Sunday School.
So what is there that is respectable about sins, as they are all disobedient to God? We all know there are the sins that are never pardonable by anyone even non-believers. But there are some sins that if we were pressed to look at we may not think of as sins, or ignore because we know they are sinful but do not want to change our lifestyle or point out to others that they just might be sinning, these are the sins that Bridges points out & talks about as being "respectable sins".
Jerry Bridges does a wonderful job of speaking of our sins that we as Christians see everyday & turn our backs on, more often then not without even thinking or noticing that we are doing it. He confronts these sins with stories (most of them his own) and Bible references, while pointing out where we have gone or are going wrong without condoning the acts or condemning the people who commit them.
As ashamed as I am to admit it, I have to.....When it comes to this book I am guilty of falling short & sinning in the ways that Bridges talks about in his book more then once. And an the other ways when I don't have a difficulty in following the 'rules' and abiding by them I am guilty of looking down at those who do not obey those rules, commandments, and instructions given to us. (Which is also covered in the book).
I have to say I learned a lot and yet it didn't seem all that new to me. I've heard about a lot of these issues being sins my entire life. But I had never really thought about them or some aspects of them and that is where it was new to me and where I learned.
I always knew pride was sinful, I get told that all the time as I have a MAJOR pride issue, but I had never really thought about my attitude of "look what I can do" without acknowledging God as the reason that I am good at it, as being prideful. I may not say it to often or show to much pride in what I am good at (which I believe to be a falsehood, as I am very prideful) but if I don't acknowledge God as the reason that I am the way I am then I am being prideful and thus sinning, even though I may not be meaning or intending to.
Jerry Bridges covers many sins that we look at and say "Well, duh of course those are sins! Everyone knows that, so why does he have it in here?". Until you get to the chapter and find he is not referring to the normal ways people sin with anxiety, frustration, envy, jealousy, & judgmentalism. He talks about the subtle ways in which people sin in these ways & and in which others turn their heads to it, thus sinning as well.
While in the first few chapters he expounds on the general idea of sin and how believers can deal with it...From the obvious of prayer, accountability, and scripture to the not so thought of why do these things help us to combat sin.
I highly recommend using this book as a group or personal bible study (I've done both, and my book proves it). And I am grateful to the people who have taken their time to write the book, teach it, listen to me talk about it, or discuss it with me. :-D It's a book I have read more then once & I've only owned it a year now.
So what is there that is respectable about sins, as they are all disobedient to God? We all know there are the sins that are never pardonable by anyone even non-believers. But there are some sins that if we were pressed to look at we may not think of as sins, or ignore because we know they are sinful but do not want to change our lifestyle or point out to others that they just might be sinning, these are the sins that Bridges points out & talks about as being "respectable sins".
Jerry Bridges does a wonderful job of speaking of our sins that we as Christians see everyday & turn our backs on, more often then not without even thinking or noticing that we are doing it. He confronts these sins with stories (most of them his own) and Bible references, while pointing out where we have gone or are going wrong without condoning the acts or condemning the people who commit them.
As ashamed as I am to admit it, I have to.....When it comes to this book I am guilty of falling short & sinning in the ways that Bridges talks about in his book more then once. And an the other ways when I don't have a difficulty in following the 'rules' and abiding by them I am guilty of looking down at those who do not obey those rules, commandments, and instructions given to us. (Which is also covered in the book).
I have to say I learned a lot and yet it didn't seem all that new to me. I've heard about a lot of these issues being sins my entire life. But I had never really thought about them or some aspects of them and that is where it was new to me and where I learned.
I always knew pride was sinful, I get told that all the time as I have a MAJOR pride issue, but I had never really thought about my attitude of "look what I can do" without acknowledging God as the reason that I am good at it, as being prideful. I may not say it to often or show to much pride in what I am good at (which I believe to be a falsehood, as I am very prideful) but if I don't acknowledge God as the reason that I am the way I am then I am being prideful and thus sinning, even though I may not be meaning or intending to.
Jerry Bridges covers many sins that we look at and say "Well, duh of course those are sins! Everyone knows that, so why does he have it in here?". Until you get to the chapter and find he is not referring to the normal ways people sin with anxiety, frustration, envy, jealousy, & judgmentalism. He talks about the subtle ways in which people sin in these ways & and in which others turn their heads to it, thus sinning as well.
While in the first few chapters he expounds on the general idea of sin and how believers can deal with it...From the obvious of prayer, accountability, and scripture to the not so thought of why do these things help us to combat sin.
I highly recommend using this book as a group or personal bible study (I've done both, and my book proves it). And I am grateful to the people who have taken their time to write the book, teach it, listen to me talk about it, or discuss it with me. :-D It's a book I have read more then once & I've only owned it a year now.
