Respectable Sins
by
Jerry Bridges
“The whole idea of sin has virtually disappeared from our culture,” writes author Jerry Bridges. “Unfortunately, the idea of sin is all but disappearing from many churches as well.” Messages from the pulpit are watered down, and Christians deflect the offense of sin to those outside the church. We may be preoccupied with causes against major offenses, but this distracts us from our own sins, which we like to consider acceptable or, as the author calls them, “respectable sins.”
What are respectable sins?
- Ungodliness, unthankfulness
- Anxiety, frustration, discontentment
- Pride, selfishness
- Impatience, irritability, anger
- Judgmentalism, sins of the tongue (gossip, etc.)
- Lack of self-control, envy, jealousy
Any of those sound familiar? Respectable sins are the ones we tend to gloss over and justify. If we recognize them at all, we think they are minor or less important than the more blatant sins listed in the Ten Commandments. But God hasn’t given us the authority to establish value for different sins. Those sins that we tolerate in our lives are serious in God’s eyes. Some sins may be more serious because they have greater consequences (to us or to others), but all sins have the ultimate consequence of separating us from God.
Think of sin like a cancer. Some cancers go undetected until they reach the terminal stage. It’s the same with sin. If it goes undetected in our lives, we may not realize it until it’s too late.
Sin is a spiritual and moral malignancy. Left unchecked, it can spread throughout our entire inner being and contaminate every area of our lives. #RespectableSin #TheHeartoftheAuthor #podcast Click To Tweet
What is the remedy?
- Recognize and acknowledge sin (even the “little” ones)
- Confess and repent
- Rest in God’s grace
- Practice thankfulness
- Focus on God’s goodness
- Be aware of His presence
God is omnipresent: He is everywhere. He sees all, knows all, hears all. Knowing God’s omnipresence can change everything. If you imagine that God is always there with you and sees and hears everything, does that change the way that you embrace your sin?
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