This is now the third book I've read by Jerry Bridges, and they have all been convicting and spur me on to spiritual growth. In Respectable Sins, he discusses a number of "respectable sins," those sins that are largely accepted by the Christian community such as lack of self-control, anxiety, vicarious immorality, and an independent spirit.Though this is a short book, it's not really a quick read. It is well laid out so that you can spend time praying and thinking through each chapter as each one deals with one particular sin. It's an easy read in the sense that anyone can read it and understand what he is saying, but it won't feel easy since what he has to say isn't fluffy. I found several of the sections convicting and will be probably continue to come back to this book as I struggle in those areas.
I thought about listing out what chapters he deals with, but I'd rather leave you with a couple of quotes:
"It's true, however, that oftentimes the situation at hand looms larger in our minds than the promises of God. We then find it difficult to believe the promises." - p.68
"Worldiness means accepting the values, mores, and practices of the nice, but unbelieving, society around us without discerning whether or not those values, mores, and practices are biblical." - p. 166
If you are a Christian interesting in growing spiritually, I would strongly recommend this book (and anything else written by Jerry Bridges)!
This is my second book review of 7 for my Spring Reading Challenge.
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What does he mean by anxiety being a "respectable sin"? Is he calling suffering from anxiety a sin? If so, then does he consider depression a sin?
ReplyDeleteI was curious about how having an independent spirit can be considered a sin.
ReplyDeleteJacki- anxiety can be considered a sin b/c it generally stems from excessive worry, which usually means we aren't trusting God to provide for us as he promised. But I think sometimes it's more neurological than that, and I don't think a legitimate disease can rightfully be considered a sin.
This sounds like a really good book.
Jacki, he's using anxiety in the biblical sense. He describes it as being the opposite of trust in God and "a lack of acceptance of God's providence in our lives." He's not really talking about a clinical use of the word, "anxiety."
ReplyDeleteMarie, he describes an independent spirit as one that is resistant to authority (particularly spiritual authority) and is unteachable.
Ronnica- OIC, that sounds like me. :P
ReplyDeleteAh I see....then he is talking about someone who doesn't "let go and let God."
ReplyDeleteAnd I am with Marie....I am a total "independant spirit." I was actually going to post about this one day, because I am really having a hard time with churches nowadays. I have a really hard time sitting under a preacher whose sermons are nothing but "give us millions of dollars so we can build our mega church" when there are people out there who need help buying groceries.
I always hate to admit that I am a sinner, yet at least my sins are "respectable"...ugh, perhaps knowing that these traits are sins will help me stop them!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much
Darby
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