This is a dangerous book. One that, if read slowly and prayerfully, may cause painful conviction, frequent repentance, and lead to a more joyful grasp of the power of the gospel. It’s that last point that Bridges hammers home so effectively in this book. The gospel is not just for unbelievers! A study of “respectable sins” points out how every Christian must daily apply the gospel to our lives.
“Respectable sins” is such a great phrase because it exposes a widespread but flawed view of sin held even by many evangelicals. The church hasn’t abandoned the concept of sin, but as Bridges points out, it has “been deflected to those outside our circles who commit flagrant sins such as abortion, homosexuality, and murder, or the notorious white-collar crimes of high-level corporate executives.” Notorious sins like these can keep the concept of sin at arms length, while reinforcing a misguided sense of our own self-righteousness.
The real potency of this observation lies in what the author calls the true malignancy of sin. He writes, “Sin is a spiritual and moral malignancy. Left unchecked, it can spread throughout our entire inner being and contaminate every area of our lives.” Even these (especially these!) “respectable sins” are powerful forces that often work covertly to shipwreck our faith.
As you work through this book, you will encounter sins that are rarely identified as such. Each chapter hits close to home: Anxiety, Frustration, Discontentment (gulp), Anger, Irritability, Impatience (gulp!), and the list goes on. Each of these sins are not just respectable, they are ones we easily justify. Many of us feel entitled to frustration, a “victim” of anxiety, and righteous in our anger. Yet, as Bridges works through scripture, we see how harmful these sins can be.
Thankfully, this book does not leave us without hope. From beginning to end we are reminded that the power that saved us is the power that enables us to wrestle with these sins. The gospel not only cleanses us from the guilt of sin, it is also effective at destroying its power.
This fall our adult Sunday studies will guide our reflections on this book. Take this book home; read it; wrestle with it; pray through it; and, come to Sunday studies ready to engage each topic. This is not just a pursuit for “serious” Christians; this is a call to each of us to root out those things that keep us from the love of Christ.
As you read, remember to blog your thoughts. Post a quote; raise a question; challenge an assumption. As the book points out one of the directions for dealing with sin is to do so in community. Let’s take this challenge as a church and deal with our respectable sins.
-Kevin Nelson
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