Respectable Sins Hardcover – September 4, 2007

Very good book and a great eye opener to things I have no idea were sinful.

Just about a year ago, my bi-weekly Bible study started going through Jerry Bridges' book Respectable Sins. I was expecting a convicting book, and boy was I right.The premise of the book is that Christians too often focus solely on the big sins in each other's lives and the culture around us that we don't focus on the sin in our own life. So the book doesn't discuss things like adultery or murder. Instead, it devotes chapters to sins we try to ignore in ourselves like anger, discontentment, unthankfulness, pride, selfishness, judgementalism, and envy.The first few chapters are an overview of sin and the modern church culture. Jerry Bridges takes aim at how the church has stopped paying attention to these sins and reminds us that all sins are vile in God's eyes. He also reminds us of the importance of repentance and God's grace through sanctification to help us overcome these sins.Chapter seven of the twenty-one chapter book begins looking at the individuals sins. Many chapters are devoted to just one while some take on related sins. For example, he looks at gossip and slander in the "Sins of the Tongue" chapter.Since the chapters are about eight to ten pages each, Dr. Bridges never goes too deep. But he does use illustrations, usually from his own life, to show how easy and prevalent this sin can be. He'll then show from scripture how bad it is and offers us some reminders as we live our lives.Despite the fact that the chapters are short, they really pack a wallop. Most week's we've been going through the book one chapter at a time. While I probably would have read this 180 page book in a few days if it were up to me, this slower pace was good because it allowed me time to really think about what we were reading. Talking about it with others allowed the conviction to truly grow.And don't think you'll get out of conviction here. Every single chapter hit me in some way. Yes, some were more relevant to my life than others, but in all areas I had to do some soul searching and repentance.I can imagine how difficult this book would have been to write. None of the chapters gets too deep, and many of the subjects could use their own book. But I feel that Dr. Bridges does a good job of getting his point across in the limited number of pages he has. And if you want to know more about something, you can always research it on your own.Dr. Bridges even acknowledges that some of the topics addressed, like anxiety, might require greater help than he can provide through one chapter in one book. He assumes that most of his readers are facing normal levels of these sins, but when counseling might be needed, he does mention that in the chapter.If you pick up Respectable Sins and take it seriously, you won't put it down again the same. Not only does this need to be read by Christians, but it should be reread on a regular basis.

Bridges discusses sins such as jealousy, anger, pride, selfishness, and impatience—sins that are often minimized or justified by believers. He argues that all sins, no matter how small or socially acceptable, are offensive to God. The book emphasizes the importance of recognizing these sins, confessing them, and relying on God's grace to overcome them.The author encourages Christians to maintain a high standard of holiness, not just in avoiding major sins but also in addressing these "respectable" ones. Throughout the book, Bridges provides practical advice and biblical guidance to help readers confront and deal with these overlooked sins in their daily lives.

Convicting.

"Respectable Sins" was an eye-opening and thought provoking read on the sins that we tend to overlook and justify. I went through this book with a Bible Study group at work, which really enriched the subject matter. It was beneficial to hear from other people and the areas that they either struggle with or identify with compared to my own.In summary, the book covers sins ranging from the deeply rooted ungodliness, pride, and un-thankfulness, to the ones we probably see more often, such as anger, sins of the tongue, and worldliness. This book is a pretty quick read and serves as a great tool for Christians to use in navigating their own life to seek out and do away with sins that we consider as "subtle", or in this case "respectable".Pros: quick read and great way to learn how to pray for guidance in allowing the Holy Spirit to expose sin in your own life, while also talking with those close to you to provide feedback on any "blind spots".Cons: some of the examples offered by the author, while appreciated, are not always relatable.Bottom line: a great book to read in a small group setting, or even on your own, for seeking out areas of your life that you may not be living in-line with scripture.

Excellent book! A must read and apply!

I am so sick of the self-righteous clan of so-called Christians who honestly believe they deserve to go to heaven. Sure they may not cheat on their wives or drink or do drugs....but they forget the words of the Bible...all sin ,any sin is an offense to God. This book opens the eyes of every true child of God and lets him see how blessed and privileged we are that God has given us grace. From the moment I get up to the moment I get out of bed I have already proved unworthy. This book shows the truth, that whether we have the blessed Holy Spirit living in us or not...we are all part of the flesh of common to man and as such we will all sin until we die. Humility is God's favorite characteristic of His children, in fact without humility you can't become a child of God. People who believe that they are part of the family of God must also understand that following Jesus means to witness to those who don't know how blessed life is with Jesus. It is nothing we do, did, or ever could do. It was all done for us on Calvary .We are far from perfect and as much as we have progressed in life as a Christian is no more than as much as we have allowed the Holy Spirit to take control. Most of the sins in this book are not well known...but separate us from a Holy God just as much as murder. Bravo! Mr. Bridges!! I loved this book so much I bought one and gave it away then bought this one and read it again.

Ouch! I had not considered these "faults" as sins but God says otherwise. No, we will never be perfect in this life but we can make a real difference if we consider these overlooked traits as sins in God's eyes. A wonderful book.....much to highlight and apply.