Respectable Sins – Confronting the Sins We Tolerate

Respectable Sins Confronting the Sins We Tolerate

As Christians, we believe that all sins are considered equal in God's eyes. Yet while evangelicals continue to decry the Big Ones–such as abortion, adultery, and violence–we often overlook

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars More Than Respectable
There are few books that I would classify as a "must read" for all Christians, this is one of them. We are used to dealing with the prevalent and clearly evident sins in our lives but often fail to notice the "little" sins that plague us every day. As Bridges points out in his title, these are the sins that soon become "respectable" or acceptable. Bridges does a masterful job of drilling down into these specific sins that many (if not most) believers have bypassed in their pursuit of holiness.

Every chapter brings more and more conviction as the layers of your sin are exposed. More than that, Bridges offers salve for the wounds that he inflicts through the Word of God. He offers hope and motivation through the practical application of the gospel.

Bridges has hit on an important and often overlooked area of the Christian life. By this book, it will have a tremendous impact on your life.

5 Stars Insightful and Challenging
Jerry Bridges has written a book that is timely for our day and age. Sadly, many in the church have categorized our sins in the church as acceptable. In fact the sins that Bridges brings up in this book are rarely even addressed in the church as things that need to be changed. Dealing with such sins as anxiety and frustration, discontentment, unthankfulness, pride, impatience and iritability, Bridges causes the reader to look to the Word for our definition of what the Lord calls sin. It is important for the church to call things, what the Bible calls them. In a victim society we have often redefined sin to make it sound like we are victims who are helpless to change. This book is a challenge to the reader and calls the reader toward the holiness that God desires in our lives and in our churches. Bridges does a great job of continually pointing the reader to the Lord and His sovereignty in our lives. When we keep our eyes on Him a lot of the sins that we are tempted with lose their enticement in light of who God is. A great book that should be read by every believer!

5 Stars Best book I read in 2009
All of the comments here are very good and I don't want to repeat them. I would just recommend that if you read the book, do it prayerfully and ask God to truly reveal not only your sinful actions but your sinful heart. The point of the book is that some sins are easy to tolerate and so these won't necessarily smack you upside your head in an obvious way.

For example, in the chapter on selfishness Jerry recommends that since selfishness is hard to see in yourself but easy to see in others it would be a good exercise to ask those people who know you well the ways you are selfish. I did this one night with my kids – first by explaining how terrible of a sin selfishness is (really the opposite of love) and how they could help me grow in holiness by being honest with me. They did and they brought up things I would not have really considered but they were right.

The thing that amazes me most about this book is how many people say they have read it and still do many of the things Jerry talks about. Or they say they "couldn't get into it". It's actually pretty mind boggling and my only explanation is that they love their respectable sins so much they can't begin to think of them correctly. Please don't be like that and you will find yourself more amazed at God's grace as He unfolds for you how truly sinful you really are.

5 Stars 2nd T
I wrote a long review for this book but it was somehow lost into cyberland. I strongly recommend the book because it is a great "kick in the teeth" for any Christian. But, since patience is an area I'm still growing in, I'm not going to try and re-write my review. Just buy the book. I also recommend reading it with you wife. It is a great purifying exercise for a marriage!

5 Stars Read it, Weep, and Grow!
A challenge to anyone's spiritual growth and maturity, Bridges delineates the sins we have come to commonly practice and, worse, accept. Respectable Sins is a powerful tool to remind the "average" Christian that s/he may not be living according to God's standard–and what other standard really matters? The reminder is firm and gentle with the purpose of encouraging every believer to see what s/he has long missed–we do more wrong than we realize. While no chapter misses its mark, the chapters on Ungodliness and Unthankfulness were particularly hard-hitting and insightful. I found only one point of disagreement (which I will keep to myself so as to create no bias). I have long appreciated Bridge's books, but have never been so corrected, challenged, encouraged, and blessed as in reading through Respectable Sins with several men who were similarly effected. Thank you, Jerry Bridges.

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2. Respectable Sins Confronting the Sins We Tolerate
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4. The Bondage Breaker – Overcoming Negative Thoughts, Irrational Feelings, Habitual Sins
5. Biblical Healing and Deliverance – A Guide to Experiencing Freedom from Sins of the Past – Destructive Beliefs, Emotional and Spiritual Pain, Curses and Oppression
6. The Seven Sins of Memory – How the Mind Forgets and Remembers
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