Respectable Sins

Respectable Sins - Confronting the Sins We Tolerate by Jerry Bridges

I have only read the first three chapters but feel compelled to comment here. The chapters I have read are titled 1. Ordinary Saints 2. The Disappearance of Sin and 3. The Malignancy of Sin. These have brought out points like "if you are part of the church then act like it" and "God notices ALL sin not just the big ones". What got to me were words used to describe sin written in the Puritanical period by Ralph Venning. He described sin as vile, ugly, odious, malignant, pestilent, pernicious, hideous, spiteful,poisonous, virulent, villainous, abominable and deadly.

I didn't find the words surprising but my reaction did surprise me. I knew that sin was ugly and unbecoming. I knew that sin was deadly. But as I kept on reading, I stopped in my tracks when I realized that sin is CONTAGIOUS! Virulent and pestilent smack to me of disease. Horrible, deadly, highly contagious disease.

Do we see white lies this way? God does. We must see sin for what it is: a disease. A disease that is highly contagious. Ro:14:20: For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.Ro:14:21: It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. What we do affects others. We are being watched and imitated. Are they imitating what you want to be or who you really are?

It has really made me think about my behavior. My temper, impatience, anxiety, frustration . . . It puts a whole new meaning to "Wow! Your daughter is JUST like you!" Scary, isn't it?

I haven't read the next chapter completely, 4. The Remedy for Sin, but I know that the only remedy for sin is Jesus Christ. He is the ONLY antidote for the poison.

We should be showing the world the remedy for ALL sin not being a mirror for ALL sin.