Bridges' book comes as a timely rebuke to a Church that has become obsessed with the sins of those outside its walls. The author does an excellent job of deal with many of the sins that we love to tolerate: ungodliness, anxiety/frustration, discontentment, unthankfulness, pride, selfishness, lack of self-control, impatience/irritability, anger, envy/jealousy, sins of the tongue and worldliness.

I have to admit that I found myself convicted by each of the chapters. I am grateful that someone has finally had the courage to address the sins that we so easily and so happily cover up. I particularly appreciated the author's chapter on ungodliness. Here is a sin that is barely ever even named, but the author names and it deals with it in a careful and Biblical fashion. Sections on discontentment, selfishness and impatience/irritability were also especially useful.

Not only does the author deal with the problem, he also offers remedies. Time and again it is an awareness and acknowledgement of the sovereignty of God (in all things) that is the antidote to these problem areas.

While I would heartily recommend this book to all believers (and I hope and pray it gets into the hands of millions), I was disappointed with the author's treatment of the sin of judgmentalism. In fact, I find the author contradicts himself. He says, for example, "the doctrine of Christ's substitutionary atonement for our sins and the complementary doctrine of justification by faith in Christ alone are, to me crucial doctrines." Later he admits, "We should express our disagreements, but we should do so in a way that does not degenerate into character assassination." Yet, at the beginning of the chapter it is not "character asassination" that is at issue (according to the author). Rather, he says "The person who says, for example, 'Jesus wouldn't drive an SUV,' is judgemental." Here "because the person has made a dogmatic and judgmental statement based purely on personal opinion" he/she is being judgmental. And yet, is this not what pastors/preachers/prophets are called to do? Are we not called to apply Scripture to real life issues? Perhaps the SUV is the wrong example to use. Would I be judgmental if I were to say (as I wouldn't hesitate to say) that Jesus (if he lived in America in 2009) would never wear a $10,000 watch; or if I were to say that Jesus (if he lived in America in 2009) would never drive an $80,000 car? If this is judgmentalism what a can pastor do but teach doctrine? How do we apply truth to real life scenarios if "judgmental" statements "based purely on personal opinion" are reflective of a judgmental spirit? Indeed, the author might (on this basis) be accused of a judgmental spirit for applying the truths named in each of these chapters to real life examples. Yet, is this not what we are called to do? The statement 'Jesus wouldn't drive an SUV' may actually be incorrect. But that statement (correct or incorrect) is not a fair example of judgmentalism. Character assassination is judgmentalism. Judging motives and heart intentions is another example of judgmentalism. But making a statement of opinion based on what we know of Jesus is different - that is preaching.

In our day, especially, we need to be careful how we define judgmentalism. There are so many who will not hear prophetic messages because they want their ears to be "tickled". If they can accuse their pastors of judgmentalism and thereby avoid the sting of conviction they will. This is not an insignificant issue; nor is Bridges' example of the SUV, especially in a culture that loves its toys (and sometimes in the name of the gospel). Indeed, I wish there were more who would make such a bold statements as "Jesus wouldn't..."

Still, I hope many will read this book and be challenged to grow in godliness as the confront these 'respectable sins'. I certainly have benefited from it. ( )

With chapters on small sins such as Ungodliness; Anxiety and Frustration; Discontentment; Unthankfulness; Pride; Selfishness; Lack of Self-control; Impatience and Irritablity; Anger; Judgmentalism; Envy, Jealousy and Related Sins; Sins of the Tongue; and Worldliness--there is much here to make us come to grips with the log in our own eyes before dealing with the speck in our neighbors' eyes. Thankfully the last chapter is entitled Where Do We Go from Here?

http://jvpearce.blogspot.com/2008/06/...

Being that it's Friday, and I haven't posted in a couple weeks on Respectable Sins, I figured I would update y'all. Ken and I have had a busy couple weeks - Ken especially with traveling to the Big D for the PCA General Assembly. Today he posted on the final chapter in the book, called 'Where Do We Go From Here?' You can find it over yonder at the New Covenant PCA blog. You can read the post by clicking here. If you didn't get a chance to read the book or follow along with us, I still highly recommend reading it. You can buy it for a good price at Westminster Bookstore here.

The last chapter was a good wrap-up of the book, though I agree with Ken in saying that the issues brought up in the book (namely rooting out our subtle or respectable sins and realizing just how big a deal sin is in our lives) should not be forgotten with the closing of the book. For me, the book was very good at showing me how 'good' of a sinner I am, and how much I am in need of a Saviour. ( )

Isn't it strange how we fall into these little traps of sin? In the Fundamentalist Churches I grew up in, they claimed drinking and dancing were sins. When came to a different opinion, I thought very well of myself. And in so doing, committed the very same sin that they had committed -- pride.

I started this book in a small group atmosphere, and we, before starting it, thought he was going to talk about the Church's hatred of homosexuals or abortion doctors as our collective "acceptable sins." The Church tends to do that after all, to hate sinners as though we are any better because our sins are more traditional in nature. But then this group of mine started going down that pride path as well, that path that is unforgiving toward others. We were doing the same thing. We got tired of people condemning sinners rather than condemning sins, and so we started condemning those who condemn.

Thankfully, the book went in another direction. It hits home, and it hits close to the heart. It talks about pride and unforgiveness with conviction.

A lot of people in my group rejected it out of pride. Because of this book, I have tried to react to that reaction in faith and hope rather than pride upon pride. It takes a willing heart to hear this message, and so do not come to this book hoping that it will expose all the sins others commit. The book is written to expose that very attitude. ( )