Amber Thiessen's Reviews > Respectable Sins

{Full review posted here: https://www.amberthiessen.com/post/re...}

“Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Ps 139:23-24)

What a powerful prayer!

One that unravels the pride and self-righteousness bound tightly around our hearts, seeking instead to open up those dark, secret places of our hearts, willing light to shine and the Spirit sweep the cobwebs.

It’s like the surgeon, performing a laparoscopic procedure. He usually has a good idea of what he’s going to find, but sometimes, once he’s got the camera in real close, he can see evidence of other problems or a reason for the symptoms. When we understand the problem, we can move to treatment.

For those of us in the church today, we’re prone to the speck-log dichotomy, where the “big” sins of others seem obvious but the “little” sins of our own are quietly tucked away in a corner growing cobwebs, often unseen until closely inspected.

But, do I want to be examined?

When the wave of shame easily washes over us, crushing us under the weight of all our imperfections, this prayer seems fearsome. The threat to our identity hangs in the balance if we gaze too deeply at our own sins.

However, I remember this plea, “lead me in the way everlasting.”

Here’s where I want to be. Led closer to Christ. Invited nearer to the gospel of grace.

In Respectable Sins, Jerry Bridges takes us into the realm of sins we ignore, justify or accept, so that we may grow in grace and more into likeness of Christ.

I echo these words by J.I. Packer: “Read this book—we need to—and be ready for a gentle surgeon’s sharp knife.”

Purpose:
This resource is written to help Christians open their eyes to the sins we’ve come to deem as acceptable, then lead us to confession, repentance and dependent upon God’s grace.

Summary:
Though you see plenty of chapters, it’s not a thick book. However, don’t expect to breeze through the pages. If you approach this prayerfully, you’ll find it also painful—the healthy discomfort of the Spirit bringing your sin to light.

The first six chapters provide a biblical framework of sin and repentance. The rest of the book focuses on specific sins the church doesn’t address as robustly as “big” sins. The point is to look at all our sin as a problem we need to confront and address in our Christian life.

The end of the book provides a study guide for personal reflection or group discussions. I liked that it includes a section for action points and progress reports for accountability.

My Recommendation:
This author doesn’t mince words. He’s fairly direct and to the point. I say this to prepare you for the journey you’ll undertake. You’ll notice he uses many personal examples to remind the reader sin is stuck in all of us; I found a good balance between honesty and humility.

I’d posit the chapter on anxiety would benefit from added nuance; his approach I found a little narrow here.

I’d also say this is a 5 star read, one that would be helpful for all believers.

If you’ve been working through a period of self-righteousness, find yourself aggressively condemning the sin of others without the lens of humble awareness of your own sin, I’d invite you to check this out.

If you’ve been in the church a long time and feel like you’re doing pretty good, this resource would help you find areas of growth.

If, however, you’re struggling right now with acute OCD and anxiety, this book may not be the best approach until you’ve got some tools to mitigate the overload of information.

Quick Stats:
# of Pages: 192
Level of Difficulty: Easy
My Rating: 5 stars

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