"Respectable" Sins

Last week, I began reading a book that I have read before but felt the need to reread. This book is called Respectable Sins. The premise of the book is that all sin is a crime against God, but we have made certain sins “respectable.” These sins include: jealousy, pride, over eating, envy, etc. Of these four just mentioned, I am chiefly guilty, and I too have fallen prey to the belief that they are “ok.”

I live as though my sin only affects me, and I have missed the glaring truth that MY SIN is what crucified my Savior. Every time I tolerate these sins in myself, I “presume on God’s grace.” I nullify all that he has done and essentially spit in His face along with those that did that very thing while He was led to the cross. 

I do not understand the sufficiency of what Christ did for me on the cross. Romans 6:10 says, “For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives he live to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
I LONG for a proper understanding of Christ’s sufficiency! For as this understanding grows my tendency towards sin, even the “respectable” ones, will diminish because I am seeking eternal pleasure (Christ) over temporary pleasure.  My object of focus should not be my sin, but my Savior. He IS sufficient to save, and His death paid the price for my life.  “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 3:24-25)

I leave you with a quote from the author of Respectable Sins. May we not see our sins as an island that affects only ourselves. May we recognize that our sins spits in the face of a Savior that has set us free!
 

“. . . as God is holy, all holy, only holy, altogether holy, and always holy, so sin is sinful, all sinful, only sinful, altogether sinful, and always sinful . . .Whether it is large or small in our eyes, it is heinous in the sight of God. God forgives our sin because of the shed blood of Christ, but He does not tolerate it. Instead, every sin that we commit, even the subtle sin that we don’t even think about, was laid upon Christ as he bore the curse of God in our place. And herein lies chiefly the malignancy of sin. Christ suffered because of our sin.” ~ Jerry Bridges

 

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one – to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6

Jessica Oetting, Administrative Assistant