Respectable Sins

This week on Sharin’ Hearts: The Fireside Bookshelf, Ginger Green takes a look at Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges.

In Respectable Sins, Jerry Bridges challenges Christians to confront the “subtle” sins that are often tolerated or ignored in the church, such as pride, anger, anxiety, judgmentalism, and selfishness. Bridges argues that while believers often condemn the major sins of secular society, they frequently overlook their own “respectable” transgressions, which he defines as “cosmic treason” against God’s holiness.

He identifies ungodliness—living with little thought of God or His will—as the root of these behaviors and emphasizes that every sin, no matter how small it may seem, is an assault on God’s sovereign rule. Rather than offering a mere self-help guide, Bridges points readers toward the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit as the only true remedies, encouraging believers to “preach the gospel to themselves” daily to experience the transforming grace necessary for genuine holiness.