This week in our book study, we are looking at chapters 9 and 10. I don’t know about you, but God has provided me many opportunities to identify these sins. And if it weren’t for the gospel, I know I would be in despair and weighed down with guilt. As these sins have made themselves known this week, I’ve applied the truths of the gospel to them, prayed for God to work in me, and trusted in His redeeming work.

These are the questions we are looking at this morning:

1. How would you define discontentment? Provide a few examples.

2. What do you think of this statement on page 73, “It is our response to our circumstances rather than the degree of difficulty that determines whether or not we are discontent.”

3. How is discontentment sinful?

4. How does acceptance bring peace?

5. What is the difference between resignation and acceptance?

6. How is failing to give thanks a sin?

7. Is it possible to give thanks in the hard things of life? (Read 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Philippians 4:4, James 1:2-3, and Romans 5:3-5)

8. How can even the trials of life turn out for our good?

9. How can you apply the gospel to the sins of discontentment and unthankfulness?

For this week:

When you face a trial, pray the prayer on page 86

“Father, the circumstance I am in now is difficult and painful. I would not have chosen it, but You in Your love and wisdom chose it for me. You intend it for my good and so by faith I thank You for the good You are going to do in my life through it. Help me to genuinely believe this and be able to thank you from my heart.”

Consider keeping a gratitude list each day, counting bot the good and the trials of life as grace from God. Looking back over the list can fill your heart with gratitude for your Maker and Redeemer.

For those who are reading Respectable Sins with us, welcome back! After six chapters of preparation, we are now in the section of the book dealing with specific sins. So…what did you think?

These are the questions the ladies in my study are talking about today:

1. How would you define ungodliness in your own words? Give an example. (Read Titus 2:11-12 and Romans 1:18)

2. Read Colossians 1:9-10. How does Paul’s prayer here differ from our typical prayers?

3. Read 1 Corinthians 10:31. What does it mean to do all to the glory of God?

4. What would a godly person’s desires look like? (Psalm 63:1, Psalm 27:4, Psalm 42:1-2)

5. How does ungodliness breed or affect other sins?

6. How does Paul compare godliness with athletics?

7. What would you do differently in your normal activities during the day if you were seeking to do all to the glory of God?

8. Read Matthew 6:25-34. When we are anxious, what are we saying about God? How is anxiety a sin?

9. How does accepting and submitting to God’s will curb anxiety?

10. How prominent is worry in our culture? Among women? What situations make you worried or anxious?

11. How does believing in God’s attributes and character help us with worry/anxiety?

12. How does Bridges use Psalm 139:16 to confront his own frustration? How does prayer play a part in battling frustration?

To share in community:

Did the Spirit prompt you regarding any of these sins? Which ones? Have you been able to apply specific Bible verses to those sins and which ones?

Welcome back! For those who are still hanging in there, we are doing chapters 5 and 6 this week of Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate. These are the last two chapters before getting into the nitty-gritty mess of our ‘respectable’ sins. In these chapters, Bridges reminds us that we are not alone in our battle against sin. We’ve been given the Holy Spirit to help us put our sins to death. He also gives us practical ideas on what steps to take as we battle each of our respectable sins.

Questions for you to journal in response to these chapters:

Chapter 5

1. Bridges reminds us that the only reason we can even fight against sin is because we have been forgiven. God forgives us not because He is being lenient, but because His justice has been satisfied. How does this truth that God has forgiven our sin free us to face sin?

2. We are cleansed from both our sin’s power and as well as our guilt from sin. On page 39, Bridges explains that we’ve been delivered from the dominance of sin and have been freed from the remaining presence of sin. Were you aware of this two-part cleansing before reading this chapter? What is your response to this truth? Read Romans 6 for a more detailed look.

3. Though sin is dethroned as the reigning power over our lives, it still seeks to exert a controlling influence in our daily walk. (Don’t I know it!) What does it mean to walk by the Spirit? (read Galatians 5:6)

4. How the Spirit works:

• He brings conviction of sin through our reading of Scripture and through our conscience. Have you ever had this happen where you are reading God’s word and feel a sense of conviction about what you have just read?
• He enables and empowers us to deal with sin-How can we be sure that the Holy Spirit will help us deal with sin and direct our spiritual transformation? (read Romans 8:31, Philippians 1:6, 2:12-13)
• He brings circumstances into our lives that give us opportunity to battle with sin-If I am facing my sin of irritability and frustration, He may give me opportunity to battle that, maybe even through my children’s behavior. How have you seen that in your own life?
• He works in us monergistically-that is, on His own (see the end of p. 43)

5. Sometimes, It seems as though the Spirit is not at work. Have you ever felt that way, like you are in this battle on your own? Be confident that even if you don’t feel Him at work, He always is (2 Cor. 3:18)

6. How important is understanding God’s sovereignty to this battle against sin? (see p. 44)

Chapter 6

Directions for dealing with sins: Bridges gives us a list in this chapter to use as we go through the rest of the book. It may help to write down this list on a 3×5 card and keep it in the book to look at as a reminder.

1. Always address sin in the context of the gospel (read Romans 7:21-25)

2. Learn to rely on the enabling power of the Holy Spirit (read Romans 8:13)

3. We need to recognize our responsibility to pursue all the practical steps for dealing with our sins. “Work as if it all depends on you and yet trust as if you did not work at all.” (read Philippians 4:8-9, Colossians 3:5)

4. Identify specific areas of acceptable sins.

5. Apply specific applicable Scriptures to each sin (Psalm 119:11, 14-15)

6. Cultivate the practice of prayer over the sins we tolerate (Philippians 4:4-7) Pray during planned, consistent times as well as pray short spontaneous prayers asking for the Spirit’s help.

7. Involve one or more other believers in the struggle against sin (read 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Hebrews 10:24)

And for discussion with community: What spoke to you most out of these chapters? Has the Spirit already began the work in helping you identify areas of sin? Do you have anyone in your life with whom you can walk this journey together?

So friends, how are you doing with this book? This week we are looking at chapters 3 and 4. This is the quote that has been on my mind all week, “Shall we presume on God’s grace by tolerating in ourselves the very sin that nailed Christ to the cross?” (p.29)

Questions for you to journal in response to these chapters:

1. Bridges compares sin to that of cancer. How does cancer behave similarly to sin? How have you seen sin “metastasize” from yourself to the hearts of others?

2. Can you add any more adjectives to describe sin to those listed on page 26?

3. “When we see how really bad the bad news is, we’ll be in a better position to appreciate how really good the good news is.” Bridges spends part of this chapter focusing on the holiness of God. This is to help us see why sin is such a serious thing. He says, “our sin is an assault on the majesty and sovereign rule of God.” He also uses the term ’cosmic treason.’ What is your response to this?

4. Read these passages on God’s holiness: Isaiah 6, Revelation 4 and Isaiah 40

5. In chapter four, Bridges focuses on the hope we have in the gospel. He says that our only hope and remedy is that we are great sinners with a great Savior. How is the gospel the remedy for our current sins?

a). it plows the ground of our hearts to see our sin b). it frees us to do so and c). it motivates and energizes us to deal with our sin

6. He says “duty without desire soon becomes drudgery.” So where does our desire to deal with sin come from (p.36)?

7. Bridges urges us to “preach the gospel to yourself every day.” How does this help us confront our respectable sins?

8. To aid in preaching the gospel to yourself this week, consider this quote from Bridges, imagining God is saying this to your heart: “We are going to work on that sin, but meanwhile I want you to know that I no longer count it against you.”

Read these verses as you remind yourself of the gospel: Psalm 103:12, Psalm 130:3-4, Isaiah 43:25, Isaiah 53:6, Micah 7:19, Romans 4:7-8, Romans 8:1, Colossians 2:13-14, Hebrews 8:12, Hebrews 10:17-18

For us to discuss in community: what stood out to you the most in these chapters? how has God been convicting your heart? Have you been preaching the gospel to yourself?

Have you ever had something on your face all day and then finally looked in the mirror? You wonder, how long did I walk around looking like this? This book does the same thing to my heart. It shows me things I didn’t realize was there. It’s hard to see your sin face to face, to acknowledge things you’d rather not know, and to realize how much influence it has on you. These first two chapters of “Respectable Sins” begins that process of looking in the mirror. Below are the discussion questions I am discussing with my Bible study group this morning. Look through the questions, and as you are able, reflect and respond by journaling your answers.

Week 1 (Chapters 1 & 2)

1. How would you define the word, “saint”?

2. What does it mean to you to know that because of Christ, you are in fact, a saint?

Read: Romans 1:7, 16:15, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 2 Corinthians 1:1, Colossians 1:2

3. How is sin treated in the church today? Outside the church?

4. What do you think of Bridge’s assessment that Christians are more concerned about the sins of society than we are the sins of saints? How has this changed the church?

5. Make a list of what you personally view as respectable Sins :

6. Make a list of what you personally view as especially egregious sins:

7. Do you think God views some sins as worse than others? Why or why not?

8. Respond to this quote from p. 22 “The paradox is that those whose lives most reflect the fruit of the Spirit are usually those who are most keenly aware of and groan inwardly over these so-called acceptable sins in their own lives.”

9. What does James 1:14-14 and 2:10-11 say about the root of our sinful acts?

10. What did Jesus say about breaking God’s law in Matthew 5:22, 27-28?

11. What is the consequence of sin—any sin? (Galatians 3:10)

12. Why should we take sin seriously?

13. Where is our hope? (Galatians 3:13)

Thoughts to consider for this next week:

Pray and ask God to help you recognize any “acceptable” sins and to draw them to your attention. What respectable sins are you tolerating in your own life? How do they affect your life and relationship with God? With others?

And for us to discuss in community: What stood out to you the most from these chapters? In what ways is the Spirit convicting you?

For my friends who are joining me in reading Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate by Jerry Bridges, I wanted to give you an update. Starting next week, September 11th, I will begin posting about the book. Each Tuesday, I will reflect on the chapters we read and provide you with additional Scriptures to read and questions to reflect on. Additionally, I will post questions on my Facebook page to encourage dialogue. I hope that you will share with us what you are learning, how God is convicting you, and how you have seen the gospel at work in your life.

This book will take us deep into areas of our heart we don’t usually touch. Like the appliances in our kitchen that we rarely move and clean behind, there are areas in our hearts that we don’t usually expose to the cleansing power of God’s Word. But we are in this together, so let’s dive in. Be prepared to be pierced by the Word. Expect conviction. But know that the Spirit does not point out sin where He is not also ready to help you clean it up. This book will not only challenge you to identify sins you’ve not realized were in your heart, but it will also help you apply the cleansing power of the gospel to those sins.

For next Tuesday, read the first two chapters of the book. We will be covering two chapters a week.

Any questions? Contact me and I will try to answer them.

For those who have been visiting here for a while, you know that I teach the women’s Bible study at my church. Over the last couple of years we have grown more in love with our Savior, gained a greater understanding of His love and grace, and learned to preach the gospel to ourselves each day. In September, I begin a new study with the ladies at my church. I wanted to extend an invitation to my readers to join us. Would you like to?

We will be reading and discussing Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate by Jerry Bridges. I’d love for you to join me here each Tuesday as I share what we are learning in each chapter. I will also pose discussion questions here and on my Facebook page.

I would love to share with you the joy that comes from living a grace saturated life. Jerry Bridges is one of my very favorite authors. He is engaging, practical, insightful, and most importantly, gospel centered in his writing. Let me know in the comments if you plan on reading along with us.

Additionally, one reader who leaves a comment to this post will be randomly selected to win a free copy of the book,Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate. Random.org will select the winner on August 21st at 8pm, EST. Update: Random.org selected Kimberley as the winner of this giveaway. Congratulations, Kimberley! I will be contacting you via email.

I look forward to giving you more details about this book study in the upcoming weeks.