A Yearly Read

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Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges

This is one of those books for which I can't use the word "love" to describe the way I feel about it.  Instead I use the word "need."  I need to be reminded to judge my thoughts, words, and deeds by God's standards rather than my own or the world's.  I need to be reminded that God takes all sin seriously.  I need to be reminded that I need Him all the time in all areas of my life.

This book is equal parts encouraging and discouraging at this stage of my life.  Encouraging because I can see how much progress has been made, but discouraging because I can see how much I still need to grow.  Encouraging because conviction of sin is a proof of spiritual life, but discouraging that I need to be convicted of a specific sin yet again.

I appreciate Mr. Bridges writing.  He puts the cookies on the bottom shelf without talking down to you.  He is very clear, very strong, but at the same time very gentle.  He acknowledges that he is in the same boat with us.  I like that he uses examples from his own life of his need to grow.

This is a book I need to read yearly, but I confess it ends up being an every other year read.  I need to keep in the forefront of my thinking that I am a sinner saved by grace who still has much growing to do, and I'll continue to have this need until Heaven.  

Until next time...

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