Jerry BridgesA large part of our problem as evangelical believers is that we have defined sin in its more obvious forms — forms of which we are not guilty. We think of sin in terms of sexual immorality, drunkenness, lying, cheating, stealing, and murder. And in more recent years we’ve tended to focus on the societal sins of abortion and homosexuality. We see the ever-increasing pervasiveness of these more flagrant sins, and we see ourselves looking good by comparison.
Certainly these more gross sins of society are deep cause for concern, and I am grateful for the prophetic voices God has raised up to expose these moral cancers in our society. But we must not become so preoccupied with the sins of modern-day culture that we ignore the needs in our own lives. (The Discipline of Grace: God’s Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness)
Filed under: Christianity, Evangelism, Evil, Forgiveness, Gospel, Holiness, Repentance, Samuel at Gilgal, sin | Tagged: Jerry Bridges |
Reblogged this on My Delight and My Counsellors.
LikeLike
“forms of which we’re not guilty” – very true. Recognizing what sin is, is vital to receiving the full measure of Christ. “all have sinned/sin and fall short of the glory of God” – “there is no place for boasting” – we’re in constant need of God and his mercy – “judge not and you will not be judged”. Thanks for sharing this, it has been a good pin point reminder of our human tendencies to fluff things up. Thanks, qsp
LikeLike
We tend to measure our sinfulness against the sin of others rather than according to God’s righteous standard.
LikeLike
The carnal mind trying to weave its way out of things again, thank you Lord for your example of holiness and forgiveness…
LikeLike
[…] found this quote at https://samuelatgilgal.wordpress.com/2013/12/10/defining-sin/ and it struck me as clear that we tend to minimize the image of sin in our lives so that we come […]
LikeLike