Respectable Sins Chapter 1
Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 10:22 AM by David Zavadil
I had planned to start the discussion of this book on Monday. I apologize to any who came expecting to find the study. I had to go out of town and then was not able to get back into the swing of things to get this written before now. Since the chapters are very short, I will be posting on two at a time. Chapter 2 and 3 will be posted on Monday June 30.
After a brief introduction, Jerry Bridges begins his book with a look at "Ordinary Saints." He paints for us a picture of the church at Corinth, pointing out the reference to those "called to be saints." We are then treated to a brief discussion about the usage of the word "saint." Here are a few high points from this chapter.
- The word saint is seldom used outside of the Catholic or Orthodox traditions.
- The Greek word hagios refers to someone's state of being and not necessarily to their character.
- Hagios, saint is used synonymously with sanctified. "A saint is simply someone who is sanctified." A saint is someone who has been set apart.
- We are not saints by our actions but by the "immediate supernatural action of the Holy Spirit"
- Our status as saints does not mean we are sin free. We still wrestle with sin on a daily basis.
- Our struggle with living as a saint is that we do not consider ourselves to be saints.
Bridges began this book well. By reminding us that we, like the church in Corinth, are called to be saints, he prepares us to deal with those issues that keep us from fulfilling that calling. What keeps me from living a "saintly" life are those little "respectable sins."
Here are a few questions to begin the discussion. Which character do you see most in your life, the saint or the sinner? Why do you think we struggle with seeing ourselves as saints? What keeps you day to day from walking as a saint?
Posted in Books (RSS), Commentary (RSS)
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