Jerry Bridges recommendations for dealing with sin

I just started reading Jerry Bridges' Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate.  In chapter six, he addresses "directions for dealing with sins."  Here are his suggestions:

1. We should always address our sins in the context of the gospel.
2. We must always learn to rely on the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.
3. While depending on the Holy Spirit, we must at the same time recognize our responsibility to diligently pursue all practical steps for dealing with our sins.
4. We must identify specific areas of acceptable sins.
5. We should bring to bear specific applicable scriptures to each of our subtle sins. 
6. We should cultivate the practice of prayer over the sins we tolerate. 
7. We should involve one or more other believers with us in our struggle against our subtle sins. 

Comprehensive Training

Elite athletes dedicate their lives to their sport.  Consider the marathoner.  He does not wake up some Saturday morning and decide he will run 26.2 miles.  He spends months, even years, training for the event.  Yes, his training involves running lots and lots of miles.  The elite runner, however, is not satisfied with just running.  He knows that to truly excel at his sport, he must attend to many other things as well.  He studies the form of great runners. He receives coaching from someone who can not only encourage him, but offer critical feedback to make him a better runner.  He studies nutrition so that he knows how to eat and refuel properly. He understands how his sleep patterns affect him. Perhaps he chooses to run with others to push him on to higher levels of greatness.  He awakens early, goes to bed early and may forgo some of the indulgences of his friends.  Why does he do this?  Because he loves to run and he wants to be the best runner he can be.

First Corinthians 9:24-27 reads, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."



The athlete exercises self-control in all things.  In other words, the athlete's life is geared around his success as an athlete.  How often do you exercise self-control in all things?  Perhaps you are pretty good at having a quiet time so you check it off of your list for the day.  Maybe scripture memorization is your thing.  But how often do you think about pursuing discipline in everything that you do?  Eating, sleeping, media consumption? Do you pursue godly relationships where you may be challenged and encouraged? Do you sit under the preaching of a faithful Bible teacher and try to reflect on the teaching during the week? Do you ever stop to consider that how you discipline yourself in these areas may improve your Christian discipleship?

I want to be clear.  Practicing discipline in these areas is not a call to "do more/try harder" for your salvation. You cannot earn your salvation.  It is a free gift.  But do you want to grow in discipleship?  Do you want to grow in Christlikeness?  The way to grow in Christlikeness is continue to continue to practice self-discipline in all areas so that while the Spirit is working in you, you are working out.  This practice, as it does for the disciplined athlete, will ultimately result in blessing (Paul says so in verse 23). 

His commands are not burdensome.  When we discipline ourselves, our growth in godliness and fruitfulness will prove to be a light burden indeed.

(These thoughts of mine are influenced by a book I just began reading, The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives )

Define Irony?

As my friend Zach says, "The ironic contrast couldn't be more stunning."  

Pilgrim's Progress: The High Hill

Christian, heeding the advice of Worldly Wiseman, begins to climb the high hill. It reads, "when he was got now hard by the hill, it seemed so high, and also that side of it that was next to the wayside did hang so much over, that Christian was afraid to venture further, lest the hill should fall on his head; wherefore there he stood still, and knew not what to do. Also now his burden seemed heavier to him" (p. 29). 

Building on yesterday, Christian discovers the burden of legalism.  No matter how hard you work, the burden feels heavier and heavier.  Christian recognizes that he cannot climb higher, he cannot improve his behavior any more and yet he does not know how to turn back from his action.  He is deathly afraid of falling off the wayside.  In other words, he fears that his behaviors will falter and he will face eternal torment.

Legalism never saves.  It increases our burden.  Pray that God would reveal your legalism and turn back to grace. 

Pilgrim's Progress: Worldly Wiseman 2

If you would recall, Worldly Wiseman had encouraged Christian to ease himself of his burden.  To help him in this task, he sent him on his way to the town of Morality to see a man, Mr. Legality.  Wiseman tells him that Legality is a very judicious man who has a very good name and who has done much good. The town, he says, is filled with honest neighbors. 

I think a lot of Christians view this as the ideal Christian community, full of hard working, honest people.  People who work really hard for God. Many of us view this hard work as the means of our salvation, even if we don't say that it is.  I remember growing up and hearing about "good Christian people."

To be fair, to have a good name, to be judicious, and to do good are not bad things.  Indeed, they are encouraged.  However, Christian was looking for his burden to be removed and these things can never remove the burden. Legalism and morality have no hope of removing the burden of our sin and may, unfortunately, create an obstacle that keep us from seeing the grace we so desperately need. 

What people say to interracial families

Yep, people say these things. 



HT: Z

Book Review: Broken Down House

I just finished reading Paul Tripp's Broken Down House (2009), a book that addresses life in this world mired by sin.  In the book, Tripp seeks to show how the world in which we live has been affected, infected by sinfulness and that it is only the grace of God that will provide any response to this sin.  In his typical style, Tripp uses a number of engaging vignettes to make his points about the importance of living with grace in the knowledge of God's sovereignty.  He specifically shows how living with a gospel mindset has implications for marriage, parenting, work, and so forth.  It is a great worldview book that is made stronger by his inter-chapter poems.  Not my favorite work of his, but definitely a good book. 

Where apologetics may falter

Andrew Wilson points to an article by Jeff Cook on why the New Atheists are winning the public battle despite being wrong.  Essentially, they appeal to emotion by employing ridicule rather than dealing with reason and truth. 

Cook wrote, “Blaise Pascal said, ‘Men despise religion. They hate it and are afraid it may be true. The cure for this is first to show that religion is not contrary to reason, but worthy of reverence and respect. Next make it attractive, make good men wish it were true, and then show that it is’ (Pensees 12).
 
“All too often (especially online) those of us who like arguing for Christian Theism jump to the end of Pascal’s list. We think we have wiz-bang arguments to offer. Unfortunately, we don’t have a worthy foundation for showcasing such arguments. We have not established that Christianity should be revered, nor that it is attractive, nor that it is worthy of affection. We prefer to pull out our five proofs for its 'truth' and argue our misguided interlocutors into the Kingdom cold. This is a mistake, for most of our audience see such arguments as power plays, as manipulation, as simply another advertisement out there trying to entice them to buy something."

Pilgrim's Progress: Worldly Wiseman

Christian continues on his journey toward the wicket to be rid of his burden when a man, Mr Worldly Wiseman, approaches him and engages him in conversation.  Christian explains to him that he wishes desparately to be rid of the burden on his back. Beginning on page 25, we see the first glimpse of Mr Worldly Wiseman's unfortunate counsel.  He tells Christian, "I would advise thee then, that thou with all speed, get thyself rid of thy burden; for thou wilt never be settled in thy mind until then: nor canst thou enjoy the benefits of the blessings which God hath bestowed upon thee, till then." 

Get thyself rid.  Thyself.  In other words, pull yourself by your bootstraps.  Do good.  Try harder.  Are you struggling with pornography?  Just stop looking at it.  Do you get angry with your kids?  Stop it.  Are you prone to gossip.  Knock it off! 

For many of us, this is our default setting.  We claim that we believe in God's saving grace, but we don't really live as though we believe it.  We say that he saved us from our sin, but then we go on about trying to save ourselves every day.  We assume that if we can just buckle down, we can fix ourselves. 

Here's the deal, even if we were able to improve all of our behaviors, the burden of sin would remain.  It is only by the atoning sacrifice of Christ that our sins are forgiving. It is only by the indwelling of he Holy Spirit that any true heart change can be expected. 

Pilgrim's Progress: Don't get bogged down

Yesterday, Pliable had abandoned Christian to the swamp, returning to the City of Destruction. Christian, hopelessly stuck in the slough of despond, meets Help who assists Christian in getting out of the muck.  Christian observes that this Slough stands right between the City of Destruction and the gate and asks why no one fills it in?  Why does it stand in the way? Help explains to Christian, "This miry Slough is such a place that cannot be mended. It is descent whither the scum and filth that attends  conviction for sin doth continually run, and therefore is called the Slough of Despond; for still as the sinner is awakened about his lost condition, there arise in his soul many fears and doubts and discouraging apprehensions, which all of them get together, and settle in this place. And this is the reason for the badness of this ground" (p. 23). 

We Christians often begin really well, but then we get stuck.  We start to focus on our own ineptitude, our brokenness, and our inability to measure up.  We see the biblical standard for holiness, but rather than keeping our eyes glued to the cross, we begin navel-gazing, focusing on our sin rather than upon our Savior.  Help's point to Christian was that these fears and doubts derail many people, sometimes hopelessly so.  Rather than persevering, rather than focusing on biblical truths, we just give up. 

But then Help tells Christian, "It is not the pleasure of the King that this place should remain so bad" (p. 23). God desires people to look upon Him and His saving grace.  Bunyan cites Isaiah 35:3-4 at this point, which is a reminder that God will come and save those with weak hands and feeble knees. 

As I read this section, I was reminded of this quote by Robert Murray M'Cheyne, "For every look at yourself, take 10 looks at Christ."  Keep your eyes upon that which matters so that you do not get bogged down.