Respectable Sins

Respectable Sins......................................................................................................................................1
Introduction..........................................................................................................................................2
Disappearance of Sin............................................................................................................................2
The Malignancy of Sin.........................................................................................................................4
The Remedy for Sin.............................................................................................................................6
The Power of the Holy Spirit...............................................................................................................7
Instructions for.....................................................................................................................................8
Confront Our Sins................................................................................................................................8
Respectable Sins: 1. Impiety..............................................................................................................11
Respectable Sins: 2. Anxiety and Frustration....................................................................................12
Respectable Sins: 3. Lack of Contentment.........................................................................................14
Respectable Sins: 4. Ingratitude.........................................................................................................15
Respectable Sins: 5. Pride..................................................................................................................17
Respectable Sins: 6. Selfishness.........................................................................................................19
Respectable Sins: 7. Lack of Self-Control.........................................................................................21
Respectable Sins: 8. The wrath..........................................................................................................23
Respectable Sins: 8.1. The Consequences of Anger..........................................................................25
Respectable Sins: 9. Envy and Jealousy.............................................................................................27
Respectable Sins: 9.1. Envy, Jealousy and Sins Similar (part 2)......................................................29
Respectable Sins: 10. The Sins of the Tongue...................................................................................31
Respectable Sins: 11. Worldliness.....................................................................................................33

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 Respectable Sins: And from here, where do we go?..........................................................................34

Introduction
An introduction and basis for our study…
In chapter one, he mentions why, despite the behavior of the Corinthians, Paul was able to call them “saints.”
(1 Cor. 1:2, 2 Cor. 1:1). “Nowadays, the word saint is used very little outside the Roman Catholic or Orthodox
Church.” When we refer to a person as “saint” we usually think of a “kind and gracious person who reads his
Bible daily, prays, and is known for his good works for others.” This leads us to ask, “How could the apostle
Paul refer to the chaotic believers of Corinth as saints?” “The answer lies in the meaning that word has in the
Bible.”

Paul's phrase, “to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be saints,” comes from the same family of
Greek terms and literally means “one who has been set apart for God.” In Spanish it would be said something
like “to those separated in Christ Jesus, called to be separated.” Every true believer has been set apart by
God for himself” (Titus 2:14; 1 Cor. 6:19-20). So how do we become holy, if not through our conduct? “If we
put these two passages together we can understand the meaning of a saint. It is someone whom Christ
purchased with his own blood shed on the cross and has set aside for himself to be his property.”

“What does it mean, then, to be separated or apart?” “Each new believer has been set apart by God, set apart
for him to be transformed into the likeness of his Son Jesus Christ.” Thus we come to understand how the
Bible can refer to each believer as a saint positionally before God for the changes made in his life after
salvation (2 Cor. 5:17). This change is prophetically described in Ezekiel 36:26.

Not many moments go by when we do not sin in thought, attitude, word or deed. It is a tendency of the flesh
to follow the deceitful desires of our hearts (Gal. 5:17; 1 Pe. 2:11), we are in a progressive change that never
ends in this life. We can use this as an excuse to continue sinning, a tendency to continue doing evil, a pretext
to live in accordance with our sin and thus generate respectable sins. “ The constant war between the flesh
and the Spirit described in [these passages] is waged daily in the heart of every believer.”

In some way we are all part of the Corinthians, saints called to be saints, because our character, works,
thoughts, motivations, attitudes demonstrate the presence of sin. “We could summarize Paul's letter with the
following statement: 'You are saints. Please act like it!” Every sin in our life, every conformity with it, every
small action, attitude, thought that is accompanied by sin, "is conduct unworthy of a saint, of a Christian",
therefore there is no acceptable sin for saints, no. There is sin that does not offend God. “One of our
problems is that we are not aware that we are saints, much less the responsibility that comes with this new
position that demands that we live as such.” All sin goes against the holiness of God , it goes against what is
and is expected of our holiness. “So let's move forward with our study and talk about sin and the way we deny
it exists in our lives.”

Disappearance of Sin
In a book written in 1973 called Whatever Became of Sin? (What Happened to Sin? ), author Karl Menninger
wrote: “The word 'sin', which seems to have disappeared from our vocabulary, was a proud, very strong,
sinister and serious term... But the word is gone. It has almost completely disappeared; both it and what it
evokes. Because? Could it be that no one sins? Or is it that no one believes in sin anymore?” Author Peter

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Barnes wrote the following in an article titled, “What! I? To Sinner?” ("As! I? A Sinner?”): In twentieth-century
England, C. S. Lewis wrote: 'The obstacle I encounter most is the total ignorance of sin among those who
listen to me; They don't have the slightest notion of what this means.' And in 2001, New Testament scholar
D. TO. Carson commented that the most frustrating aspect of evangelizing within universities is that students
have no idea what sin is, 'They know very well how to commit it, but they don't understand what it means.'”
These quotes only confirm what it is. very clear to observers: Sin and everything it represents has literally
disappeared from our culture.

Unfortunately, the idea of sin has also disappeared from many churches. In fact, we have stopped using
strong biblical words about sin in our vocabulary. People no longer commit adultery, they now have an affair.
Company executives don't steal, they just commit fraud. In our conservative churches, in many cases the idea
of sin applies only to those who commit such egregious sins as abortion, homosexuality, and homicide, or the
scandalous crimes of corporate executives. It is very easy to condemn those who commit such obvious sins
while ignoring our own sins of gossip, pride, envy, bitterness, and lust.

It is common to observe that we are more worried

for the sin of society

that by which we saints commit.

In fact, we often allow ourselves to commit what I call “respectable” or “acceptable” sins without any
remorse. It is very easy to go off on a tangent saying that these latter sins are not as bad as the most shameful
ones in our society. But God has not given us authority to draw distinctions between sins (James 2:10).

I accept that some sins are more serious than others. According to us, it is better to be blamed for having
looked at a woman with lust than to be accused of adultery (Matthew 5:27-28). We believe that it is better to
get angry with someone than to kill them. But the Lord said that whoever murders or is angry with his brother
is equally guilty of judgment (Matthew 5:21-22). According to our human values with their civil laws, we
consider that there is a big difference between a “law-abiding citizen” who occasionally receives a traffic
ticket, with someone who lives a “lawless” life, in contempt and open rebellion to all laws. But the Bible
makes no such difference between people. Rather, it simply says that sin, without exception, is transgression
of the law (1 John 3:4).

In Greek culture, the word sin originally meant “missing the mark,” meaning not hitting the center of the
target. There is some truth to that idea today. However, many times our sins are not due to our failure to
achieve something [the target], but to the internal ambition to satisfy our desires (James 1:14). We gossip or
covet because momentary pleasure is greater than our desire to please God.

Sin is sin. Even the ones we tolerate in our lives. They are all serious in the eyes of God. Our religious pride,
criticism, aggressive vocabulary against others, impatience and anger; even our anxiety (Philippians 4:6). All of
these are serious sins before the Lord. Only perfect obedience meets the high standard of the law (Galatians
3:10). Christ was made a curse for us to redeem us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13). Still, the fact
remains: we indulge sins in our lives that seem insignificant but deserve God's curse.

If this observation seems too harsh and stinging to apply to all believers, let me quickly respond by saying that
there are many pious and humble people who are the honorable exceptions to this rule. In fact, the paradox is
that those people whose lives best reflect the fruit of the Spirit are the most sensitive and internally groan
over the “acceptable” sins they commit. But there is also a great multitude who are ready to judge the
flagrant sin of society and who yet remain proudly insensitive to their own sins. And many of us live among
each other. The main point is that all our sins are reprehensible in the sight of God and deserve punishment.

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 The Malignancy of Sin
Cancer! It is a terrifying word that causes a feeling of fainting and, in many cases, hopelessness. Another term
to describe cancer is malignancy . In the medical field that word describes a tumor that has an extraordinary
potential to grow and expands, invading adjacent tissues. It systematically causes metastases to other parts of
the body. If left unattended, the malignancy tends to infiltrate and spread throughout the body. Finally, it
causes death. We are not surprised then that cancer and malignancy are such fearsome words.

Sin is a spiritual and moral malignancy. If left uncontrolled, it can spread throughout our interior and
contaminate all areas of our lives. And worse, it will almost certainly “metastasise” from within us and spread
to the believers around us. No one lives on a spiritual or social island. Our attitudes, words, actions and even
our most intimate thoughts affect our neighbors.

Our way of speaking, whether about or with others, destroys or builds others up (Ephesians 4:29). Our words
can corrupt the minds of the listeners or they can impart grace to them. That is the power of our speaking.
However, sin is much more than a fact... it is a principle or moral force that nestles in our heart and inner
being. The Apostle Paul calls this principle the flesh (or sinful nature). Paul speaks of her as if she were a
person (Romans 7:8-11; Galatians 5:17).

The following is a truth that we need to understand very well:

Although our hearts have been renewed and we have been freed from the stranglehold of sin, and
Although the Spirit of God dwells within our body, the principle of sin still stalks us
inside and wage war against our soul.

If we do not recognize this disastrous reality, we are fertilizing fertile soil where our “respectable” or
“acceptable” sins will grow and flourish. Those of us who are believers tend to evaluate our character and
conduct based on the moral behavior of the culture in which we live. Since we generally live by a higher moral
standard than society, it is very easy to feel good about ourselves and assume that God feels exactly the
same. We resist acknowledging the reality that sin still dwells in us.

Cancer is a good analogy to understand the way sin operates in our lives, especially when we refer to the one
we accept and consent to. Acceptable sin is subtle in the sense that it tricks us into thinking it is not so bad or
into believing it is not a sin. Think of the sins we indulge in as impatience, pride, resentment, frustration, and
self-pity. Do they seem hateful and harmful to you? It is as dangerous to tolerate these sins in our spiritual life
as it is to ignore the cancer that has invaded our body.

Until now we have looked at sin from the point of view of how it affects us. We saw its evil tendency in our
lives and in the lives of our neighbors. However, the most important issue is how our sin affects God.
Someone has described sin as a cosmic betrayal. If this seems like an exaggeration, consider for a moment
what the word transgression means in the Bible, especially in Leviticus 16:21. Its meaning is rebellion against
authority, in this case, that of the Lord. So when I gossip, I am rebelling against God. When I harbor
resentment against someone instead of forgiving in my heart, I am in open rebellion against them.

In Isaiah 6:1-8 the prophet had a vision about God in his great majesty. The triple repetition of the word holy
(v. 3) God is said to be infinitely holy. When used to describe God, the term holy speaks of his infinite and
transcendent majesty. It describes His sovereignty to reign over all creation. Therefore, when we sin, that is,
when we violate divine law in any way, whether we consider it slight or not, we rebel against its sovereign
authority and transcendent majesty. To put it simply, our sin is an attack on the majestic and sovereign
kingdom of God.

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Notice the use of the word despise in verses 2 of Samuel 12:9-10. We can see then that sin is contempt for the
divine law. But we also understand that despising the law of the Lord means despising Him. Therefore, when
we allow ourselves to commit any of the so-called acceptable sins, we not only give evidence of rejecting the
divine law, but at the same time we despise the Lord. God knows our thoughts (Psalm 139:1-4). This means
that all our rebellion, the contempt of God and his law, the sadness we provoke the Holy Spirit, the
presumption of his grace, and all our sins, are carried out in the presence of God. The Lord forgives our sin
because Christ shed his blood for it, but he does not tolerate it. Rather, every transgression we commit, even
the subtle sin we don't even think about, was placed on Christ by bearing God's curse in our place. Above all,
this is where the malignancy of sin lies. Christ had to suffer because of him.

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 The Remedy for Sin
John Newton wrote a beautiful hymn called, “Amazing Grace.” However, in his youth he was a slave trader
and captain of a ship that transported slaves from Africa to the United States of America. Due to health
reasons, he gave up life on the high seas and became a customs officer. He studied theology and later became
a minister. But even as a pastor, Newton could never forget the terrible nature of his wickedness when
trading in slaves. At the end of his life he shared with a friend:

“I'm losing my memory, but I do remember two things:

“I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.”

Centuries earlier, Saul of Tarsus became the great Apostle Paul but he also felt guilty for having committed
serious sins. Acts 7:54-8:1 describes his complicity in the stoning of Stephen. Toward the end of his life, Paul
wrote that in his life he had been “a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent” (I Tim. 1:13). But in this same
context he said I Timothy 1:15. John Newton and the Apostle Paul perceived themselves as great sinners, but
with a great Savior. Most believers cannot identify with any of them in terms of the severity of our past sins
because perhaps we have never committed adultery, murdered, trafficked drugs, or defrauded the company
where we work. However, although I have not committed great and scandalous sins, I have participated in
gossip, I have criticized others, I have harbored resentments, I have been impatient and selfish, I have
distrusted God in difficult situations, I have succumbed to materialism and even allowed May my favorite
soccer team become an idol for me. I have to agree with Paul that I am the chief of sinners. Or to paraphrase
the words of John Newton: “I am a great sinner, but I have a great Savior.”

Both Paul and Newton described themselves as sinners, in the present tense. None of them said I went ;
rather they said that I am . We can be sure that from the time they were converted until they died, the
character of Newton and Paul became like that of Christ. But the process of growth involved becoming
increasingly aware and sensitive to the sinful expressions of the flesh that still influenced them. That is why
John Newton could say: “ I was and still am a great sinner, but I have a great Savior.” And when we begin to
confront our acceptable sins, we can say the same.

The remedy for our sin, whether scandalous or acceptable, is the gospel in its broadest aspect. The gospel is a
message; I am using the word gospel to define the complete work of Christ during his life, death and
resurrection on our behalf and his current work in us through his Holy Spirit. When I speak of the gospel in its
broadest aspect, I refer to the fact that the Lord, in his work on our behalf and in us, saves us from the
punishment of sin, but also from its dominion and reigning power in our lives. Starting in chapter 7 we will
specifically address the respectable sins in our lives. But before doing so, we have to examine the gospel well.
This is necessary because:

First, the gospel is only for sinners (I Tim. 1:15). But most believers tend to think that the gospel is for
unbelievers, for those who need to be “saved.” However, although we are true saints in the sense of having
been set apart for God, we are still practitioners of sin. So the first use of the gospel as a remedy for our sins is
to till the soil of our hearts so that we can see our iniquity. If we are willing to accept each day our condition
as sinners in need of the gospel, our heart, which we consider very righteous, is left unprotected and we
prepare to face and accept the reality of the impiety that still resides in us .

Secondly, the gospel only prepares us to face our sin; It also frees us to do so. Generally, recognizing our
iniquities makes us feel guilty. Of course, we feel guilty because we are . Our instinct is to try to minimize it.
But it is not possible to seek to resolve any particular manifestation of evil, such as anger, until we openly
acknowledge its presence and influence in our lives. So we need to be sure that our sin has been forgiven to

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begin to face it and, of course, correct it later. We need to be assured that that [sin] has been forgiven; That
is, God no longer takes it into account. The gospel provides us with that security (Romans 4:7-8). Why doesn't
God blame us for our sin? Because it is a debt that He has already placed on Christ (Isaiah 53:6). As we deeply
understand this glorious truth of divine forgiveness of our sins through Christ, we will be free to honestly and
humbly confront the particular manifestations of sin in our lives. That is why it is useful to affirm every day
what Newton said: “I am a great sinner, but I have a great Savior.”

Thirdly, the gospel motivates us and gives us energy to face our sin. It is not enough to accept it honestly. To
use a phrase from Scripture, it means that we must put him to death (Rom. 8:13; Cabbage. 3:5). We cannot
begin to confront the activity of sin in our lives until we have dealt with the guilt that results from it. The
assurance that God no longer blames us for our sins does two things. First, he assures us that He is for us and
not against us (Rom. 8:31). God is not looking down at us from his heavenly throne saying, “When are you
going to change? When will you begin to eradicate that sin?” Rather, He comes to our side saying: We are
going to face this sin, but in the meantime I want you to know that I do not blame you for it.” God is no longer
our Judge; now it is our heavenly Father, who loves us with an infinite love. And even more, the assurance
that God no longer accuses us of sin and that He is with us in our fight against it, produces in us greater
gratitude for what He has already done and is doing on our behalf through Jesus Christ.

So, this is the first part of the good news of the gospel.

The Power of the Holy Spirit

In the previous [lesson] we saw that God removed the guilt of our sins through the death of his Son. He did
not forgive us because he is soft on us, but because his justice has been satisfied. The absolute forgiveness of
our sins is as real and firm as the historical reality of Christ's death. It is important to understand this
wonderful truth of the gospel because we can only face our “respectable” sins when we know they have
already been forgiven. Sometimes we find ourselves struggling with some particular expression of iniquity and
then we wonder if the gospel can help us counteract its power in our lives.

To answer this [doubt] we must understand that the cleansing of the power of sin is carried out in two stages.
The first is when we are free from the dominion of sin. This happens once and for all and is complete for all
believers. The second is freedom from the presence and activity of sin, which is progressive, continuous, and
lasts the rest of our lives on this earth. Paul helps us see that double freedom in Romans 6. In Romans 6:2
Paul said that we are dead to sin and in verse 8, that we are dead with Christ. That is, through our union with
Jesus Christ in his death we died to the guilt of sin, and not only to that but we also died to the power that
reigned in our lives. However, Paul also urges us in Romans 6:12 . How could sin reign if we have died to it? So
to speak, we continue to wage a guerrilla war in our hearts. Paul described that struggle in Galatians 5:17 .
Every day we fight that battle between the desires of the flesh and those of the Spirit.

At that point in our struggle we may come to think: It is all very well to say that sin no longer has dominion
over me, but what about my daily experience with what remains in me of the presence and activity of sin? Is it
possible for the gospel to cleanse me of that too? Can I expect any progress in my life by putting to death the
subtle sins I struggle with? Paul's answer to this vital question is found in Galatians 5:16 . Walking in the Spirit
means living under the influence and control of the Spirit, in close dependence on Him. Paul says that if we do
this we will not satisfy the desires of the flesh. Practically speaking, we live under the influence and control of
the Spirit when we continually expose our minds to his moral will and seek to obey it as revealed in the
Scriptures. And what other activity?

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There is a fundamental principle of the Christian life that I have called the principle of dependent
responsibility . That is, we are responsible before God to obey his Word and put to death the sins of our lives.
At the same time, we do not have the capacity to carry out that responsibility. When we walk in the Spirit, we
see Him working in and through us to cleanse us of the vestiges of the power of sin that we have. We will
never achieve perfection in this life, but we can see some progress. If we sincerely want to confront and
correct the subtle sins in our lives, we can be sure that the Holy Spirit is working in and through us to achieve
this Philippians 1:6 . The truth is that all three members of the divine Trinity are involved in our spiritual
transformation, but it is the Father and the Son who work through the indwelling Holy Spirit I Corinthians 6:19
. It is not necessary to actively believe in that great truth about the Holy Spirit. What we do need to believe is
that when we are seeking to resolve our subtle sins, we are not alone.

One of the ways in which that divine person works in us is by producing conviction of sin. That is, He makes us
begin to accept that our selfishness, impatience or critical attitude are actually sins II Timothy 3:16 . Another
way the Holy Spirit works in us is by enabling us and giving us the strength to confront our sin Romans 8:13 ;
Philippians 2:12-13 . That is, He invites us to work trusting that He is working in us. In Philippians 4:13 we
read Paul's statement. Therefore, we must never give up. Although it may seem like we are not improving, He
continues to act in us. One more way the Holy Spirit brings about our transformation is by allowing
circumstances in our lives to cause us to grow spiritually. If we are prone to bursting into sinful anger,
circumstances will present themselves that will make us angry. If we feel anxious easily, we will have many
opportunities to confront the sin of anxiety. God does not tempt us to sin (James. 1:13-14), but allows for
circumstances in our lives that give us the opportunity to put to death some particular subtle sin that has
become a characteristic of our life. Romans 8:28 is a verse that many of us use to encourage ourselves in
difficult times. The “good” of v. 28 refers to v. 29 where he talks about us being conformed to the image of
the Son of God. This means that the Holy Spirit is working in our lives through the circumstances around us to
make us more like Christ.

So, as you study the next section of this book where we will look in detail at acceptable sins, take comfort.
Remember that Christ has already paid the penalty for our sins and earned forgiveness for them. Then, He
sent His Holy Spirit to reside in us to empower us to confront them. Also, be prepared to humble yourself.

Instructions for
Confront Our Sins
We have seen what the remedy for sin is as well as the power of the Holy Spirit that acts in our favor. We also
saw that we must actively participate in facing our iniquity. The Apostle Paul wrote that we must “put to
death” the different expressions of sin in our lives:

“For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; But if by the Spirit you put to death the works of the body,
you will live” (Rom. 8:13).

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, inordinate passions, evil desires and
covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col. 3:5).

This encompasses both the obvious sins that we try to avoid, as well as those that are more subtle and that
we tend to ignore. It is not enough to accept that we do indeed tolerate some of them. Maybe our attitude is
like that of others who say, “after all, no one is perfect.” But honestly facing those sins is very different. We
cannot continue to ignore them as in the past. Before studying some specific areas of acceptable sins for

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believers, I would like to present some instructions as to how to confront them.

1. We must always put any sin under the light of the gospel.

Our tendency is that as soon as we begin to work on an area of sin in our life, we forget the gospel. We forget
that God has already forgiven that sin thanks to the death of Christ.

“And you, being dead in sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he quickened together
with him, forgiving you all your sins, canceling the record of the decrees that were against us, which
was contrary, taking it out of the way and nailing it to the cross” (Col. 2:13-14).

The Lord has forgiven our sins, but not only that but He has credited the perfect righteousness of Christ to our
spiritual account. In all the areas of life in which we have disobeyed Jesus was perfectly obedient. He was
crucified for our sins. Both in his sinless life and in his atoning death, Jesus was perfectly obedient and just,
and that is what has been credited to all of us who believe in Him.

“But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, witnessed by the law and the
prophets; the
righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, for all who believe in him. Because there is no difference”
(Rom. 3:21-22)

“and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is through the law, but that which is through
faith in Christ,
righteousness that is from God through faith” (Phil. 3:9).

There is no greater motivation to confront the sin in our lives than knowing these two glorious gospel truths.

2. We must learn to depend on the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.

Remember: it is through that divine person that we can put sin to death. “for if you live according to the flesh,
you will die; But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Rom. 8:13). No matter
how much we have grown spiritually, we will never overcome our constant need for the power of the Holy
Spirit. Our spiritual life can be compared to the motor of an electrical appliance. The motor does the work, but
to function it depends on the external power source, which is electricity. Therefore, we must cultivate an
attitude of continuous dependence on the Holy Spirit.

3. Although we are totally dependent on the Holy Spirit, at the same time we must recognize that we have
a great responsibility to take practical steps to confront our sin.

The wisdom of an ancient writer can help us: “Work as if everything depended on you, and at the same time
trust as if you did not work.”

4. We must identify specific areas of acceptable sins.

As you read each chapter, ask the Holy Spirit to help you see if there is a pattern of sin in your life. Something
that can help you put sin to death is precisely to anticipate the circumstances or events that cause it.

5. We must use some specific Scriptures that apply to each of the subtle sins.

We must memorize, reflect, and pray over the content of these texts and ask God to use them to enable us to

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confront our sin. “I have kept your sayings in my heart, so that I would not sin against you” (Ps. 119:11). To
save means to deposit for a future need. That's what we do when we keep Bible verses in our hearts.

6. We must cultivate prayer to ask for the sins that we tolerate in our lives.

1. Pray for subtle sins in a planned and consistent manner.

2. Pray briefly whenever we find ourselves in situations that could lead us to commit sin.

7. We must involve other believers in our struggles against subtle sin.

“Two are better than one; because they have better pay for their work. For if they fall, one will raise his
buddy; but woe to the alone! that when he falls, there will be no second to lift him up” (Eccl. 4:9-10).

When the time comes for you to begin following these instructions remember that your heart is the
battlefield between your flesh and the Spirit “For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the desire of
the Spirit is against the flesh; and these are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want”
(Gal. 5:17).

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 Respectable Sins: 1. Impiety
When I speak on the subject of specific areas of
honorable sins, some say that pride is the cause and root
of all of them. However, I believe that there is another sin
that is even more basic, more common and that perhaps
is the true root of all the others. It is the sin of impiety
and to a greater or lesser degree, we are all guilty of it.
Are you surprised by this statement or perhaps offended
by it? We never think of ourselves as ungodly people.
After all, we are Christians, we are not atheists or evil
people. We attend church, we avoid falling into
scandalous sins, we live very respectable lives. In our way
of thinking, the wicked are those who live blatantly
immoral lives. So how can I say that all believers are ungodly to some degree?

Contrary to what is generally thought, impiety and evil are different. Someone can be a kind and
respectable citizen and, at the same time, be ungodly (Rom. 1:18). Notice that the apostle Paul makes a
difference between ungodliness and unrighteousness. Ungodliness describes an attitude toward God. An
avowed atheist or secularist is an obviously godless person, but so are many morally decent people even if
they claim to believe in God. Impiety can be defined as a lifestyle that does not take into account God, nor his
will, nor his glory, nor dependence on Him. So we can easily see that someone can have a very respectable life
and still be ungodly in the sense that God is totally irrelevant in their life. Every day we walk among such
people. Maybe they go to church for several hours on Sunday, but they live the rest of the week as if God did
not exist. The sad thing about this is that many believers also tend to live without thinking about God. Rarely
do we think about our dependence on Him or our responsibility to Him. In that sense, there is no difference
between our kind and decent but unbelieving neighbors and us.

If we read the NT carefully we can recognize how far we are from living up to the biblical standard of
godliness (James. 4:13-15). The apostle James did not condemn people for making plans. What he did
condemn is that he does it without recognizing that it depends on the Omnipotent. We make our plans
without recognizing our total dependence on the Lord to carry them out. That is a clear manifestation of
impiety. Likewise, we rarely think about the responsibility we have before God to live according to his moral
will as revealed in the Scriptures. We rarely think about divine will (Col. 1:9-10). The apostle Paul wants the
Colossians to be godly people. Are the prayers we pray for ourselves, our family, and friends similar to Paul's
prayer for the Colossians? Or are they more like a list of requests that we present to God to intervene in the
physical and financial needs of our family and friends? Our prayers are human-centered, not God-centered,
and in that sense we are ungodly to some extent.

According to the apostle Paul, we must live thinking that we are in the presence of God seeking to please
him in everything. For example, notice what the same apostle said to the slaves of the Colossae church
regarding how they should serve their masters to be godly (Col. 3:22-24). The v. 23 establishes the principle
that we should strive to live godly in the context of our vocation or profession. Is it not true that instead
[many believers] perform their work like their unbelieving or ungodly companions who only

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 Do they do it for themselves, so that they can be promoted or have their salary increased, without the
slightest intention of pleasing God?

Or consider the church at Corinth (I Cor. 10:31). The word everything in the statement means that it is
about all the activities of the day. That is the mark of a godly person. What does it mean to do everything for
His glory? It means that when we eat, drive, shop or interact with others, we have a double goal. First, we
desire to do everything that pleases God. Second, doing everything for the glory of God means that we desire
that all activities of the day honor God before others (Mt. 5:16). Do we consciously and prayerfully long to
give Him glory in what we say or do each day? Or do we act without being aware of the Creator? Someone
may be moral and upright and engaged in Christian service, but still show little or no interest in having an
intimate relationship with God. That is one of the evidences of impiety.

The question we must honestly ask ourselves is this: How ungodly am I ? How many daily activities do I
do that have no relationship with the Lord? If our ungodly habit of thinking is an integral part of us, how can
we confront it? Paul wrote to Timothy: “Train yourself for godliness” (I Tim. 4:7). Training involved, among
other things, commitment, consistency and discipline. Our goal in the pursuit of piety should be to live aware
that we are in the presence of God every second of our lives, that we are responsible to Him and that we will
give an account to Him. Pray that God will help you become more aware that you live each day before His all-
seeing eyes.

Respectable Sins: 2. Anxiety and Frustration

Life is difficult and sometimes very painful. If I were on vacation and my car broke down on the road, it would
be a difficult situation to deal with. If you were the victim of an accident and became disabled, it would be
very painful. Of course we know that there are different degrees of difficulties and, to some extent, also pain.
Problems occur in the context of routine life activities and everyday responsibilities, but pain is caused by
unusual events. So, in this chapter we are going to focus on the difficulties of daily life and how we often react
to anxiety and frustration.

Anxiety
Some years ago I searched throughout the New Testament to find out
what qualities of Christian character are taught by precept or by example. I
found that there are twenty-seven. You won't be surprised to learn that
love is the one he mentions the most (50 times). But you will be surprised
to know that humility follows very closely (40 mentions). However, what
really amazed me the most was learning that trust in God in all the
circumstances of our lives comes in third place (13 times). The opposite of
trusting in God manifests itself in one of these two attitudes: anxiety or
frustration. The most prominent passage in which he teaches on the
subject is Matthew 6:25-34, as he uses the word eagerness six times.
Another expression that the Lord Jesus used regarding anxiety is: “Do not
be afraid,” or “do not be afraid” (e.g. Mt. 10:31; Lk. 12:7). Paul reinforced
this admonition about anxiety in Philippians 4:6. And Peter exhorted us in I
Peter 5:7. When you and I tell someone “do not be anxious” or “do not be
afraid” we are trying to admonish and encourage them. But when Jesus (or
Paul

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 or Peter) tell us: “Do not worry”, they do it with the force of a moral command. That is, God's moral will is for
us to live without anxiety. Or, to put it more explicitly, anxiety is a sin .
It is a sin for two reasons. First, when we are prey to anxiety, we show that we believe that the Almighty
cannot take care of us and will not do so in the circumstance that is troubling us. [Second] Worry is a sin
because it means we reject divine provision in our lives. God's provision can be simply defined by saying that
He prepares all circumstances and events in the universe for His glory and the benefit of His people. We tend
to focus on the immediate causes that cause us anxiety instead of remembering that they are under God's
sovereign control. As I have struggled with anxiety in [a certain] area of my life, I have come to the conclusion
that my anxiety is not due to my distrust of God, but rather due to my unwillingness to submit and joyfully
accept His agenda. to my life. Paul's command not to be anxious is accompanied by the instruction to pray in
any situation that tempts us to be anxious Philippians 4:6. You may or may not be frequently tempted to fall
into anxiety like I am. But if so, can you recognize the circumstances that make you anxious?

Frustration
A sin related to anxiety is that of frustration. On the one
hand, anxiety includes fear, but frustration involves
being upset or angry about anything or anyone that gets
in the way of our plans . I do not accept God's invisible
agency in anything that ignites my frustration. In the heat
of the moment, I tend not to think about the Lord but
rather focus on the immediate cause of my frustration.
The Bible passage that has helped me deal with
frustration is Psalm 139:16. “All that” refers not only to all
the days of my life, but includes the events and circumstances of each day. This thought produces great
encouragement and comfort. So when something happens that frustrates me, I can quote Psalm 139:16 and
tell God, “This circumstance is part of your plan for my life today. Help me to react with faith, so that I honor
your name and your providential will. And please give me the wisdom to know how to face this situation that
is causing me frustration.” Observe what resources we can use to face the circumstance that causes us
frustration: the specific application of the Scriptures and dependence on the Holy Spirit expressed through
prayer; These help us respond in a godly way. Next, let's ask Him for practical wisdom on how to deal with the
situation. Sometimes God uses frustrating events to get our attention or to help us grow in a specific area.

Anxiety and frustration are sins. We should not take them lightly or minimize them as only reactions to
confronting the difficult events of this fallen world. It is true that we will never achieve complete freedom
from anxiety or frustration in this life. But we should not accept them as part of our temperament either.

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 Respectable Sins: 3. Lack of Contentment
Discontent is the feeling that arises when adverse
circumstances continue without any change and we cannot do
anything to change them. It is a fact that the Bible's most
frequent warnings against discontent have to do with money
and possessions, but here I would like to talk about a type of
discontent that is perhaps more common among Christians
committed to God. That is, the attitude that results from
circumstances that continue without changing and that
become a test for our faith.

> A job that is not satisfying or for which you receive a salary
low
>Loneliness in middle age or old age > Infertility
> Unhappiness in marriage
> Physical disability or poor health… and there are others.

Your circumstances may be much more difficult than those I have experienced, but the truth is that what
determines whether we lack contentment or not is our reaction to the circumstances and not so much the
degree of difficulty of them.

Ultimately, discontent is a sin.

The fundamental purpose of this study is to help us face the presence of many of the subtle sins in our lives
and recognize the fact that we have increasingly tolerated and accepted them.

Psalm 139:16 can help us face circumstances that may tempt us to be discontented.
Your eyes saw my embryo,
And in your book all those things were written
Which were then formed,
Without missing one of them.

Psalm 139:13 says the following for those living with physical disabilities.
Because you formed my insides;
You made me in my mother's belly.

Job 1:21 helps us when we experience terrible and humiliating disappointment.

and said: Naked I came out of my mother's womb, and naked I will return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord
took away; be the
blessed name of Jehovah.

In dealing with discontentment, I have probably struck a chord. Perhaps the situation is made worse because I
have said that lack of contentment is a sin. Maybe you're thinking: If he knew my situation, he wouldn't be so
radical or lecture me . It's true, I don't know your particular situation, but I have struggled with
discontentment and strived to overcome it with biblical truths.

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 Respectable Sins: 4. Ingratitude
Luke records an occasion when Jesus encountered ten
lepers. See Luke 17:13-19. When we read this story we
think: How could those nine men be so ungrateful and
never thank Jesus again? However, many of us are guilty
of the same sin of ingratitude.

Spiritually speaking, our illness was much worse than the

physical illness of leprosy. We were not sick; We were
dead spiritually. But in his great mercy and love, God
drew us to himself and gave us spiritual life (Eph. 2:1-5).
Furthermore, He forgave our sins through the death of
His Son and covered us with the impeccable
righteousness of Jesus Christ Himself.

Having received the spiritual life of Jesus is a much greater miracle and its benefits are infinitely greater than
having been healed of leprosy. However, how many times have we given thanks for our salvation?

And if you have given thanks, did you do so in a superficial way, as many people give thanks for food, or was it
a sincere expression of gratitude for what God did for you in Christ? ______________________

The truth is that our entire life should be a constant thanksgiving. “nor is it honored by the hands of men, as if
it needed anything; for it is he who gives to all life and breath and all things” (Acts 17:25).

Everything we are and have is a gift from him.

We need to be attentive to the warning that God gave to the Israelites (Deut. 8:11-14, 17, 18).

Most [spiritual] people recognize that everything they possess comes from God, but how often do they pause
to thank Him? ____________________________________

One of the “acceptable” sins is not thanking God for the

temporal provision and spiritual blessings He has richly
lavished upon us, because we assume we deserve them.
Furthermore, too many Christians would not think that
this is a sin. However, Paul describes the person
controlled by the Spirit and says: “ always giving thanks
for everything to God and Father , in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:20).

Giving thanks to the Creator for His physical and spiritual

blessings is not just a kind thing we do, but it is the moral
will of God. If we do not give him what he deserves, then we sin.

Life is full of events that delay us, bother us, obstruct and block some of our plans. In the midst of them, we
must fight against anxiety and frustration. But when God gives us a way out, or when we see His hand
delivering us from the possibility of a similar event, we should take a special time to thank Him.

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In all circumstances ?

Should we thank God when circumstances do not turn out as we expected?

The answer is ________ for different reasons (1 Thess. 5:18). Paul instructs us to give thanks IN everything
circumstance, even for which we do not feel gratitude. Is Paul asking us to give thanks out of force and only by
force of will when we feel really disappointed? _________________________________________________

The answer to the question lies in the divine promises found in Romans 8:28-29 and 38-39.

Paul is saying that the Lord wants all of our circumstances, whether good or bad (but in the context Paul has
in mind, he is talking specifically about bad), to be an instrument of sanctification to cause us to grow more
and more into the likeness of Jesus. So in situations that do not turn out the way we expect, we should thank
God because he will use that situation in some way to develop Christian character in us.

In short, we should try to develop the habit of constantly thanking God. But above all things, we must thank
Him for our salvation and the opportunities we have to grow spiritually and minister.

Likewise, we should thank Him for the abundance of material blessings He provides us. And then, when
circumstances turn sour and things don't turn out the way we would have wanted, we must do so by faith, for
what He is doing through circumstances to transform us into the image of His Son.

“When gratitude dies on the altar of man's heart, it is almost hopeless.”

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 Respectable Sins: 5. Pride

Of all the unpleasant characters in the Bible, probably none are as repulsive
as the self-righteous Pharisee in Jesus' parable. He prayed in the temple
saying; “…God, I thank you that I am not like other men, thieves, unjust,
adulterers, not even like this publican” (Luke 18:11). But the irony is that, in
condemning this proud Pharisee, we can easily fall into the same attitude of
believing ourselves to be very righteous.

In this lesson we will deal with the sin of pride, but not pride in general, but
rather certain expressions that are a very particular temptation for believers.
It is about the pride of believing ourselves to be very righteous, of thinking
that we have the correct doctrine, of being successful, or of having an
independent spirit. One of the problems with pride is that we can see it in
others, but not in ourselves. I am well aware of Paul's words when he said,
“You then who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach
that one should not steal, do you steal?” (Romans 2:21).

PRIDE IN BELIEVING OURSELVES VERY MORAL

It is easy to commit this sin of self-righteousness and

self-righteousness today, when society at large openly
commits or condones flagrant sins such as immorality,
easy divorces, homosexual lifestyle, abortion,
alcoholism and so on. drug addiction, greed and other
scandalous sins. But since we do not commit these sins
we tend to feel morally superior and view those who do
commit them with disdain and rejection. I can venture
to say that, of all the subtle sins that we will deal with in
this study, the most common of all is pride in moral
superiority, and it is only surpassed by the sin of
impiety. How can we keep ourselves from falling into
this sin? First, by developing an attitude of humility based on the truth that “by the grace of God I am what I
am.” We should all say with David: “Behold, I was brought up in iniquity, and my mother conceived me in sin.”
(Psalm 51:5). Another means by which we can avoid the pride of feeling better is by identifying with the Lord
in the face of the sinful society in which we live, “and I said: My God, I am confused and ashamed to lift up, O
my God, my face to you, because our “Iniquities have multiplied over our heads, and our transgressions have
increased to heaven” (Ezra 9:6). Seeing society today in its moral degradation, we need to assume the attitude
of Ezra. Doing so will help us not fall into the temptation of believing ourselves to be righteous.

PRIDE IN HAVING THE CORRECT DOCTRINE

Closely related to the previous one is doctrinal pride. It consists of believing that our doctrine is the only
correct one and that anyone who believes something different has an inferior theology. Those of us who care

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about doctrine are very susceptible to falling into this form of pride. In other words, this form of pride is based
on ignorance; We believe that our particular belief system, whatever it may be, is correct and we adopt an
attitude of spiritual superiority over those who believe otherwise. “As for things sacrificed to idols, we know
that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). Paul agreed with his
“knowledge”; that is, with the doctrinal belief regarding not eating meat sacrificed to idols, but he accused
them of doctrinal pride; their “knowledge” had made them proud. If your conviction – whether Calvinist,
Arminian, Dispensational – or your position on the end times, or your rejection of any doctrinal position
makes you feel superior to those who hold other views, then you are committing the sin of doctrinal pride.

PRIDE OF SUCCESS

“The soul of the lazy desires, and achieves nothing; but the soul of the diligent will prosper” (Proverbs 13:4).
The apostle Paul exhorted Timothy regarding his ministry: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a
worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). The scriptures
also teach that success in any area is under the sovereign control of God. “Jehovah makes poor, and he makes
rich; abase, and exalt” (1 Samuel 2:7). The ability for victory or success in any area ultimately comes from God.
From a human point of view, it might seem that we have succeeded as a result of our great tenacity and hard
work. But who gave us that entrepreneurial spirit and good business judgment that allowed us to achieve it?
God. “Because who distinguishes you? Or what do you have that you haven't received? And if you received it,
why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7) Therefore, what do you have that you
have not received? Nothing.

Another aspect of pride in success is the excessive desire to be recognized. What is our attitude when we do a
specific job well and do not receive recognition? Are we willing to remain anonymous, working for the Lord, or
do we become furious at the lack of praise? “So you also, when you have done all that was commanded you,
say, 'We are unprofitable servants, for we have done what we ought to do'” (Luke 17:10).

PRIDE IN HAVING AN INDEPENDENT SPIRIT

This is expressed in two main areas: resistance to authority, especially spiritual authority, and teaching.
Generally these two attitudes go hand in hand. When we are young we tend to think that we know
everything. “Obey your shepherds, and submit to them; because they watch over your souls, as those who
must give an account; so that they may do it with joy, and not with complaint, for this is not profitable for
you” (Hebrews 13:17).

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 Respectable Sins: 6. Selfishness
We can be very knowledgeable in theology and correct in
our morality but fail to demonstrate the virtues of
Christian character which Paul called the fruit of the Spirit
(Galatians 5:22-23). We can be orthodox in our theology
and sober in our morality and still tolerate in our lives
some of the subtle and “acceptable” sins we have talked
about. I believe we all have “blind spots,” character
defects, or subtle sins that we are not aware of. May God
help us face them, especially the selfishness that is in us.

In studying this sin, it will be helpful to begin by

presenting the truth that we are born with a selfish
nature. Even after becoming Christians, we still have the
flesh that battles against the Spirit and one of its manifestations is selfishness. It is difficult to expose
selfishness because it is easier to detect it in others than in ourselves. Furthermore, there are different
degrees of it as well as the subtlety we employ in demonstrating it. A person's selfishness could be crass and
obvious. Generally, someone like this doesn't care what others think of him. However, most of us do care
about the opinions of others, so our selfishness is more delicate and refined.

Selfishness is demonstrated in many ways, but I am going to focus on four areas that we can observe in our
lives as believers.

The first is selfishness that is related to our interests . “Not each looking out for his own interests, but each
one also looking out for what belongs to others”
(Philippians 2:4). When he used the words “other people's
things,” Paul was clearly referring to the concerns and
needs of others. What are the things that interest us?

Using any specific example we can illustrate our tendency

to become so focused on our own affairs that we show
little or no interest in those of others. A good test to
measure the degree of selfishness you show for your
interests would be to reflect on a conversation you have
had with a person (or partner). Ask yourself how much
time you spent talking about your interests compared to
the time you spent talking about the other person's
interests. Selfishness shows that the only thing we care
about is our affairs. In 2 Timothy 3:11-5, Paul gives a list of
truly grotesque sins that will manifest themselves in “the
last days,” that is, our current age. The self-lover is a good
description of an egoist. He is concerned only with himself
and his conversations reflect this.

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 A second area where selfishness is demonstrated is in our
times . This is a precious gift and each of us possesses
only a certain amount of it each day. We are all very busy,
so it is very easy to become selfish with our time. We can
be too selfish with our time and we can also be
unnecessarily wanting to take up the time of others. In
any case, we are thinking only of ourselves and our
needs. It is rare to hear someone say: “I will do such and
such a thing for you.” However, the Bible says “Bear one
another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ”
(Galatians 6:2). This includes that we can do more for
someone than just what they tell us.

corresponds. A third
area
where selfishness is expressed is with our money . This is an
especially crucial issue for believers. The apostle Paul wrote
in Romans 12:15, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; cry with
those who cry.” And the apostle John wrote in 1 John 3:17,
“But he who has the goods of this world and sees his brother
in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love
of God abide in him?” Taken together, these verses tell us to
have hearts of compassion toward those in need and then to
put that compassion into action through our contributions.
We must be good stewards of money and not spend all, or
most, on ourselves. Doing so is being selfish with our money
and shows that we are not interested in the needs of others.

The fourth area of selfishness that we will study is

thoughtlessness . This feature can be displayed in several
ways. The inconsiderate person never thinks about the
impact their actions may have on other people. When we
are indifferent to the impact our actions have on others,
we are being selfish and inconsiderate because we only
think about ourselves. We can also be inconsiderate of
the feelings of others. The person whose attitude is “I say
what I think no matter what” is inconsiderate and selfish.

So, a person who is not selfish always balances his needs

and desires with those of others. I suspect we all have selfish inclinations in one way or another, because we
still live in the sinful flesh that wages a battle against our soul. So please don't dismiss this study as if it doesn't
apply to you.

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Respectable Sins: 7. Lack of Self-Control
Like a city demolished and without a wall
He is the man whose spirit has no rein.

(Proverbs 25:28)

In biblical times, the most important thing for a

population were the walls. If these were fractured, the
enemy army could enter and conquer it. Let us
remember the story of the fall of Jericho in which God
caused the walls to collapse and the army of Israel was
able to advance with ease and take the city (Joshua 6).

In the same way that a city without walls is vulnerable to

an invading army, so is the person who lacks self-control,
as he is exposed to all types of temptations. Unfortunately, Solomon, who was the one who wrote that truth
of Proverbs 25:28, confirmed those words in a sad and painful way with his life. The Bible records that this
king had six hundred wives and three hundred concubines from all the nations of whom the Lord had told the
people of Israel not to take wives (1 Kings 11:1-3). But Solomon gave free rein to his passions and completely
ignored the divine prohibition. Since he was the most powerful ruler of his time, he had access to everything
he wanted.

But, instead of exercising self-control, he ignored his own words of wisdom so that his passions boiled over.
Solomon paid a high price for his lack of self-control. His wives turned his heart away from God. It was for this
reason that the Lord divided his kingdom in the days of his son Rehoboam.

Proverbs and the letters of the New Testament have a lot to say about self-control. Paul mentions it as one of
the demonstrations of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) and also includes it in the list of the debaucheries
that will be characteristic of the last days (2 Tim. 3:3). On the other hand, on several occasions in his two
letters, Peter urged believers to be sober, or self-controlled (1 Pet. 1:13; 4:7; 5:8; 2 Pe. 1:5).

Despite the biblical teaching of self-control, I suspect that this is a virtue that does not receive thoughtful
attention from most Christians. We have established boundaries in our Christian culture with which we avoid
committing certain overt sins, but within those boundaries we could say that we live as we please. We rarely
refuse to satisfy our desires and emotions. Lack of self-control could well be one of our “respectable” sins.
And by tolerating it we make ourselves more vulnerable to others.

What is self-domain? It is the prudent control or government of our desires, appetites, impulses, emotions
and passions. It is knowing how to say “no” when we have to. It is the moderation of legitimate desires and
activities and an absolute restraint on areas that are clearly sinful.

The self-control that appears in the Bible encompasses all areas of life and requires incessant warfare against
the passions of the flesh that war against our soul (1 Pet. 2:11). We could say that self-control is not
dominating ourselves thanks to our willpower, but rather it is self- control thanks to the power of the Holy
Spirit that operates in us.

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Although we must exercise self-control in all areas of life, in this study we are going to study three areas where
Christians too often fail.

The first is to eat and drink too much. What I am referring to

is the constant tendency to give in to our desires to eat
certain foods and drinks. I'm not trying to make people feel
guilty who love eating ice cream or drinking soda, or who love
going to their favorite coffee shop for coffee every day. What
I am referring to is the lack of self-control, the tendency to
control our desires in such a way that they control us, instead
of us controlling them.

area of lack of self-control is the character some are known

for being angry or outbursts of temper are
A second from
directed, anyone who does something that we
the Christian.
dislike. warnings against the short-fuse person
With a short
14:17 and 16:23. James admonishes the slow to
fuse. Believers
anger us (1:19).
generally believe
in Proverbs to be

The third area in which many Christians lack

self-control is in the area of personal finances.
Not only those who are in debt fail to exercise
self-control regarding what they spend. Many wealthy
people, including some believers, spend on everything their
hearts desire. They are like the writer of Ecclesiastes 2:10.

There are other areas where we need to learn self-control, so

I encourage you to reflect on your own life. Are there desires,
appetites or emotions that are to some extent outside your
control?

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 Respectable Sins: 8. The wrath

We usually express our anger with the people we

love the most; that is, our spouse, children, parents
and siblings, as well as with our true brothers in
Christ within the church. I once met a believer who
was the epitome of grace toward other people, but
he was continually angry with his wife and children.
Fortunately, after a few years God rebuked him and
helped him resolve his anger.

What is anger? Many of us might say, “I can't define

it, but I know it when I see it, especially if it's headed
my way.” My dictionary defines anger by simply saying that it is a strong feeling of displeasure accompanied
by antagonism . I would add that it is usually accompanied by sinful emotions, words, and actions that hurt
the object of our anger.

The topic of anger is broad and very complex, and the purpose of this study is not to address it in depth. To
keep us on track to help us confront the sins we tolerate in our lives, I'm going to focus on the aspect of anger
that we unconsciously consider to be a “respectable” sin. To achieve that purpose, I need to bring up the topic
of righteous anger.

Some people reason that their anger is righteous. They believe they have the right to be angry, depending on
the situation. How do we know if our anger is righteous or not? First, righteous anger arises from a correct
perception of true evil; that is, a violation of God's moral law. It focuses on Him and His will, not on us and
ours. Second, righteous anger always controls itself . It never causes anyone to lose their mind or argue in a
vindictive manner. The central focus of biblical teaching on that emotion has to do with our reactions of sinful
anger to the actions or words of others. Just because we respond to another's actual sin does not mean our
anger is righteous.

Another topic regarding anger that is not part of the purpose of this book is that of the person who is
continually angry, or whose anger causes him to verbally or physically abuse others. That person needs to
receive good biblical and pastoral counseling. So we keep our focus on what we might call common anger,
which we accept in some ways as part of our life, but which is actually sin in the eyes of God.

When facing our anger we need to recognize that no one provokes us to it. Perhaps someone's words or
actions could be an excuse to get angry, but the real cause lies deep within us, generally in our pride,
selfishness, or desire to control everything.

We can get angry because someone mistreats us. Or someone gossips behind our backs and when we find out
we get angry. Because? Most likely because our reputation or character is in question. Once again the cause is
pride.

18 Servants, be subject with all respect to your masters; not only the good and kind, but
also those difficult to bear.

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 19 For this deserves approval, if anyone, because of conscience before God, suffers discomfort
suffering unjustly.
20 For what glory is it, if you are buffeted for sinning and endure it? But if doing good you suffer, and
endure, this is certainly approved before God.
(1 Peter 2:18-20)

Peter's instructions to slaves are a specific application of a more general biblical principle: We must respond
to any unfair treatment as if it came from the Lord. Is this difficult situation or unfair treatment under God's
sovereign control, and is He in His infinite wisdom and goodness using it to conform me more to the image of
Christ? (Romans 8:28; Hebrews 12:4-11).

Too often our immediate response to an unjust

action is sinful anger. But after the difficult moment,
we can decide whether we are going to continue to
be angry, or we can reflect on the questions I have
suggested and allow the Holy Spirit to eradicate our
anger.

So how are we to handle anger in a way that

honors God?

1. We must recognize it knowing that it is sinful.

We need to repent not only of anger, but also of
pride, selfishness, and idolatry.
2. Next, we need to change our attitude
toward the person or people whose word or
actions caused it. (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13) If we are already expressing our anger, let us seek
forgiveness from the person whom we hurt with our anger.
3. Finally, we must give God the occasion of our anger. We must accept that any situation that tempts
us to become angry can lead us to sinful anger on the one hand, or to Christ and his sanctifying
power.

At the beginning of this study I admitted that the topic of anger is complex and that the purpose is not to
exhaust it. But I hope it has helped you recognize that most of our anger is sinful, and even though we justify
it and tolerate it in our lives, it is not acceptable before God.

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Respectable Sins: 8.1. The Consequences of Anger
We need to delve a little deeper into the topic of anger and its terrible consequences. We tend to think that
anger comes in episodes, that we get angry and then it goes away. Sometimes we apologize to the person
who is the target of our anger and sometimes we don't. But somehow, the offended person, with apologies or
not, overcomes his defensive reaction, whether it was an external manifestation or an internal resentment,
and life moves on. The relationship has been affected, but not interrupted. This is not a pleasant way to live
with others, but it is tolerable. This is how too many believers view the sin of wrath. They have come to
accept it as part of their life.

However, the Bible is not so light when it comes to anger. In fact, it says to eradicate it in Ephesians 4:31 and
Colossians 3:8. It is clear that anger is not good company. It is generally associated with what we would
consider serious sins and, in fact, is the cause of some of them.

In this study we are going to look at some long-term consequences of anger which I have called the “weeds of
anger.” I deliberately chose the phrase weeds because it is generally something we want to eradicate. The
weeds of anger are not benign, but harmful. What are some weeds that come from unresolved anger?

Resentment: Arises when we hold on to anger.

Usually, it is something that is internalized and grows
in the heart of someone who has been mistreated in
some way and who believes themselves incapable of
doing anything about it. Resentment is more difficult
to resolve than externally expressed anger, because
the person continues to unresolve the wounds and
resent the poor treatment.

Bitterness: is resentment that has grown into

persistent animosity. It may be that the resentment
dissipates over time, but the bitterness continues to
grow, worsen, and develop a greater degree of real or
perceived evil because the initial anger is not
pain. Generally it is the long-term reaction of resolved. resolved.

Enmity and hostility: they are basically synonyms and denote a higher level of pain and animosity than
bitterness. While this may be disguised by civilized behavior,
enmity and hostility are usually expressed openly, seeking to
denigrate or speak evil of the object of hatred. What's more,
bitterness can be kept in the heart, but enmity and hostility
usually spread poison everywhere and involve other people.

Grudge: To explain how deep the animosity and ill will these
words imply, in two passages in Genesis (27:41; 50:15), the
Bible uses the term hate instead of grudge. At every moment
of its mention, the word is associated with taking revenge on the object of hatred . Maybe today we don't

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associate hate with planning to kill someone. However, many times people do plan, even if only mentally,
ways to get back at the person they hate. That's why Paul thought it was necessary to write this exhortation
from Romans 12:19-21.

The Contention: describes the open conflict or animosity between parties , that is, between opposing groups
and not so much between individuals. That's why we talk about “church disputes” or “family grudges.” It
often happens among Christians who believe themselves to be very righteous and who never consider the
possibility that their attitudes or high-sounding words contribute to a strife. According to their way of
thinking, the rival party is the one that is always wrong and the one that causes contention.

The above descriptions of harmful “anger weeds” are not intended to be just dictionary definitions. What I
want is for us to see that when anger is not resolved, it is sinful and very dangerous spiritually speaking. If you
review all the herbs it produces, you will see that it causes an escalation of dissension and negative feelings.
Anger is never static. If left unresolved, it will turn into resentment, bitterness, hostility and hatred that will
lead to revenge. We are not surprised that Paul said “Do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Eph. 4:26).

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 Respectable Sins: 9. Envy and Jealousy
Envy is the pain we feel , and sometimes accompanied by
resentment, for the advantages that another person has .
We would like to have the same opportunities, which
leads us to greed. What we resent is that that person gets
something that we don't have. But we don't just envy
other people. In general, there are two situations that
make us envious. First, we tend to envy those with whom
we are close. Second, we envy others in precisely the
areas we value most. The reason we are tempted to envy
those who stand out the most is that we have so many
things in common that the differences bother us.

Some parents might envy others whose children are

better students or athletes, or who have better jobs. We
might envy a friend who has a nicer house or who bought a more expensive car than ours. The possibilities of
envying others are endless. When we compare ourselves to another person whose circumstances are better
than ours, we are tempted to envy them. Maybe we don't even want to be in the same circumstances as our
neighbor or friend; We simply resent that he has better things. When we are tempted to envy, let us
recognize that it is a sin. No doubt this is very subtle and less serious, but it is still mentioned in the lists of vile
sins that Paul included in Romans 1:29 and Galatians 5:21.

Closely related to envy is the sin of jealousy . What's

more, sometimes we use both terms synonymously. But
there is a subtle difference that can help us see how sinful
our hearts are. Jealousy is defined as intolerance of
rivalry .

There are legitimate times when we can be jealous, like

when someone wants to make our wife fall in love with
us. On the other hand, God declares that he is a jealous
God who does not tolerate us worshiping anyone other
than himself (Exodus 20:5).

Sinful jealousy arises when we have someone become an

equal or superior person to us. The most famous illustration in the Bible is that of King Saul's jealousy against
David. After he killed Goliath, the women of Israel sang (I Samuel 18:7). Of course Saul was angry because
David was given more recognition than him. From that moment on he considered him his rival and was always
jealous of him. We can also be jealous if we have received God's blessing in some area of our life or ministry
and then someone else demonstrates with their work and results that they are superior to us. It seems like
there is always a young person who comes along and is smarter or more talented than us. When this happens,
we can get jealous. We don't want someone else to have the success or blessings from God that we have
received.

So how can we confront the temptation to envy or be jealous of others?

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First, and as with many other subtle sins, we can trust in God's sovereignty by recognizing that he is the one
who sovereignly gives us spiritual talents, abilities, and gifts. Not only are there differences in talents and gifts,
but there are also differences in the kinds of blessings they will receive from God. Everything comes from the
Lord, he is the one who impoverishes and enriches, humiliates and exalts (I Samuel 2:7). It is God who lifts up
one and humbles another (Psalm 75:7).

A second weapon against the temptation to be jealous is

to remember that all believers “are one body in Christ,
and all members one of another” (Rom. 12:5). Look at
verse 10.

Love one another with brotherly love; as soon as

honorably, preferring one to another.

Instead of envying those who surpass us or being jealous

of those who surpass us in some way, we should
recognize and honor them since we are all members of
the same body of Christ.

Third, we must understand that if we spend our

emotional energy on envy or jealousy, we lose sight of what God could do in our lives. God has a place and a
plan that he wants to fulfill in each of us. Certainly, some jobs get more recognition than others, but all are
important to God's plan.

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 Respectable Sins: 9.1. Envy, Jealousy and Sins
Similar (part 2)
As we studied in the previous lesson, envy is the pain we feel, and sometimes accompanied by resentment,
for the advantages that another person has. We would like to have the same opportunities, which leads us to
greed. What we resent is that that person gets something that we don't have.

JEALOUSY
Closely related to envy is the sin of jealousy, which is defined as intolerance of rivalry.

COMPETITIVENESS

Related to envy and jealousy is the spirit of

competitiveness. That is, the desire that some have to
be the one who always wins or the most important in
whatever field they are in. Competitiveness begins at
an early age in life. Children may become angry or upset
when they do not win a simple children's game. But it's
not just children who have this problem. There are
grown men who in some areas are exemplary Christians, but lose their minds when their team or their son's
team is defeated in a game. Competitiveness is basically an expression of selfishness. It is the need to win no
matter the cost. It is certainly not an attitude that reflects that we love our neighbors as ourselves. Many
times, we have elevated competitiveness to the level of a virtue. We teach our children, directly or by
example, that it is good to be competitive, since it is the way we can conquer the world.

However, I wonder if the spirit of competitiveness is a Christian virtue. I believe the Bible's emphasis is on
doing the best we can (II Timothy 2:15). We must do our work with joy (Colossians 3:23), which, in other
words, means doing it in the best way. It is evident that “the best” is not always the same for all people. Some
have been blessed with greater ability, intelligence, or spiritual gifts. One might argue that Paul tacitly
endorsed competitiveness in I Corinthians 9:24. But the analogy ends when the Apostle mentions the prize. In
a race only one runner wins and receives the prize. In the Christian life, we can all receive the prize. Let me
clarify that I am not writing against friendly competition, but against the competitive spirit that always wants
to win or be the best. But whatever the competition, the question that the child, adolescent or their parents
should ask themselves is not “did we win?”, but: “did we do the best we could?”

Now, you can see that there is an intimate relationship between envy, jealousy and competitiveness. We tend
to envy the partner who has surpassed us in an area that is important to us. We are jealous of the person who
surpasses us. And these two promote a spirit of competition that says: “I must always win or be number one
at everything.”

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CONTROL
Envy, jealousy and competitiveness can be classified under a single word: rivalry. Instead of seeing each other
as members of the body of Christ, we can easily adopt the attitude of considering ourselves rivals who must
compete against others. There is one more subtle sin that we can include in this group and that is wanting to
control others for our benefit or to get what we want. In interpersonal relationships there is always someone
who has a strong or dominant personality. If you're not careful, you can be the one controlling the
relationship. Often one wants to make all the decisions and gets angry if what he says is not done. Instead of
submitting to others (Ephesians 5:21), he has an overwhelming need to control them. Clearly, this arises from
selfishness. The difficulty in recognizing this sin is that the controller is the last to realize his unhealthy
tendency. If you are a controlling person, you may find it difficult to stop because of your past behavior. So
you must demonstrate true humility when you ask. Then, instead of becoming defensive or verbally attacking
them when they are honest with you, have the wisdom to accept what they tell you and take it as coming
from God.

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Respectable Sins: 10. The Sins of the Tongue
When talking to people about the “respectable” or “acceptable” sins
we tolerate, there was always someone who would frown and say,
“oh, something like gossip?” It is evident that this is the first sin of
believers that comes to mind, so it must be very common among us
because we continue to tolerate it in our lives.

However, although the practice of gossip is very common, it is not

the only sin of the tongue. In this category we must also include lies,
slander, criticism (even if it is true), harsh words, insults, sarcasm
and ridiculing others . We have to say that any form of speech that
hurts another person, whether we are talking about that person or
with them, is a sin of the tongue.

The Bible is full of warnings against sins of the tongue. The book of
Proverbs alone contains about sixty admonitions. On the other
hand, Jesus warned that we will give an account to God for every idle word that comes out of our mouths.

“But I tell you that for every idle word that men speak, they will give an account of it on the day of
judgment." (Matthew 12:36)

And there is also the famous passage from James 3 that talks about the sinful effects of the tongue. The writer
says that the tongue is like a small fire that destroys a large forest and that it is a very small member but it
contaminates the entire body. However, the Bible passage that has helped me the most in facing the sins of
the tongue is Ephesians 4:29. This verse is the application of the “put off/put on” principle that the apostle
Paul introduced in Ephesians 4:22-24. This is that we must put off the sinful characteristics of the old man
and, at the same time, be diligent to put on the virtues of grace that correspond to the new creature in Christ.
As we study Ephesians 4:29 we find that we should not allow corrupt words to come out of our mouths. They
are not only insults or obscenities; They include the different types of speaking I mentioned above. Notice
that Paul's prohibition is absolute: No corrupted words. None. This means saying no to gossip, sarcasm,

criticism, harsh words. We must eradicate from our speech every sinful word that destroys another person.
Think what Christ's church would be like if we all struggled to apply this admonition of Paul.

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 In discussing the sins of the tongue, let's start with the
first one that people think of: gossip, which is spreading
unfavorable information about someone, even if that
information is true. However, gossip is usually based on
rumor, which makes the sin worse. Practicing gossip
feeds our sinful ego, especially when the information we
are sharing is negative because it makes us feel very fair
compared to the other. Ephesians 4:29 says what parts of
speech we should put off and also what we should put
on. We are to speak words that edify and impart grace to
those who hear us. Therefore, when we are tempted to
gossip we must ask ourselves: Will what I am going to say
edify or destroy the person about whom I am going to
speak?

Another sin related to gossip is slander, which consists of stating something false or misinterpreting
something about a person with the purpose of defaming them or damaging their reputation. In general, the
motivation behind slander is the advantage we can gain over the other person. In reality the slander is a lie.
We usually think that it is saying something false and perhaps most of us don't do it. However, we are very
good at lying through exaggeration, or telling half-truths or what we call “little white lies,” which is lying
thinking that there will be no consequences.

On the other hand, criticism is making comments about a person that may be true, but that do not need to be
mentioned. The questions we should ask ourselves regarding these types of comments are:

• Is what I'm going to say kind?

• Do I need to say it?
• Do I really have to say this one?

We sin not only by what we say about someone, but by the way we speak to one another . Sinful speech
includes harsh words, sarcasm, insults, and ridiculing others. The common denominator of all these negative
ways of speaking is that they tend to put down, humiliate and hurt people. Those kinds of words usually come
from an attitude of impatience or anger (Matthew 12:34). This means that even though we talk about sins of
the tongue, our real problem lies in the heart. Behind every gossip, slander, criticism, insult or sarcasm, is a
heart full of sin. The language is just the instrument that reveals what is in it. If you and I want to put on the
new creature in Godlikeness, walking in true righteousness and holiness, we must use Ephesians 4:29 as one
of our guiding principles. Remember: we are talking about a real sin. The kinds of words we have talked about
in this study may seem acceptable to us, but before God they are sinful.

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 Respectable Sins: 11. Worldliness
Worldliness is a concept that means different things to
different people. We must understand that worldliness is
much more than a list of prohibited activities or the use of
the comforts of modern times. There are two scriptures
that help us understand the concept of worldliness. The
first is 1 John 2:15-16 where the Apostle exhorts us not to
love the world.

Do not love the world, nor the things that are in the world. Yeah
anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Because
everything that is in the world, the desires of the flesh, the
desires
of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not from the Father, but
of the world.

There is another passage from the apostle Paul that helps us understand what the “acceptable” aspects of
worldliness are. The passage is 1 Corinthians 7:31, “and those who enjoy this world, as though they did not
enjoy it; for the appearance of this world passes away.” Different translations use different terms to convey
the same idea, but the caveat is that we can use the legitimate things of this world, but not give them more
importance than they should have.

Based on Paul's warning, I have defined the word worldliness as being attached to, involved in, or concerned
with the things of this temporal life . What makes our attitude towards them worldly is the value we place on
them. The things we value most should be the “things above” (Colossians 3:2). That is: spiritual ones, such as
the Bible, prayer, the gospel, obedience to God, the fulfillment of the great commission and, above all, God
himself. We will better understand what worldliness is with this secondary definition: “Worldliness consists
of accepting values, moralities and practices of the unbelieving, although decent, society that surrounds us
without discerning whether they are biblical.” Worldliness is following the flow of the society around us as
long as it is not openly sinful. I'm going to limit our discussion to three areas where I believe we have
accepted this sin: money, immorality, and idolatry. In the three areas we are going to limit the study to what
seems acceptable to us.

Money
Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and riches” (Matthew
6:24). It seems that in the lives of many believers , money
is above God . But the Lord and riches are not equivalent
options, because the Bible says: “For the love of money is
the root of all evil; for some, coveting it, have strayed
from the faith, and pierced themselves with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10). If money takes precedence in
our lives, God does not lose, but we do. Ultimately, he doesn't need our money. If we spend it on ourselves,
we become spiritual beggars. We must remember that everything we possess, even the ability to earn money,
comes from God (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). Offering to the Lord at least 10 percent of what he has given us is a
visible demonstration that we recognize him as such and thank him. Finally, we must remember the infinite
generosity of the Lord in giving himself for our salvation. Pablo wanted to stimulate the generosity of the 33
Corinthians writing 2 Corinthians 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sakes,
though he was rich, he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” Our offerings
should reflect the value we place on your giving for us.

Immorality
No doubt you are asking how immorality can be
considered a respectable sin. We do this by following
what a friend of mine calls vicarious immorality . Do we
enjoy secretly reading about the immorality of other
people whose sexual behavior is exposed in newspapers
and weekly magazines? If so, we are engaging in vicarious
immorality. If we go to the movies or watch television
programs knowing that there will be explicit sex scenes or
read novels knowing that they contain sexual narratives,
we are committing vicarious immorality. It's very obvious
that the world around us enjoys this kind of thing. This is
an area where the values and practices acceptable to the society around us are contrary to Scripture. Then
there is the dishonest dress area. As I leave the house, I notice the fashion of women of all ages whose explicit
intention is to attract the lustful glances of men. There are two areas in which we can be mundane when
talking about this topic. First, many Christian women, and young women especially, are wearing the same
clothing that is worn in the unbelieving world (1 Timothy 2:9). For men, the problem is that we react to
provocative clothing with looks full of lust. In both cases we are worldly. We have two weapons in this fight
Proverbs 27:20 and Romans 6:21

Idolatry
It is obvious that today we do not worship idols made of
wood, metal or stone. Our problem is what some have
called “heart idols.” In this sense, an idol can be anything
that we consider to be of great value to such a degree
that it consumes all of our emotional and mental
energy, or our time and resources. It can be anything
that is more important than our relationship with God or
our family. In 2 Corinthians 5:9 the apostle Paul presents
a principle that will allow us to free ourselves from the
temptation to idolize our career.

So how can we confront our tendency toward worldliness? It is not by deciding that we will no longer be
worldly, but by committing to being more godly. We need to feel such love for God that there is no room in our
hearts for the things of this world.

Respectable Sins: And from here, where do we go?

If you have accompanied me this far, you will have realized that we have worked on quite difficult topics. We
saw in detail many of the subtle sins that we tolerate in our lives. Perhaps at times this reading was painful. I
hope so because that means that you have been honest and humble enough to accept that there are some of

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those sins in your own life. That gives us hope. Remember 1 Peter 5:5, “God resists the proud and gives grace
to the humble.”

The opening statements of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7) should encourage us. The poor in spirit
and those who mourn are those who are aware of their sinfulness. Thanks to this, they are meek and humble
in their attitudes and actions towards others, and they hunger and thirst for justice that they have not yet
achieved. His entire attitude is the opposite of the proud, morally superior and righteous person in his own
opinion. However, Jesus said that they (those who are NOT proud) are blessed.

In telling his parables, the Lord Jesus created characters to emphasize his teachings so that his listeners would
feel compelled to do something. Consider the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector praying in the
temple (Luke 18:9-14). In the eyes of the Jews, there could be no greater contrast between a Pharisee and a
hated tax collector. We need to be honest and humble and admit the subtle sins we commit to experience the
love that comes from the forgiveness of those sins. But we must also face them and resolve them. The worst
sin, in practical terms, is to deny that these subtle sins exist in our lives. The first step in dealing with any of
the sins mentioned is to recognize them and repent of our attitude. Rather, to use Paul's terminology, “put to
death” those subtle sins (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5).

Here is a list of the subtle sins we have talked about:

• Impiety
• Anxiety and Frustration
• Lack of Contentment
• Ingratitude
• Pride

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 • Selfishness
• The Lack of Own domain
• Impatience and Irritability
• The wrath
• The Consequences of Anger
• Judging others
• Envy, Jealousy and similar sins
• The sins of the tongue
• The worldliness

As you review this list, continue to ask God to open your eyes to the sin that you have been tolerating or
refusing to acknowledge but that is present in your life. There is no substitute for humility and sincere
confession of sin, as this is the first step to confront it.

Have you asked others to evaluate whether there are subtle sins in your life? If you haven't, now would be a
good time to do so. Set aside time to be with your spouse, sibling, or a good friend. Ask him to speak to you
honestly. Reassure them that you will not become defensive or question their assessment. Just listen, don't
respond.

Remember that our progressive sanctification, that is, putting off sin and putting on the likeness of Christ, is
founded on two fundamental stones: the righteousness of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. Always look
to Christ and His perfect righteousness to know where you stand, knowing that you are accepted before God.
Remember: if you are united with Christ, the Lord sees you wrapped in his perfect righteousness. Always turn
to the Holy Spirit to enable you to confront the sin in your life and to produce its spiritual fruit in you.

The world around us watches us, even if it ridicules our values and rejects our message. We may think that
others don't notice our subtle sins, but they do. They recognize our pride, anger or criticism. They think we
are “super holy” people or they think we are hypocrites, because we don't practice what we preach .
Confronting our “acceptable” sins in humility and sincerity can go a long way toward eradicating that image of
ourselves. Finally, let me dwell on the words of I Peter 5:5 , “God resists the proud and gives grace to the
humble.”

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