Not so serious? These “subtle” sins we tolerate as Christians

Preface

In John 8:7, Jesus said of the woman accused of adultery, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.” Even if not everyone knows in detail the story from which it is taken, this phrase has passed into everyday language, just like this one: “Judge not, lest you be judged” (Matthew 7.1). The work you have in your hands addresses the question of sin; not, however, the blatant sins of our current society, but rather the “subtle” sins that we tolerate as Christians. However, I would like to point out from the outset that I am not exempt from it myself. You will see that I sometimes cite my own unfortunate experiences to illustrate certain sins. What compelled me to write this book was the ever-deepening conviction that we "conservative evangelicals" have become so preoccupied with some of the obvious sins of our society that we have forgotten to deal with our own. sins, much more “refined” and subtle. However, despite its subject, this book is intended to bring hope. Because we are not condemned to remain hopelessly mired in our faults. Rather, we are called to believe in the work of Christ on the cross, the work by which God settled the question of our guilt and delivered us from the power of sin. The message of salvation, however, is only addressed to sinners, that is, to those who recognize their need. Many Christians think that the good news of the Gospel is only for the unconverted; they tell themselves that once we belong to Christ, we no longer need this message. Yet, as we will try to emphasize throughout the pages that follow, Christ's work on the cross is absolutely essential not only for our eternal salvation, but also for our daily battle against sin. We therefore need the Gospel every day. This book does not claim to review all the subtle sins that we may face. In fact, initially I made a pretty long list of sins and then gave it to a few friends who also serve the Lord full time. They kindly helped me shorten it by refocusing it on the most common sins. I am deeply grateful to them for their advice. Three other people deserve a special thank you. I think first of all of Don Simpson, who is not only my editor but also a close friend, and who has been a great help to me. Then Dr. Bob Bevington, with whom I just collaborated on another work, also read the manuscript, and I am grateful for his helpful comments. Then Jessie Newton typed it up on the computer so I could submit it to NavPress. This is the third time she has done this for me. Finally, thank you to all the people, the number of whom I do not know, who supported the project with prayer and contributed to making it possible. To God be the glory, now and forever.