OFFENCES

OFFENCES

We have all been offended at one time or another on our spiritual journey by people, and how they have treated us. There is a very interesting verse in the OT about offences. (Ps 119:165). In the KJV it reads "Great peace have they which love Thy law:  and nothing shall offend them." Other translations use different words, such as the NLT "Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble". But the message is the same, offences are a cause of "stumbling", and knowledge of, and love for God's Word, is the means of preventing offences! This would seem to be an easy answer to preventing this problem of being offended. Then why don't we just read and heed God's eternal Word, that is "Forever settled in heaven" (Ps 119:89)? That is probably one of those questions that are difficult to answer!

In the NT we read of people being offended by some statements of Jesus. For example in (Matt 13:53-57) when Jesus taught in His home town of Nazareth, verse 57 states "And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in Him" NLT. Jesus often made statements that offended people, and His Word still offends certain people today. Especially when it clearly states something that they don't want to hear! Our society has become so "ego-centric", or focused on self, that we only want to hear things that make us feel good. Our Creator God knows what we need to hear, to help us grow in our faith, and to become more like His Son. So when He sees us getting off in our pursuit of other things, and following the ways of the world, He will use His Word to bring correction to us. But because of our carnal nature that wants its own way, we can become "offended" by the truth of the Word.

There is a very scary scripture recorded in (2 Thess 2:9-11), in the NLT we read about the effect of believing the lies of the coming Antichrist "He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those who are on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth". Paul is very clear in this chapter that Jesus cannot come back until after the Antichrist appears on the scene. This truth offends certain people who have believed in a "any moment" rapture. We need to "love and accept the truth" in order to prevent being deceived! This is a critical truth for followers of Jesus to understand!!
Sincerely submitted.
Dave Jamer