24 September 2010

Offending God

Matthew 16:23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

One of the great challenges in witnessing is convincing “good” people that their lives are offensive to God. And it’s not unusual for them to be offended by our attempts to do so. But the Bible says, Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound (Romans 5:20).

Now I don’t know about you, but when I think of offending God, that’s what I think of. Either good lost people who think they don’t need Him (the sinner) or bad lost people who live in open defiance of His holiness (the ungodly).

But as I learned by reading Matthew 16:23, lost people aren’t the only ways who need to be made aware that they are offending God. Yes, drinking is offensive to God. Yes, cursing is offensive to God. Yes, blasphemy is offensive to God. Yes, immorality is offensive to God. Yes, religious pride and self-righteousness is offensive to God.

But according to Matthew 16:23, do you know what else is offensive to God? When a saved person has no appetite for the things of God. When a saved person has no hunger and thirst for righteousness. When a saved person is excited about carnal things and not spiritual things. When a saved person is invested in temporal things and not eternal things.

Our general lack of spiritual interest, the Bible says, is an offence to our Lord and Savior. God help us to please Him (Revelation 4:11), not offend Him. God help us to worship Him (John 4:23-24), not offend Him. God help us to glorify Him (1 Corinthians 10:31), not offend Him. Amen.

Click here for a sermon by the same title.

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