In this tipsy topsy, upside down, where-do-you-draw-the-line world should Christians worry about “offending” anyone with their beliefs? This may be something you’ve asked yourself often, especially with today’s social and political climate.
Paul stated that we should never offend anyone: “We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed” (2 Corinthians 6:3, NKJV).
But what exactly could that mean? Is there a broader picture at play with those words?
One common example of an offense from Scripture is the eating of food that had been sacrificed to idols. Paul wrote the following:
Yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. (1 Corinthians 8:6–9, NKJV)
Paul also states in Galatians 5:11 that he was being persecuted for not preaching circumcision; instead he was preaching the Cross — that was seen as an offense to those who held the law of circumcision.
Then let’s look at Jesus. Jesus commanded His followers to MAKE disciples; spread the word far and wide, knowing that they would run into people “offended” by the word (1 Corinthians 1:18, 23).
Jesus was more concerned with truth than feelings as that’s what He did, spoke the truth much to the aggravation of the Pharisees (Matthew 15:12). And he continued to spread the truth knowing some people would have trouble accepting it.
This is a lesson, again in today’s heated social and political climate, that helping others see the error of their ways is important and is, in essence, following in the steps of Jesus Christ.
While we here at Steadfast may have a tendency to get a little… radical… about some subjects and once in a while we missed an important “footnote” for a story we hope to accomplish just that. There are truths that need to be spoken about several “social issues”
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We hope you all have a wonderful 2018 as there are big things popping. And we hope you’ll continue to help spread Truth.
(H/T Answers in Genesis)