Is There A Good Time To Offend Folks?
"There is a time for every purpose under heaven...a time to be silent, and a time to speak." (Ecclesiastes 3:7)
The problem is determining when to speak up! 😇
"Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, Listen and understand. A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it. Then the disciples came to Him and said, Are You aware that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?...
"For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all...Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it...They worship me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men." (Titus 2:11; Matthew 7:11-14; 15:9)
The problem is determining when to speak up! 😇
"Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, Listen and understand. A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it. Then the disciples came to Him and said, Are You aware that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?...
Jesus was talking to the crowd about the Jewish religious leaders of his day. They were defiling themselves and the crowd by what they taught, not by what they ate or drank. These "Pharisees" were "offended" by what Jesus said, and the "disciples" of Jesus asked him about it...
"But Jesus replied, Every plant that My Heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by its roots. Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” (Matthew 15:10-14)
"But Jesus replied, Every plant that My Heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by its roots. Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” (Matthew 15:10-14)
The "plant" that was being "planted" was the teaching of these religious leaders. The "plant" is not the person, but what comes out of our mouths.
I am aware that my faith in the salvation and reconciliation of all mankind has "offended" some folks. But there is a time when I had to "disregard" what had "defiled" me in favor of the truth that set me free. At 67, being closer to my death than my birth, it is no longer "a time to be silent", but "a time to speak". I am reminded of Jeremiah's lament...
"I thought, I'll forget him; I won't mention His name. But there's an intense fire in my heart, trapped in my bones. I'm drained trying to contain it; I'm unable to do it." (Jeremiah 20:9 CEB)
There is only a "narrow gate" "that leads to life", and only "a few find it" in this present evil age, even among Christians. Jesus is that "narrow gate", and the only road to salvation is on the "grace" of God highway. All mankind will eventually enter that gate and arrive at their appointed destination - salvation, but many will first have to "fall into a pit".
"I thought, I'll forget him; I won't mention His name. But there's an intense fire in my heart, trapped in my bones. I'm drained trying to contain it; I'm unable to do it." (Jeremiah 20:9 CEB)
There is only a "narrow gate" "that leads to life", and only "a few find it" in this present evil age, even among Christians. Jesus is that "narrow gate", and the only road to salvation is on the "grace" of God highway. All mankind will eventually enter that gate and arrive at their appointed destination - salvation, but many will first have to "fall into a pit".
The broad road to the "pit" of "destruction" is the "precepts of men" and there are many who are blindly being led down that super highway to heaven - only to "fall into a pit". They will eventually realize that Jesus was the Savior of the whole world and confess...
"Now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world... he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.." (John 4:42; 1 John 2:2)
And yes, I am aware that "many" think I am the "blind" one motoring down the broad way of destruction. One thing is for sure, one of us is "blind", and "if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into pit".
"Now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world... he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.." (John 4:42; 1 John 2:2)
And yes, I am aware that "many" think I am the "blind" one motoring down the broad way of destruction. One thing is for sure, one of us is "blind", and "if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into pit".