No offence

We give no offence in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. – 2 Corinthians 6.3

Have you ever met a Christian who just always seems to delight in causing offence, and then claiming he was persecuted for the cause of Christ? I've known guys who were absolute jerks to people and then cried foul when people rejected them.

Where some people at some times have thought offensiveness meant a fervent witness, Paul simply wrote that in order to protect our ministry we cause no offence in anything we say or do.

If anything is going to give anyone any reason to reject the gospel it needs to be the message of the cross and that alone. It may cause offence to point out that all have sinned. It may cause opposition to say that there is nothing anyone can do about their sin in their own power. It may cause offence  to say that religion does no good. It may be offensive to say that all their good works mean nothing.

When we look at it is pretty obvious that the gospel is going to cause offence  It says, pretty clearly, that no matter how good a person thinks they are they are doomed and can't do anything about it.

But we as ministers of the gospel must never cause offence.

I think there are two aspects to that.

First, and most obvious, is the way we can be offensive in our witness. The gospel is never to be shared in arrogance and pride and judgement. To put it simply we can't be jerks when we share the gospel.

But I can think of another way to cause offence.

We cause offence when our actions contradict our words.

Somewhere about 1975 or so I was confronted with the reality of my life causing offence. I had been saved about 18 months. I had been fervent about sharing my faith. I was involved in Bible studies. I was faithful in church. I was active in an active campus Christian fellowship.

But I had started going slipping in my walk with the Lord. I was drinking pretty heavily again. No one would have guessed that I was a Christian. I went to a particular party one night with a couple of my friends. As we came back on the them said 'Parrow, you had better never try that Jesus but on us again, because now we'll never believe it's real.'

I guess that's what is really called 'causing offence.'

Let's be sure that we 'give no offence in anything' because when we do our ministry is surely hindered.