Fact Check, 41

~ Never Offend ~

People Think  ~  Christians should be on guard to never offend or hurt another person’s feelings. 

Comment  ~  Jesus Christ made it clear that there is only one way to heaven.  There is only one path to God.  “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me’” (John 14:6).

God Answers  ~  “Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed.  Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Proverbs 27:5-6).

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:11-16).

The Significance  ~  Christians should always avoid offense as much as possible.  But true Christian faith requires speaking the truth in love at appropriate times.  One such time is when faced with a direct question. 

“Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.  For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:15-17).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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