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| QB Tim Tebow, bowing here in high school, has offended people because of his public demonstrations of his faith. |
That's not what I'm talking about, thought. I asking if Christians are even allowed to voice their concerns ... yes, on even little things ... that really don't reflect well on Christ (if we wear His name as Christians).
I don't think there's a fine line between Pharisee and a Christian truly desiring to live holy.
And yet, have you ever found that voicing your offense to something will wind up putting you in the Pharisee category? Self-righteous? Legalistic?
Didn't Christ come to give us freedom? they ask.
Yes, freedom. But not freedom to sin. Not freedom to be like the world. Freedom to serve Him recklessly.
Can a Christian be offended by a movie, a song, a post? And if those items are from Christians, then do they have an obligation to raise that concern?
Or are we to mind our own business?
Some say MYOB.
And there is a time to MYOB. When traitor Judas was falsely "offended" at the lavish love shown to Jesus by the breaking of an expensive perfume jar, Judas gave the "Sunday School" answer of wondering aloud "Why the waste," that perfume could have been sold at a high price to help the poor.
Gimme a break, Judas.
Jesus, in essence, told Jesus to mind his own business and leave the woman alone. She was praising Jesus.
But that's not the kind of offense I'm talking about. And I'm not talking about people who seem to go out looking to be offended. You know what I mean. But I'm talking about those who have an offense put in their face (a crass gesture, a profane video clip, etc.) -- by a professing Christian.
I know there's a lot of questions here. Some will say "Jesus offended people." That's true. And that kind of offense is the kind of offense we as Christians are supposed to live out. We are to offend people, I suppose, with holy living (not self-righteous, but true righteousness).
We should not be offending fellow believers with things of this world. If we're offending people because we're just a crass as the world, well, that's not the same thing as the offense Jesus caused.
It's like Jesus said in Matthew 5, blessed are those who are persecuted for My name's sake.
“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
BECAUSE of ME. That's the key!
In John 15 Jesus says:
18“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.19“If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.20“Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also."
Again, this hatred comes from us not being of this world. If we were like the world, it would love us.
1 Peter 3 weighs in on this as well:
"13Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?"
Well, I can say firsthand there are people who proclaim to be Christians who are out there to harm you for being zealous for what is good!
Please continue, Peter:
"14But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED,15but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;16and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame."
That's a God thing. That's not for me to do. The Holy Spirit does the convicting.
"17For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.18For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;19in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison,20who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water."Of course, one key aspect to this is how do we approach the person who offended us. If we don't know them, but they're putting out a public post to a public audience that's questionable, I think we still have a right or even obligation in love to point that out -- or at least least, seek God's will for that.
Although Proverbs gives us plenty to chew on when dealing with foolish behavior.
Proverbs 29:9: "If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet."
Or Proverbs 26:4-9 says it best:
"4 When arguing with fools, don't answer their foolish arguments, or you will become as foolish as they are. 5 When arguing with fools, be sure to answer their foolish arguments, or they will become wise in their own estimation.
6 Trusting a fool to convey a message is as foolish as cutting off one's feet or drinking poison! 7 In the mouth of a fool, a proverb becomes as limp as a paralyzed leg.
8 Honoring a fool is as foolish as tying a stone to a slingshot. 9 A proverb in a fool's mouth is as dangerous as a thornbush brandished by a drunkard."
Something to chew on.
