Friday, June 6, 2014

Walking on Eggs Is Not Required

I am offended by...

This and similar statements have been used by well-meaning parents, teachers and preachers to motivate others to do what is right. They are also used by strong-willed people to compel people in their circle to walk on eggs, or to stomp on them. One may be offended by someone who watches movies, the other may be offended by someone who doesn’t. In all cases, the secondary problem is the word "offended." The primary problem is the word, "I." 

Nothing in our relationships in Christ is about lining up with someone else’s personal agenda. Yes, there are organizational situations where certain things must be done or not done to achieve specific goals. Even then, though, the issue is not about leadership being offended but about an individual being disobedient or irresponsible. We have no business posturing ourselves as the offended ones in order to compel others to obey God's clear commands. Nor do we have any business posturing ourselves as offended by legalism as a means of luring others to experience freedoms before their conscience is ready.

On three occasions individuals were tripped up by Jesus because of truth. Otherwise  "offence" in the New Testament primarily warns against causing a weaker brother to stumble in his faith through man-made scruples or to be trapped in sin by reckless liberty. To be vulnerable to being trapped (offended) is to be weak in the faith. The offended person is in need, not in charge.  


Self denial and self control are biblical realities. They are not what the legalist would make them to be, nor what the freedomist would ignore as being. I would like to conclude with a personal testimony of my own voyage between this scylla and charybdis; but before I do, let’s take an intermission to consider some stories at The Dead Salamander coffee shop.

No comments:

Post a Comment