"Skandalon" 01 How to Clear Your Conscience

October 27, 2019

Pastor White

Offenses come so often in life and it seems like people in today's culture are always either causing offense or being offended! The selfish attitudes that seem to imply that everyone has the right to say anything they want, against anyone, at anytime, no matter how much they offend or how destructive such comments are, has become a norm of society. Graciousness is a lost art and kindness seems far from normal activity, especially if you use FaceBook or Instagram. On the other end of the spectrum, there are people that cry "offense" against anyone that should question their "rights" no matter how far fetched or ridiculous. In the midst of our twisted society, where right is wrong and wrong is right, we have an obligation to know how to live together in a culture that cares enough about civility and social peace and family and community and logical thinking and humanity and love and joy, etc, to learn how to be gracious to one another. As Christians, that might start with our willingness to admit when we are wrong, pursue forgiveness when we have been offensive, and learn how to repent. It surely requires us who have been forgiven so much by God the Father, that we learn what forgiveness looks like, how to offer it and how to pursue it when those who have offended us, don't know how to repent. We must not just sweep things under the rug with a cavalier, "Well, I've forgiven him (her), but I can't forget it!" Society is full of broken people who need Christians to look and act like real Christians, who repent when they offend, and forgive when they are offended, and who pursue this Peace in a Scandalous World of Offense!