No excuses

We’ve all heard it said many times that some people don’t go to church and some even refuse to become believers because of all the hypocrites. Gandhi is supposed to have said, “I would be a Christian, if it were not for Christians.”

But you know what? When we stand before God some day, we’re not going to be able to point to anyone else as a reason why we did not believe. That does not excuse Christians from their sins — God will deal with them in His own time and way. God has given evidence of Himself in creation: Romans 1:19-20 says, “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse…” He has also manifested Himself in His Word (John 5:39: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”) Every person has some degree of light: John 1:9 says, “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world,” referring back to Christ as the Light earlier in the chapter. Jesus said in John 16:8 that the Holy Spirit will “reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” Those who come before His judgment seat as unbelievers will have to answer for what they did with the light they had, not what everyone else did.

Christians are also without excuse for not being and doing what we ought.

It used to be, when I heard that someone had been out of church for 20 years because someone offended them, I would think, “That’s terrible! We need to be more cautious, more loving, more sensitive…” And we do. But whatever offended that person, God tells him to forgive his brethren in love and to forbear with them (Col. 3:12-14). He also tells them that if they will not forgive, they can’t expect to be forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15).

As parents, when our children begin to explain their actions by saying, “Well, he…..,” our response is, “I’ll deal with him: right now I am talking about you.” It is much the same way with the Lord: He will deal with others about what they did or didn’t do, but meanwhile He has promised that His grace is sufficient, that He will never leave us or forsake us, that He will supply all our needs (we apply that to physical needs but it certainly applies to spiritual needs as well). He has every right to say, “Yes, that person failed you. This person hurt you. He provoked you; she was a bad example. But I would have helped you overcome. Why didn’t you turn to Me?”

Once when Rosalind Goforth lost her temper with some Chinese unbelievers, her husband confronted her:

“Rose, how could you so forget yourself?” he said. “Do you realize that just one such incident may undo months of self-sacrificing, loving service?”

“But Jonathan” I returned, “you don’t know how she — “

But he interrupted. “Yes, I do; I heard all. You certainly had reason to be annoyed; but were you justified, with all that is hanging in the balance and God’s grace to keep you patient?”

Too often we focus on the human justifications for our actions. But we’re called on to manifest super-human reactions: we’re called to show forth the fruit of the Spirit in our lives: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Galatians 5:22-23) no matter what anyone else does or doesn’t do.

Of course we can’t do that in ourselves: it’s the fruit of the Spirit. We won’t be perfect at it in this life, and I am so thankful for God’s forgiveness when we confess our sins to Him (I John 1:9). But we need to keep our eyes on Him, what He expects of us, and His grace to do His will, not on ourselves or other people.

II Corinthians 9:8: And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.

Hebrews 4:16:Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.