Skip to main content

HANDLING OFFENCES

Text Matthew 18:21-22

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, if my brother keeps on sinning against me, how many times do I have to forgive him? Seven times?No, not seven times,” answered Jesus, “but seventy times seven,

Offences are bound to come as long as you relate and interact with people. 
Jesus said in Luke  17:1 to His disciples that, it is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!

 *Offences are like a grenade (Bomb) that you must neither throw nor receive.* Either way, it causes destruction. You must always receive grace not to be an intentional offender nor a 'nurser' of offence. 

From our text, Jesus taught what your response should always be towards offenders. 
You must always forgive everyone that offends you no matter the number of times they offend you in a day. 

Jesus' recommendation for forgiveness of offence in a day is seventy times seven.

Since offence is bound to occur, we shall be looking at how you can handle offences. 

First and foremost, you must always know that  the devil is behind all offences. Satan is the initiator of offences. He was the first offender in heaven. He offended God by desiring and attempting to usurp God's authority. (Isaiah 14: 13-16). 

The devil also sold same offence to Adam and Eve, and they in turn offended God. Consequently, God sent them out of the garden of Eden.

 *When someone offends you and you react to or embrace such offence, you are not different to the one who gave the offence.* 

Jesus gave us a practical example on how you need to always see Satan and not your fellow human being as the offender.
In Mathew 16:21, Jesus was describing how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.  Peter took Jesus by the side and began to rebuke him.

Jesus knew that someone was about to offend and distract Him from fulfilling the Father's plan and purpose over his life. As for Jesus, He knew who the true offender was in this case-Satan!

Though, he turned to Peter, but he was rebuking Satan.
*He turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Matthew 16:23.* 

A great deliverance has come upon anyone that is able to identify the real  offender (satan) who is always lurking behind the offences from man.

BIBLE READING: Mathew 18:1:10.

 PRAYER FOCUS

1. Father,  help me to always see the true enemy(satan)behind every offences shot against me.

2. Father,  please give me the grace not to give or react to offences.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

THE GOOD FIGHT-2

Text:  1 Timothy  6:12   Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. Another thing to pursue in fighting the good fight of faith is Godliness. We understand through the Holy scriptures that godliness is profitable unto all things.   *For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.* 1 Timothy  4:8.  You will reap the reward of your godliness not only when you get to heaven, but from here on earth. And this is why we are admonished to exercise ourselves unto godliness. (1 Timothy  4:7), because godliness with contentment is great gain.1 Timothy  6:6. Godliness is the practice of conforming to the image of God by reflecting the nature of the kingdom of God in the course of everyday life. In other words, godliness is living and portray...

IT IS WRITTEN AGAIN

Text: Matthew 4:6. He told Jesus, “Since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, because it is written,   ‘God will put his angels in charge of you,’ and,   ‘With their hands they will hold you up, so that you will never hit your foot against a rock.’ Jesus knocked devil off with "it is written" when he came to him with the first temptation. So, the devil too decided to use "it is written" for Jesus for the second temptation.  Don't be deceived, the devil knows the scriptures too. Second Corinthians 11:14 says,  "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." So, it's no surprise when you see Satan's messengers masquerading themselves as Apostle of Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:14.  The word of God is perfect. Yet, many people can twist it to their advantage and ultimately to their disadvantage. A drunk, smoker, fornicator, liar and all sort can justify their sinful lifestyles with a Bible verse. See to it that you do not twist the word of Go...

WHEN GOD IS SILENT(2)

Text: Matthew 4:1  *Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.*  We saw yesterday that God was not pleased with many israelites that left Egypt for the promised land  (Corinthians 10:5).  A good percentage of the Israelites were overthrown in the wilderness.   Wilderness experience is not what any child of God desires, but it is an experience God sends or allows his children go through. In Deuteronomy 8:2, God says that He *LED* the Isrealites through the wilderness for forty years to humble them, to prove them, and to know what was in their heart whether they would keep his commandments or not.  Our Lord Jesus Christ was also *LED* into the wilderness by the Spirit of the Lord to be tempted by the devil. You will  notice there is a similar feature of the number *40(forty)* between these two wilderness experiences. That is, that of the Israelites and our Lord Jesus Christ. The Israelites spent 40years, Jesu...