How to Handle Offenses

In Luke 17:1 it is written, “...It is impossible but that offenses will come...” and also is added, “...but woe unto him, through whom they come.” Proverbs 18:19 says, “A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city...”

Jesus continues on in Luke 17, verses 3 and 4, “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespess against thee, rebuke him (In other words, tell him so!); and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.” Did you notice that this is a “Thou shalt?” Not a “You can think about it?”) Paul wrote in Philippians 1:9 and 10 that our love should abound more and more in knowledge and in discernment so that we may “...approve things that are excellent...” that “...we may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.”

There are different types of offense. There are those who deliberately set out to stir up strife and tear down the church, workers of iniquity who masquerade themselves as workers of light. Those in league with the enemy to undermine the Word of God and cause division among those within the body of Christ. Of those the scripture says, “...mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good [smooth] words and fair [flattering] speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” (Romans 16:17-18).

When somebody does something differently than you think that they ought to (or in some cases don’t do things that you think they should have done) and these differences begin to surface, when you begin to feel an negative defense rising up within your heart, remember this: We of the body of Christ and are each unique individuals, each made in the image of God Himself. Satan will use those difference to divide and to destroy the body if we allow the defensive emotions to grow.

In Matthew 18:21 the apostle Peter asked Jesus, “...Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?” In verse 22 Jesus responds with , “I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.” In other words, over and over and over again! As many times as a request is presented, we must forgive.

Offences

Personally i find when someone offends me it causes my focus to be on myself and negative feelings to arise against the "offender" therefore i desire to forgive them quickly in order to get my focus back on God. It helps to know that God also loves the "offender" and he/she need more light of God in their lives. I confess this is often not possible by just depending on myself for it but I must desire it first, then the Lord blesses my desire and makes it so. It is only by God's grace I can forgive again and again and again.