Offenses

[hmbld]

Everywhere there are offenses, I'm offended, your offended.  I'm tired of all the offenses.  Can I choose not to be offended?

From Oswald Chambers Utmost:

Agree with your adversary quickly… —Matthew 5:25

In this verse, Jesus Christ laid down a very important principle by saying, “Do what you know you must do— now. Do it quickly. If you don’t, an inevitable process will begin to work ‘till you have paid the last penny’ (Matthew 5:26) in pain, agony, and distress.” God’s laws are unchangeable and there is no escape from them. The teachings of Jesus always penetrate right to the heart of our being.

Wanting to make sure that my adversary gives me all my rights is a natural thing. But Jesus says that it is a matter of inescapable and eternal importance to me that I pay my adversary what I owe him. From our Lord’s standpoint it doesn’t matter whether I am cheated or not, but what does matter is that I don’t cheat someone else. Am I insisting on having my own rights, or am I paying what I owe from Jesus Christ’s standpoint?

Do it quickly— bring yourself to judgment now. In moral and spiritual matters, you must act immediately. If you don’t, the inevitable, relentless process will begin to work. God is determined to have His child as pure, clean, and white as driven snow, and as long as there is disobedience in any point of His teaching, He will allow His Spirit to use whatever process it may take to bring us to obedience. The fact that we insist on proving that we are right is almost always a clear indication that we have some point of disobedience. No wonder the Spirit of God so strongly urges us to stay steadfastly in the light! (see John 3:19-21).

“Agree with your adversary quickly….” Have you suddenly reached a certain place in your relationship with someone, only to find that you have anger in your heart? Confess it quickly— make it right before God. Be reconciled to that person— do it now!

 

[PageofGrace]

I've lived by a saying for a great number of years. I adopted the saying from being bullied in my school years and it seems to work pretty well. It's borrowed from Eleanor Roosevelt and I don't claim to quote her verbatim. 

No one can insult me without my permission. 

I am whatever an adversary thinks I am. Because that is in their eyes through which they see me. And from the moment they see me in an adversarial way, they are the one obligated to have that effect their life from that moment of creation on. I own them. Just by existing as me, while they judge me through their own faults. 

They can be happy and when they see me they fall from there into that judgment place. And that takes their happiness away. By their choice in the beginning when they labeled me so. I had not a thing to do with this. It was their choice. 

I am not obligated to believe what other people think of me, criticize about me, or chuck at me with the intention of hurting me with words as they would like with a fist. That had it been thrown would land them in jail. 
 

In forums there are those of this nature too. Their words in print are imagined as them speaking them aloud in person. It says a lot, what a Christian says about and to others. 

 

Don't you think? 

[Willa]

Greater is He that is within me that he that is in the world.  Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.  

Greater is Christ's love in me than the evil that is in them.  Overcome evil with good, and do it from a position of God's power.  

Forgiveness is a choice and love in a choice.  I choose to allow Christ to live in me and say Father forgive them, they don't realize what they are doing.

And I remember that they may not be reacting to them at all.  They may be reacting to Christ in me.  So I choose not to take it personally.

But should they be reacting to me and the fault lies with me, then I should apologize quickly and continue to pray that I might die so that Christ may be seen in me.

[HisFirst]

3 hours ago, PageofGrace said:

I've lived by a saying for a great number of years. I adopted the saying from being bullied in my school years and it seems to work pretty well. It's borrowed from Eleanor Roosevelt and I don't claim to quote her verbatim. 

No one can insult me without my permission. 

 

Hi PoG,

Its one of my faves too!

" No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

Eleanor Roosevelt.

 

I think she said this also:

"Great minds discuss ideas - average minds discuss events - small minds discuss people."

[Flowerwater]

12 minutes ago, HisFirst said:

Hi PoG,

Its one of my faves too!

" No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

Eleanor Roosevelt.

 

I think she said this also:

"Great minds discuss ideas - average minds discuss events - small minds discuss people."

Great quote! 

 Someone recently accused me of being a demon because I didn't agree with their bigotry. 

I know God has a message there for something I'm suppose to learn from encountering an atheist so full of hate as to verbally assault someone they know to be a Christian, but at the time, it does upset to anger. If you've ever been bullied or verbally abused, name calling, which is the sign of youth and immaturity and spoiled-rotten demeanor that has no other outlet when their opinion doesn't "get its way" , is surprising to encounter as an adult. 
Those things you thought you'd left behind when you grew older. And then you encounter some  smart mouthed child with poor parenting raising them up and POW! It's nostalgia. Back in Kindergarten when name callers really meant something to your state of being. It all add's up to something the Father wants us to learn. We just have to breathe and step back and look for the thread of meaning. God is a personal God. He knew us before we were created in the womb of our mom's.  So he also knows how to reach us through experience. 

The brat offender that called me demon has something to learn as that atheist so full of hate for Christians. And I have something to learn that an atheist can make me wonder why it is I see them and give one care that they're going to Hell until they choose to change their direction of their own soul. 

I've worn a lot of hats in my life. Prison guard currently. 

Maybe that's it. The atheist locked in their own prison cell of hate for redemption and its message? 

I can't share the keys to free people behind bars now unless the court of man says, OK. But I can share the gospel. 

 

[Neighbor]

13 hours ago, Yowm said:

Most of Matt 18 deals with offenses including this one...

"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
(Mat 18:15-17)
 

Please allow me a question- to whom is Jesus speaking? Is everyone a brother, or not? I ask for there is great doubt in my mind that the principle, the command, applies univerally, for what benefit is there in attempting to take  a non-brother (or non-sister) to church for  resolution of a conflict?

 I deal with a non-believing world, a world to which I am a foreigner. I am like most that may be here on this board, held to a standard the world does not obey and does not want. In that world I find offense against God all day everyday. I cannot take the world into a court of church. And so I must simply be content to suffer even as God Himself suffered the world's abuse. I do so as  my Lord Jesus' bond-servant. I do so happily regardless of the  "incoming" assaults on my  own body because of my own adherence to the faith of Jesus. Instead I chose to let my own non retaliation become  introduction to my own testimony of the awesomeness of our creator. Doing so as best I know how, to be loyal as a soldier of Christ Jesus. 

I try to not go act for act, response for response, cutting word for cutting word, as there is no good fruit on that tree. To paraphrase it may be sweet on the tongue but it will be bitter in the stomach. In the Old testament the standard from God was  to not be excessive in response to offense, an eye for an eye is a limit- not a demand. It is a limit on the cruelty of response to an affront one that is not to be exceeded.  The New testament steps up our game a bit.

Matthew 5:38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

 

Personally I conclude that there is one standard and provision for dealing with brothers  for they are aware of Jesus and are his bond-servants, and there is another way for dealing in and with an unbelieving  world that does not yet kneel before God. My testimony as a witness must be honest and also greater than my old self would ever allow. And I must let patience have it's victory that comes with time.

 I must become humble* by being humbled* enough to withstand the assaults for my Lord's gospel, the gospel of Jesus the Christ.

 

* One cannot brag about being humble can they? Therefore it is a difficult experience to describe that state of being actively passive in response to assault.

 

 

[kwikphilly]

Quote

Greater is He that is within me that he that is in the world.  Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.  

Greater is Christ's love in me than the evil that is in them.  Overcome evil with good, and do it from a position of God's power.  

Forgiveness is a choice and love in a choice.  I choose to allow Christ to live in me and say Father forgive them, they don't realize what they are doing.

And I remember that they may not be reacting to them at all.  They may be reacting to Christ in me.  So I choose not to take it personally.

But should they be reacting to me and the fault lies with me, then I should apologize quickly and continue to pray that I might die so that Christ may be seen in me.                                                             Willa

   Excellent thread Hmbld.....the "spirit of pride" is indeed the adversary,that busy little demon is very fast to tell us"They just offended YOU!!!"  Oh my,we must rebuke that spirit....bringing our thoughts to the obedience of Christ!!!!

Quote

2 Corinthians 10:5King James Version (KJV)

⁵ Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Never ever ever to repay evil with evil,9 times out of ten that spirit will have persuaded a Believer that there was much more than what was actually said......& then who is truly the disobedient one?

We must be extra careful on the computer,all there is ,is words.....there is no sound,tone,we can't see gestures or facial expressions ,body language is absent and most the time there are many assumptions being made in regards to someones intent,motives,agenda.......assumptions are never a good thing,especially to assume you've just been personally offended      We must be SLOW to anger,ready to forgive and also have the Wisdom to know better than to entertain the enemy

 I don't remember ever being easily offended & as a matter of fact I wrestled with the spirit of pride for a long time,still never easily offended & I thank God for that but I was always a pretty confident person....Then as I matured(in Christ) I really understood the difference between Gods Righteousness & being "self righteous",so its pretty difficult for me to take offense knowing it is not flesh & blood that is the adversary     I have "heard" many things that were probably meant to be offensive but it just doesn't work out real well for the enemy,I know WHO I am in Christ   

  Before I fully submitted to Christ Lordship I was prideful & would more often than not be the one to offend & Holy Spirit Revealed my own heart to me......that hurt,I seek Gods Approval,not mans and its very easy to say"I'm sorry" because I don't want anyone to be hurt because of the Love of Christ     I think usually it is hurt people that hurt people,the best prayer is to ask the Lord to Reveal our own hearts to us.......What I've learned in all these years is that "hurt" is also due to "pride"                                                                      With love-in Christ,Kwik

[Neighbor]

1 hour ago, Yowm said:

I'm not sure why you are asking. Jesus clearly says 'brother'. The world is not our 'brother or sister' but those who do God's will. I never expected the guys at work to follow Jesus' admonition.

I asked because the premise of the thread, as I understood it, was that someone of the world, not a believer in Jesus as Lord, had called a saint  a demon.

Your Bible quote, I have thought to date deals with  believers, and relations between believers, in Christ Jesus as Lord God and savior.

I was left with the question how do I make application of that  guidance when dealing with nonbelievers, does it fit?  It may not fit well for dealing with the world of nonbelievers. Or then again, maybe you think it does and I want to learn. 

 I am curious; and so I have asked. You have answered, leaving me  to think- evidently it doesn't "fit", but is profitable to know. ???

But that is okay, Bible stuff is always good for making me think things through and to pray about gaining understanding. So thanks..

Edited July 3, 2017 by Neighbor

[PageofGrace]

On 7/2/2017 at 9:40 PM, Flowerwater said:

Great quote! 

 Someone recently accused me of being a demon because I didn't agree with their bigotry. 

I know God has a message there for something I'm suppose to learn from encountering an atheist so full of hate as to verbally assault someone they know to be a Christian, but at the time, it does upset to anger. If you've ever been bullied or verbally abused, name calling, which is the sign of youth and immaturity and spoiled-rotten demeanor that has no other outlet when their opinion doesn't "get its way" , is surprising to encounter as an adult. 
Those things you thought you'd left behind when you grew older. And then you encounter some  smart mouthed child with poor parenting raising them up and POW! It's nostalgia. Back in Kindergarten when name callers really meant something to your state of being. It all add's up to something the Father wants us to learn. We just have to breathe and step back and look for the thread of meaning. God is a personal God. He knew us before we were created in the womb of our mom's.  So he also knows how to reach us through experience. 

The brat offender that called me demon has something to learn as that atheist so full of hate for Christians. And I have something to learn that an atheist can make me wonder why it is I see them and give one care that they're going to Hell until they choose to change their direction of their own soul. 

I've worn a lot of hats in my life. Prison guard currently. 

Maybe that's it. The atheist locked in their own prison cell of hate for redemption and its message? 

I can't share the keys to free people behind bars now unless the court of man says, OK. But I can share the gospel. 

 

That takes a lot of courage to be a guard in a prison. God be with you. 

[hmbld]

On July 2, 2017 at 5:34 PM, Willa said:

Greater is He that is within me that he that is in the world.  Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.  

Greater is Christ's love in me than the evil that is in them.  Overcome evil with good, and do it from a position of God's power.  

Thanks Willa, right on point.  Your words here have helped me understand what I am wrestling with.  There have been many of your posts that I have not responded to, that have helped me understand, thank you!