Offending

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     James 2:10 says, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”

     Not long ago, I was up early and someone in the hallway began swearing in a very loud and distinctive voice taking the Lord’s name in vain and I found myself really being offended by such an outburst of profanity.  It is one thing to swear and another to take the name of God in vain which is a clear violation of one of the Ten Commandments.  It would seem that God knew in advance that we were going to “blame Him” for our present circumstances  such as did the Israelites in the wilderness.  It is also a fact that we, as human beings, get offended by others and that we often offend others ourselves.  To some, fragrances become offensive, or certain words become offensive or how we eat becomes offensive.   Some people have the attitude, “so what if it offends someone, let them take it or lump it.”

     God has set a standard for us to follow if we are going to please Him and we had better take note of what that standard is.  James makes it quite clear in the above passage that if we offend, or fail in even one pointf, or one law, or one statute, we are guilty of the whole law and therefore will be judged accordingly.  I am usually not up very long before some thought or desire or motive becomes clear that I have offended God and so therefore I am guilty of breaking the whole law.    Some will say, “Oh, that isn’t fair.  Surely, God will take me anyway to His home.”  It all depends on whether or not you have accepted the payment for your sin which is the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary.  Many think that all roads lead to heaven and they are wrong.  Only one road leads to heaven according to John 14:6 and it is the Lord Jesus Christ through believing in Him. The above passage declares that each and every person on the face of the earth fall into the category of sinners  and rightly deserve eternal damnation but God, Who is rich in mercy, provided a Way for us to get to heaven, even to those who think they are perfect, but are from it.  That is the way of salvation through the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the death, burial and resurrection.  You may be able to be offended, to cause offenses to others and say, “So what.”  To offend God in just one point of the law makes us guilty and so we need a Savior.  The Lord Jesus Christ is that Savior!  After salvation for each and everyone of us, we can say that we are sinners saved by grace, the grace of God.  Praise God today that He has provided such a wonderful salvation.