“You are offensive and that is not christlike.”
oh really? In Mt 12:34 Jesus called the Pharisees’ mothers snakes. In John 8:6-11 he offended a group one by one until they all left his presence. In John 6:66 Jesus is intentionally offensive to his own followers which caused many to turn back. In John 4 he offends the woman he is trying to convert. Should I go on? I can.
Jesus’s love has always been offensive to liars, and those captive to lies. However, it is kind and sweet salvation to the repentant. The culture may change and be offended by all kinds of different things but His love never fails. (Rev 21:8, John 8:44, Prov 19:9, Rev 22:15) It never fails to offend and it never fails to set free.
Jesus is offensive because his love cannot be separated from truth.
We know this because he tells us that he is both love and truth. This is not a combination of two attributes that must be decided between, or balanced or measured out in equal parts to those around us. We cannot decide this person needs love and this other person needs truth. That is a naive understanding at best. Truth and love are the same thing. They cannot be separated. Eph 4:15 tells us that we are to speak truth in love and 1 John 3:18 tell us we are to love in truth. We are also taught that love rejoices in truth because truth sets us free and those that are freed by Jesus Christ are free indeed.
I have even had people tell me: “Yes Brad, but you are not Jesus.” True enough and thank God for it! But unfortunately that does not let any of us off the hook because Jesus specifically tells us to love as he did (John 13:34). That means IN TRUTH. -Not with a little truth sprinkled in as we think can be digested or with some truth along side that is not too harsh. No, we are commanded to love in truth. And to share the truth in love. Neither of those things can be understated. Whenever we try to do one without the other we are in the wrong. Love without truth is pandering, enabling and through silence and toleration it encourages unrighteousness. Truth without love is prideful, spiteful and turns us in to hypocrites easily dismissed. Together they are a powerful two edged sword working in unison to free people from sin.
It was because of God’s love that he sent is only begotten son to earth (john 3:16) to testify to the truth (John 18:37) so that anyone that believes the truth of Christ will not perish but have eternal abundant life being set free (John 8:36) from all sin and condemnation!
Offensive means being offensive
Finally, offensive means being offensive. Lol… What?! In other words it means being on the attack and not being defensive in our faith. Jesus said that he has established his church and that “the gates of hell” will not prevail against it. Gates are a defense which would mean that we as the church are to be on the attack in the battle. A defending force does not set captives free. We are to follow our king into battle. Not tolerant, not passive, not permissive but aggressively sharing the good news of forgiveness! In fact the only place in the bible that I can find having to do with defending anything is in 1 Peter 3:15 where we are to defend the reason for our faith. Truth!
(2 Cor 7:9-10, 1 Cor 13:6, John 8:32, 1 Cor 13:6, 2 Peter 3:9)
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