OFFENCES

VICTORY OVER OFFENCES

 ANCHOR SCRIPTURES:

But the end and culmination of all things has now come near; keep sound minded and self-restrained and alert therefore for [the practice of] prayer. Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others]. [Prov. 10:12.]

1 Peter 4:7‭-‬8 AMPC

When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. Luke 23:34

 INTRODUCTION

Human and divine relatiomship is nurtured and build on Love. The most effective anti-dose to the ailment named 'offences' is Love.  Love in its simplest term is a condition of heart that necessitates that your behaviour is controlled by the mindset of ' Do unto  others what God, the Creator has done for you and will always do for you. Love says show kindness and tolerance to others just  as God has shown you kindness and forbearance.

CHRIST IS THE STARDARD FOR ALL HUMAN BEHAVIOR

God is the perfect stardard for all Human behaviour. " Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect is a call to model your actions and behaviours exactly as Christ'  No one has ever seen God, the Father physically and we have been permitted to only see a few forms of the Holy Spirit.  But God is Love in His dealings with all men.

“Your ancestors have also been taught ‘Love your neighbors and hate the one who hates you.’ However, I say to you, love your enemy, bless the one who curses you, do something wonderful for the one who hates you, and respond to the very ones who persecute you by praying for them. For that will reveal your identity as children of your heavenly Father. He is kind to all by bringing the sunrise to warm and rainfall to refresh whether a person does what is good or evil. What reward do you deserve if you only love the loveable? Don’t even the tax collectors do that? How are you any different from others if you limit your kindness only to your friends? Don’t even the ungodly do that? Since you are children of a perfect Father in heaven, become perfect like him.”

Matthew 5:43‭-‬48 TPT

 God has graciously revealed Himself in the Son, so that you can know who God is and how He does things.  Scriptures states that Christ is the visible image of the invisible God, therefore you  are commanded to follow Christ who is the author and finisher of our Faith in all things.

"He is the divine portrait, the true likeness of the invisible God, and the firstborn heir of all creation.

Colossians 1:15 TPT

If we have this understanding of the person of The  Christ, we will find it easier to forgive and overlook offences.

When Jesus died on the Cross as orchestrate by the will of God but engineered by the Pharisees, Christ last statement concerning those who perpetrated this evil against Him was found in Luke 23:34. " Father forgive them for ending my life though l am innocence.

OFFENCES WILL CERTAINLY COME

 God created you for companionship!  you were fashioned for interaction, you were made for fellowship with God and your fellow men/women. 

Insolation and living alone was never the LORD's intention when mankind was been fashioned in the bosom of the Spirit.  Human frality and imperfection gives credence to the statement of Jesus Christ, the LORD that ' Offences will certainly come!.  

 SOME  DEFINITIONS OF OFFENCES

1. Offences  signifies a breach of the law, Roms. 5:15&17 ( ATS Dictionary)

2.  An offence is  a stumbling-block or cause of sin to others, Matt. 5:29 18:6-9; or whatever is perverted into an occasion or excuse for sin, Matt. 15:12,  John 6:61,  Romans 9:34 , Galatians 5:11 ( ATS Dictionary)

(1.) An injury or wrong done to one (1 Samuel 25:31-35,  Romans 5:15). ( Easton Bible Dictionary)

Offences as viewed in this write-up  is the wrong , injury, hurt caused by differences in  perspective/mindset between two parties:  That produces a change in behaviour and breds unforgivenrss and bitterness. 

Offences is a state of irritability and emotional unrest created by a perceived hurt emanating from any party because a certain expectation in behaviour is not met.

Offences alway result in behavioural change either verbal or non- verbal. But God has given grace  to every believer in Christ to forgive daily (70× 70 times offences daily)  It means there is grace, ability, power to overlook  any wrong, insults, abuses, wickedness committed against you; 4900 times (four thousand, nine hundred times daily)

CATEGORY OF OFFENCES

∆ THE HORIZONTAL OFFENCE MODEL

∆ THE VERTICAL OFFENCES MODEL

 

(This categories of offences  is coined by me as inspired by the Spirit and l have no references to  support the categorization of the word Offences.)

 

We can gleaned from the pages of  scriptures that offences  is expressed in different forms. 

√ Offences ranging from Job accusing God of giving blessings but also taking same blessings from him, 

√ Jonah anger at  God for extending forgiveness to the City of Nineveh, 

√ King David seeking vengeance against Joab for murdering Abner against  his wish, 

√ Michal, the wife of King David showing disdain ( borne out of  perceived offences committed against her person.

√ John the Baptist, the Cousin of our LORD Jesus Christ doubting if He was the Saviour because he was offended at Christ inaction in the face of his trials. 

√ Paul and Barnabas going their separate ways because of a disagreement which obviously they could not resolved.

It is either you are angry  at God for failures that are not His faults or you are angry at your fellow men for hurting you in any way. This is the simple meaning of horizontal and vertical offences  models.

THE HORIZONTAL.OFFENCE MODEL

 Horizontal offences Model is a form of friction created or produced in our relationship with God as a result of a perceived failure on the part of divinity.  it seem incomprehensible but it has been known from the Scriptures that Man has always been angry at God for a perceived failure on God's part to carry out an expected obligation .

The Bible is lined with case after case where God is accused of wrong doing.  God has hurt me is more subtil than the average Believer cares to admit. We don't necessarily forsake God for any perceived wrong we assumed He has done against us 

We don't run away from grace when we feel grace has failed to measure up to our expectations: Rather,  what you simply do when you  reasoned God has failed  you or the promises of God are not fulfilled in your life   is withdrawn from God slowly and begin to devise your own means of solving your problems 

You still attend Church, pray during your Devotion and even give your sacrificial seeds, but God is  no longer the center of your  focus. God is no longer the  first point of call when you need counsel. Rather, you turn to other seeming good outlets of advise and wisdom and only remember God when you meet brick walls in your endeavours 

THE VERITICAL  OFFENCE  MODEL

Vertical offences Model are the friction which ensures between two persons or parties as they relate day to day.. This relational friction may occur between husband and his wife, between two friends, colleagues at the office and  employer and employee 

Anything and everything that causes bitterness, grudge because there is a misunderstanding between two persons falls other this category.

WHY OFFENCES COME

1. DIVERSE PERSONALITIES

We must understand that  no two persons behave the same way, even twins will have some slight variation in their personalities and reactions.  It is this difference in the physical, mental and emotional composition of the average human that is the natural breeding basis or ground for offences.

The LORD Jesus Christ statement of " Offences will come'  It's a fact and  a truth; there is no way two persons will relate over a long time without  a fictional difference in the ways they view the same issue. This difference can create hurt, displeasures, anger that results in  immediate or delayed negative emotional reaction called offences. The anti- dose to all kind of  offences is Love. :

2. LIES OF THE ENEMY

The root of all man's accusation against God is ignorant. When things don't  go as planned inspite of our prayers, we intend to be angry at God for His inaction in saving us. In other words, you are offended because you perceive God has forsaken you. (You forget God promised never to leave you or forsake you. )

At such times, the Enemy will lie to you that God  is not faithful and is the cause of your problem. This was the lie Satan told Job that caused Job's anger at God.

3. IGNORANCE

This was  the case of Job. He was in pain and lost all his possession. He erroneously believed that God must be the cause. He assumed that this evil would have only happened to him because God relented in his promise of protecting and keeping family 

He did all within his power to offer sacrifices to God that will ensure God's protection for him and his family. Yet harm came to his family inspite of his daily sacrifices. So his conclusion is God caused the evil that befall him. This is reflected in His statement

"I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.” Ruth 1:21

The Lord revealed that the accusation of Job was based on ignorant in Job 38:2

Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?

 Anytime, a man believes that God has failed, the root is ignorant " my people perish because they do not know God 

4.  UNBELIEF

And tell John that the blessing of heaven comes to those who are not offended over me.”

Matthew 11:6 TPT

John the Baptist stopped believing in the same Saviour he introduced to the world when trouble came knocking. Our Lord Jesus Christ told the disciples that John the Baptist was offended over him.

5. DIFFERENCES IN INDIVIDUAL FIELD OF EXPERIENCE AND EXPOSURE

6. WORKS OF THE FLESH

7. IMPATIRNCE AND INTOLERANCE 

8. UNREASONABLE PERFECTION TENDENCY

SOME EXAMPLES OF THIS MODEL IN THE BIBLE.

HUSBAND & WIFE

1. King David and Michal his wife ( 2 Samuel 6:15-31)

Michal was once so in love in David that she defy her father King Saul to preserve David's life. But offences caused that same Michal to develop didain and express it publicly at a period when King David her husband was worshipping God.

Why was there a change of action in the attitude of Michal towards King David. Michal hated the fact that David forcefully took her away from her husband though he had married other women after his marriage to her. Although she did not express it at that time, she helf a grudge until an opportuned time  when she could expressed her grievances under the shade of another issue 

Offences between spouse can bred bitterness,  grudge and even division in the family. Sometimes it flows down to the children as resentment .

Unresolved offences can also create the avenue for emotional adultery. Emotional adultery is a state where a couple though they remained married, are separated in their emotions. They may still have sexual intercourse and do all public and private activities together but this is done out of a sense of obligation and not with gladness of heart or passion 

Usually, such emotional detached couples find emotional fulfillments in the companion of other people ( colleagues, church member, their children  etc). Though the Bible ordained that this couple be one, they have become two persons living in one house 

Emotional detachment caused by offences is the foundation for adultery in most marriages even Christian marriage..

2. OFFENCES BETWEEN TWO FRIENDS

Apostle Paul & Barnabas (  Acts 13:2-6; Acts 15;36-41)

The ministerial  relationship between Paul and Barnabas was officially initiated when the Holy Spirit said in  Acts  13:2-6. This same relationship ended because of a disagreement which caused one of the parties to be offended. That was the last time anything was mentioned about the ministry of Barnabas. Offences not addressed can end God ordained relationship.

3. OFEENSES BETWEEN A LEADER AND THEIR SUBORDINATE. 

Genesis 40:1-4,  1 Samuel 18:7-11,  1 Kings 2:6-9

Offences can result in death when not addressed. King David asked his son King Solomon not to allow Joab go free for going against his instructions of killing Abner. King David was not offended that Joab killed a Israeli, he had encourage the same Joab to send of an innocent man to his death. 

Rather he was offended that Joab murdered a man who came to help him become  King..

It was obvious he did not forgive Joab for that action, because after then, he instructed his son to carry out appropriate judgement for an action that happened in the past 

PROFFERED REMEDIES FOR OFFENCES 

1. Forgiveness is a state of mind whereby you make a decision that no matter the wrong you perceived that God or man commit against you will go unpunished and will not in any way result in a negative and bitter reaction from you to them.

 This is a forgiveness borne out of Love. The Bible says   love will covers multitude of sin. This kind  resolves that whatever wrong  committed against you will go unpunished. You don't desire any evil to befall others because they hurt you.You desire always that those who offend you go unpunished. 

Forginess is golden. Forgive seventy 70 ×70 times is almost humanly impossible for one man to  obey. But the Eternal Life within a believer empowers him/her to obey all the commandment given by God .

Humanly speaking, it's almost impossible to give to others the kind of love that Christ gave you. But every believer is ordained to draw strength from divinity to execute every divine instructions.

Even the rebirthed new man may still struggle with unforgivenrss unless they draw strength from the Holy Spirit within them. Jesus Christ our perfect Master and mentor was only able to offer Himself as an eternal scarifice through the eternal Spirit living in Him 

2.  Right perspective about God

Your perspective about God and his ways will determine to a large extent  what you will experience in your Christian walk .

God had already given the Saints all we need for life and goodness. It is left to the Believer to discover the things that have been freely  given by grace.

God is sheer goodness and will never knowingly and deliberately hurt His Children. The established Justice system of Heaven and human Governmnet will dash out appropriate punishment for certain vices and we blame God when He doed  nothing to stop this from happening. 

Most times we are hurt and offended because we either violate or neglect  the principles of living successfully  on earth without harm. We  intend to blame God.  

3.  Tolerance (70×70 times) It is established that no two persons is fashioned to response to an issue the same way. This state of unisoo in responses to the same issue is only possible when a man' s mind is renewed by the Word of God or by a system of belief that has been internally assimilatef over a long period of time

Therefore , we must develop a mindset that deliberately overlooks wrong and makes reasonable excuses for offences against our person.Overlooking wrongs does not connotes encouraging bad behaviour and deliberate wickedness that may surfaces as offences.

Also, remember that overlooking wrongs and forgiving offences is a principle of seed sowing and a derivation of the golden rule. You want others to tolerant your imperfection and weakness, then sow the seed continuosly.

God said forgive others if you expect your heavenly Father to forgive your sins. So if you don't want your sins forgiven, don't forgive others

4. Knowledge

The difference between the man who rules in the affairs of the Earth though they don't have Jesus Christ in their hearts and those who have Jesus but do not have reins of Economic and political power is Knowledge. 

I read a stroy of a very renowned Man of God who at a point in his life was robed in black attire for a long time because he lost one of his children. Why was he mourning n black. His reasoning was he was angry with God because God allowed His son to die.

But God and His Word is One. And God said ' with long life and prosperity will l satisfy you. If God promises long life, then that same God cannot take your son who obviously is young.  So your anger  at God is borne out of ignorance.

We must come to this place of understanding whereby we understand God and and his ways and carefully walk in his way. 

The Word of God says can two walk together excerpt they be in agreement. One of the best way to live the Christian faith is to understand the way of the Kingdom and deliberately walk in this way 

SOME CONSEQUENCES OF NOT FORGIVING OFFENCES.

1. It can result in sickness for a merry heart is health to all flesh.

2. it breds.negative behaviour like insolent  hatred, bitterness.

3..it gives birth to a vengeful spirit and attitude 

4. It can cause premature death

5. It is flatform for disunity in the family and church.