TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY
JULY 27, 2012.
EXCUSE
DEFINITION:
Seek to lessen
the blame for a fault or offense; try to justify or defend.
SCRIPTURE:
“If I had not
come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse
for their sin.” John 15:22.
KNOWLEDGE AND
EXPERIENCE:
Jesus did not
mean in this verse, that we have written above, that if He had not come, they
would have been sinless. But He is saying that by His coming to this earth He
has made us aware of the severest and most deadly sin that one can commit. That
is rejecting and rebelling against God and His truth. The coming of Jesus to
this earth gave evidence to the truth of God. Once we have received knowledge
of the truth we are held accountable for what we do about it. Therefore, we
have no possible excuse for rejecting the good news of the gospel.
How many times
have you heard someone give an excuse for something not completed or not done? Children
always have an excuse when they are caught in doing wrong. The making of an excuse
for wrong actions isn’t limited to children. Adults are just as guilty. Most
excuses are given to justify laziness. We do not know how many times we have
heard the excuse that they just did not feel like doing what they should have done.
We use excuses
to justify our inaction. You have often heard, “I was just so busy that I could
not get around to doing it?”Most excuses are what we would call “lame.” They
are a lot like the child that tells his teacher that he cannot turn in his
homework because “the dog ate it.”
In John 15,
Jesus was teaching His disciples the gospel message and what to expect when
they would be the ones teaching others. Just as Jesus and His message were
rejected by many, He told them that they also would have their message rejected.
This is still true today. As believers we must continue to tell all those we
can, through our words and deeds, of Jesus love and plan of redemption, knowing
that at times our message will be rejected. Those who accept Jesus will be
saved, but those who reject Him will “have no excuse for their sin” when they
meet God.
In Luke 14:15-24
Jesus shares what is called the parable of the great supper. The master, the
parable says, invited most of his friends and neighbors to a great feast. They
all gave excuses as to why they could not come. All their excuses were weak and
had a smack of insincerity which made it evident that they did not want to
come. Jesus likened their excuses to all the excuses that are given when people
are invited to know Jesus as their Savior and they do not want to come to Him.
People come up
with many excuses as to why they cannot accept Jesus. Many just do not want to
change their ways. Others say they do not have to worry about it now as there
is plenty of time and want to wait till later in their lives. These are all
excuses that are not acceptable to our Lord. Everyone who rejects Jesus is
without excuse in God’s sight.
In Romans
1:18-20 the writer talks about the end-time judgment of men when the wrath of
God will come against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. At that time
it will be too late for excuses. He goes on to tell us that since the creation
of the world God’s invisible attributes are clearly seen, even His eternal
power and Godhead, so that all of us are without excuse.
God has revealed
Himself in His creation. In this universe we see His Intelligence, His beauty,
His power, and His provisions. Those who reject God have no excuse. Salvation
is available to all just for the asking and excuses such as not knowing or waiting until later are not
acceptable.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse
for this week is found in Romans 8:28.
And we know that
all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are
called according to His purpose.
PRAYER:
Thank You, Lord
that You made Yourself known to us and have given us the choice to accept or
reject You. Thank You that my sins have been forgiven because I have accepted
You as my Savior.
