Living Without Offense

Phil. 1:9-10

Do you know anyone living without offense in this world today? It seems that everyone is a victim, and everything that affects you is someone else’s fault. You can hire a personal injury attorney for virtually any cause, and win! Paul was praying for the church in Philippi to “be without offense”.  I believe God wants us to live without offense in this “present evil world” [Gal.1:4]. This is not to say that you will not be offended, [Luke 17:1] offenses will come. We should be “giving no offense in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed” [2Cor.6:3]. This life of yours is bigger than you!

Living without offense, How to?

1. [Verse 9], Your love needs to abound more and more in Knowledge
   1. [Rom.5:5] Love of God is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost
   2. [Gal.5:22] Love is fruit of the Spirit
   3. [1Cor.13] Chapter on Love
      1. Verse 4, suffereth long
      2. Verse 7, beareth all things, endureth all things
   4. [Luke 17:3-4], We are to forgive
   5. [Eph.4:32] [Col.3:13] Because Christ forgave you
   6. [Heb.12:14-15] Will lead to bitterness

2. [Verse 9], Your love needs to abound more and more in all Judgment
   1. [Rom.14:10-13][2Cor.5:10] You will account for yourself, not anyone else.
   2. Judgement of Self [Luke 6:41-42] behold the beam in your own eye
   3. Judgement of Discretion [Prov.19:11] defers your anger

3. [Verse 10], You need to approve things that are excellent
   1. “to approve” means to like or be pleased with, do the things of God please you?
   2. Also means to discriminate between what is and what is not excellent, sin should offend you, all the time.
   3. [Prov.22:17-21 God’s Way, it’s in the Bible

If living without offense is a desire of yours, then work on your love of God by abounding more and more in knowledge and in all judgement, approving things that are excellent.