Faith Beyond Offense

Publication: Pastoral Letter, April 2002

Dear Friend in Christ:

I trust this letter finds you and yours well. This month and next, I want to share with
you something that the Lord has placed strongly on my heart; a subject that I believe is
of critical importance to us in these days. First, let’s take a look at what Scripture has to
say about the nature of truth, and then we’ll look at a story from the life of Jesus.

Ephesians 4:15 tells us that both truth and love are essential to spiritual maturity. They
are like two arms of God, securing and nourishing the believer. But what happens when
the truth is denied for fear of offending? The result is immaturity at least, and even
worse, the results can be deadly.

The truth keeps “marching on” as the Battle Hymn states. And if it is ignored, in the
end, the truth will be insensitive and even brutal to our feelings. One who ignores a
medical condition due to fear of the truth can experience death, whereas the truth could
have brought life. And, a physician that withholds the truth for fear of offending is of no
use. Indeed he or she may be culpable in death.

Fear of offending can govern how we tell the truth, but must not determine if we tell the
truth. Jesus warned us not to offend the little ones and Paul warned us not to use our
liberty for offense, but those warnings are not to be confused with the need for the truth.
God also warned us against withholding the truth (see Ezekiel 3:1-21).

Western culture has come to a place where we would rather accommodate feelings than
risk offending with the truth. This pattern has been established in our schools by social
promotion, and in society’s rigid political correctness. While some aspects of being
sensitive are admirable, when it muzzles the truth it is criminal.

What really concerns me is that the psychology of offense-avoidance has influenced the
Church. The prophetic voice is often a pathetic voice. The “prophetic edge” has been
rounded off into “smooth sayings.” The desire for “smooth sayings” was Israel’s
downfall.

UPDATING JESUS

The Bible is God’s Word, and His Word is forever settled in heaven. Any modern
translation is obligated to the original text. There will be no new version; it is eternal.
This conviction has survived college and seminary as well as the continual erosion of
theological liberalism. In addition, I believe that Jesus, God’s only begotten Son, is the
standard of behavior, and is truth incarnate. Having said that, let us review one of the
many stories in His ministry that could have caused offense.

Recently, I was reading Matthew chapter 15 and noticed that the disciples were
concerned that Jesus had offended the Pharisees; He had called them “hypocrites” to
their faces. I wondered if He could have said something different like, “You are truth-
challenged.” He made even the disciples nervous over the truth.

I read further and arrived at the story of the Canaanite woman who came to Jesus
desperately seeking deliverance for her daughter, who was afflicted by a demon. (Even
the whole demon issue presents a problem to many people; one of my seminary
professors once said that Jesus was merely “catering to the ignorance of His day.”)

Jesus ignored this woman at first, but she cried out and begged, “Son of David have
mercy on me.” Jesus responded by saying to her, “I came only for the lost sheep of
Israel.” But she fell at His feet and worshipped. Then He said, “It is not appropriate to
give the children’s bread to the little dogs.” “Even the little dogs get the crumbs,” she
persisted. Jesus was impressed, “O woman, your faith is great; be it done for you as you
desire.” Wow! What would happen to a minister who used this approach today? I can
only imagine the response of His peers and the media.

This woman overcame two outrageously offensive references, by today’s standards:

“Jews only” and the unthinkable “dog” analogy. But she was not offended at either. Her
faith went beyond offense.

One could argue that Jesus knew all along that He would deliver her daughter. But there
were many other occasions when someone did not survive offense, such as the rich
young ruler or the Pharisees. But why did Jesus use this approach at all? Is He telling us
something about the quality of faith He seeks, or that He is not merely hoping to attract
“sensitive seekers?”

The apostle Paul reminds us that the cross itself is an offense (see Galatians 5:11). It is a
“stumbling block” to many: vulgar, gory, and ignominious_a curse. Yet it is the single
narrow door to salvation, revealing the cost of sin and the means of our justification.
The fact that the cross is so offensive may tell us why so many leaders avoid the topic in
favor of a message of approval and self-esteem. Both Jesus’ cross and ours have
become offensive in many Christian circles. But true salvation is the result of faith that
embraces the cross and its offenses, to find resurrection life.

INSULT VS. OFFENSE

An insult is what we perceive when someone ignores us, or denigrates our character and
motives. And offense is our reaction to a perceived insult. Offense is when we become
“trapped” in what someone else said or did. We cannot get past it. We begin to “nurse a
hurt,” and lose sight of our purpose. Offense is a snare. Insults will come to us all, but
we need not to be offended. That is a personal choice.

It seems to me that because we have denied human depravity, sin, and the cross (both
Jesus’ cross and ours), we are a culture that has become excessively sensitive and easily
offended. Consequently, we spend too much time defending ourselves and too little
time getting things done. The Church spends too much time handling internal problems
and not enough on its mission. People who have not faced their sin and the cross will be
high maintenance people.

A MATTER OF FOCUS
The Canaanite woman knew that she was not a Jew. But she went to Jesus anyway
because she believed that He was able to deliver her daughter. Even more, she believed
that He was the “Son of David” and “Lord.” She even worshipped Him_though she was
not a Jew.

She knew that many Jews thought of Canaanites and all Gentiles as “dogs,” but she
went anyway. She was not self-aware, or self-absorbed. She seemed to totally ignore the
possibility of being offended. So, she got what she came to get, and she also received
the commendation of the Son of God.

There is a great need among us to stay focused on our purpose and not ourselves. It is
not a matter of being admired; it is about being persistent, getting past offenses, doing
His will, and speaking the truth. We must urge one another past the “spoiled, sulking,
child syndrome” if we are going to be delivered of our “demons” and find healing. In
order for us to die to our ensnaring sensitivities, we must revisit the cross. We are
dead_or should be.

BOOT CAMP

When it comes to the military, I have never heard of a sensitive drill instructor. Boot
camp is about breaking down some attitudes and building others. It is about creating
mental and physical toughness and a team mentality. Soldiers become a unit and even
die for each other.

No, I am not suggesting that we turn the Church into a “boot camp.” However, how will
we build an army without an initiation that puts the cross up front? How will we
produce believers immune to heart-defiling bitterness, and open to correction, if we do
not preach a faith that perseveres beyond offense? “Thin-skinned Christians” will never
get to the real battlefields or fire a shot at the real enemy, and they will also keep others
away from the battle as well.

In order to be part of “the unshakable Kingdom,” we must become unshakable; we must

be able to handle the disciplines of God. The Church may have gotten out of the
discipline business, but the Lord of the Church has not (see Hebrews 12). He still deals
in truth.

The apostle Paul declared the “whole counsel of God” (see Acts 20:27). Jude
admonishes us to “contend for the faith once and for all delivered to the Saints.” The
early Church was steadfast in the apostle’s doctrine. Many of them became martyrs
rather than deny the truth.

History will testify against us if we are intimidated and withhold the truth. Not only was
our nation attacked on September 11, 2001, but our naiveté and presuppositions were
also attacked. For a long time, self-gratification seemed to be our national ethic, but
9/11 refocused many of us on life and death issues.

Sometimes both the attack and response are immediate. At other times the attack is
quiet and gradual, but equally devastating in the long run. The attack on our moral
values has been gradual, but severe and relentless. It moves under no single name or
banner and on many fronts. Like physicians, we must learn to diagnose and treat
spiritual diseases without fear of offending the patient. As God’s prophetic voice in the
earth, Christians must not be intimidated.

Is our primary purpose to make truth palatable to skeptics? While we love those outside
of Christ, would God’s love deny them the truth? Would we dare delete His cross and
ours from the message that he gave us in order to avoid offense?

The Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice is Honorable Judge Roy Moore. Judge
Moore placed a large stone in the Supreme Court building which has the Ten
Commandments inscribed upon it. He also recently denied custody to a mother living in
a homosexual relationship. He has been excoriated by the press and by activists, though
his decision was in accordance with the long-standing law.

Many other political and spiritual leaders become silent in the face of these kinds of
attacks upon those who stand up. So those who are no friends of biblical truth are
offended; will that prevent us persevering to the desired ends? This is the time for us to
exercise the faith of the Canaanite woman who was oblivious to perceived insult, and
get to the deliverance that our world_and the Church_so desperately need.

Next month I will address the issue of “Editing the Word of God” to make it “politically
correct.” Thanks for your support and for your heartfelt prayers. We pray God’s
blessing and strength for you and yours in these days.

In Christ,
Charles Simpson

Scripture Reference: Ephesians, Ezekiel, Matthew, Galatians, Acts, Hebrews