What is offense?

To take offense means to feel upset or hurt due to criticism, insults, misunderstandings, unrealised expectations, and stumbling blocks we meet on our path in life.

Giving or taking offense keeps us from the blessings God wants to pour out on us, and it can indicate spiritual immaturity.

“Do You know that the Pharisees were displeased and offended and indignant when they heard this saying?”

Matthew 15:12

The Pharisees, scribes and Sadducees strongly opposed Jesus’s teachings. He became a stumbling block because they did not want to accept His message of salvation. They worked with the evil forces to have Him crucified and in this way rejected their salvation and the blessing of God over their lives.

“…they stumble because they disobey and disbelieve [God’s] Word…” 

1 Peter 2:8

Do not allow the Word of God to become a stumbling block to you. Allow Him to guide your life so you can live in His blessing.

While John the Baptist was still in prison, he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question:

“…Are You the One Who was to come, or should we keep on expecting a different one?”

Matthew 11:3

So, because of unfulfilled expectations, even he took offence against Jesus. Similarly, we as believers can take offence when our prayers are not answered as we expected.

“[Love] is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride) [causes offence]; it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]”.

1 Corinthians 13:5

A lack of love finds expression in unacceptable behaviour (causes offence), over-sensitivity (takes offence), selfishness, and a tendency to keep a record of past wrongs.

“And so faith, hope, love abide [faith–conviction and belief respecting man’s relation to God and divine things; hope–joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love–true affection for God and man, growing out of God’s love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13:13

Conclusion

“¹⁶May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality]. ¹⁷May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love…”

Ephesians 3:16-17

All scripture references are from the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, unless otherwise stated