Historical Posts
Without Excuse
Have you ever heard the old saying, “An excuse is just a gift wrapped lie?”
Perhaps you have not heard this saying, because excuses are so ubiquitous in modern society. Human beings have been making excuses for bad behavior since the dawn of history. As far back as the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve tried to make excuses for eating the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:11-13).
But, in Romans 1:18-21, the apostle Paul wrote, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”
People who rejected God in the ancient world were “without excuse,” just like us, in the modern world, when we do the same.
The Scriptures show us that God does not accept excuses.
Romans 1:20 shows us that there is no excuse for denying the existence of God. In Luke 14:16-24, the parable of the great supper shows us that there is no excuse for refusing the Lord’s invitation.
In Matthew 25:14-30, the parable of the talents shows us that there is not excuse for being a poor steward of the Lord’s blessings.
In First Samuel 15:1-35, the story of King Saul’s refusal to obey the Lord’s commands shows us that there is no excuse for disobeying God, when He tells us what He wants us to do.
But, why do people make excuses, in the first place?
Sometimes, people make up excuses for their bad behavior, in order to avoid the consequences of their actions. This sort of activity is seen every day, in criminal court proceedings. Some are so desperate to escape punishment for the crimes they have committed that they will make up any excuse at all, which might help skew perceptions in their favor.
Sometimes, people will make up excuses for their bad behavior, in order to prevent others from casting them in an unflattering light. This sort of activity is seen frequently, in the world of politics. When politicians are caught in a scandal, they will make up any excuse at all, which might keep the tide of public opinion from turning against them.
Usually, people make up excuses for their bad behavior, in order to assuage their own feelings of guilt they have for what they have done. People become comfortable with their own sins by convincing themselves that what they did is not really all that bad, and that the Lord will surely not hold it against them. Hebrews 3:13 warns us not to be deceived by the “deceitfulness of sin,” which can lull us into a false sense of security. If we become comfortable with our sins, then we will not repent of them and we shall surely perish (Luke 13:3).
There are many reasons why we are without excuse, when it comes to our sinful behavior.
For one thing, God has shown us that He loves and cares for us by the grandest gesture of all: the sacrifice of His only begotten Son (Romans 5:8; John 3:16; Revelation 1:5; Galatians 2:20).
Also, we must consider the fact that others who have disobeyed the Lord have not fared so well (1 Corinthians 10:11; Romans 15:4).
Furthermore, we must admit that God has given us numerous opportunities to change our ways (2 Peter. 3:9; Ephesians. 5:16; James 4;14; 2 Corinthians 6:2). The gospel of Jesus Christ is such a simple thing for us to comprehend and to obey, that there is no excuse for failing to do so (Mark 12:37b).
The efforts of those who encourage us, pray for us, exhort us, plead with us, show concern for us, and teach us leave us without excuse for failing to do something about our sins (2 Corinthians 5:11; Acts 8:4; Hebrews 3:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:11-14).
The blessings that God sheds so abundantly upon us make it so that there is no excuse for failing to yield to His will (Acts 14:17; Romans 1:20; Psalm 19:1).
Excuses are a barrier between Earth and Heaven.
Instead of making up excuses about why we cannot get to Heaven, we ought to be making progress on the path of righteousness.
In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
Stop trying to justify your sins, and take ownership of them. That is the first step in the process of repentance, and Word of God declares that there can be no salvation from sin without repentance (Acts 17:30).
Content by Russell Kline
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Passing the Buck
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Corinthians 5:10-11).
Will Rogers once said that there have been three periods of American history, “the passing of the Indian, the passing of the buffalo, and the passing of the Buck.”
We are living in the third period.
No one wants to accept responsibility for mistakes We do our best to pass the blame to someone else. As a result, offenders are never guilty. Parents, teachers, poverty, society or the church are at fault. God forbid we should hold a person responsible for his choices.
The same thing happens in the home. Wives never make mistakes. It’s the man’s fault. Men do the same thing. As one poet put it, “He wrecked his car, he lost his job, and yet throughout his life, he took his troubles like a man and blamed them on his wife.”
It’s an age old problem.
When Adam was confronted in the garden, he replied, “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat” (Genesis 3:12). There is even a fable which tells of Adam and his son, Seth, hiking one afternoon when they came upon a beautiful valley. Seth said to his father, “Dad, why don’t we live there.” Adam replied, “We did, son, until your mother ate us out of house and home.”
What did Eve say when questioned about her sin? “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat” (Genesis 3:13). In other words, “It’s not my fault!”
God did not accept their excuses. He will not accept ours either.
He has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness. When that day comes there will be no “passing of the buck.” We will each give an account of our life. If we are lost, we will have no one to blame but ourselves.
It’s time to take charge of your life
Accept responsibility for your decisions, and stop blaming others when you mess up. God will understand our mistakes and forgive us when we repent, but He will not accept our excuses.
- Read your Bible.
- Believe it!
- Obey it!
- Live it every day.
Stop making excuses!
— Roger
Content by Roger Rush
Visit Roger at the 6th and Washington Street Church of Christ in Marietta OH.
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Exodus 03:01-10 Excuses of Moses
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Text: Exodus 3:1-10
Introduction
1. When God appeared to Moses at the burning bush
a. He called him to the task of leading the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage
b. In response, Moses gave excuses as to why he did not think he was the man for the job
2. The excuses of Moses, and God’s response to them, will serve as the basis for our study
a. For in a similar way, as God’s people today, we have received from God a calling
b. Not to go to a country to deliver those in physical bondage, but to a world to deliver those in the bondage of sin
– And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. – Mark 16:15
– But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. – 1 Peter 2:9-10
3. Too often, though, we behave just like Moses, making the very same excuses!
Body
I. “WHO AM I?”
A. FOUND IN EXODUS 3:11…
1. Though Moses was once a member of the ruling house of Egypt
a. He was now but a lowly shepherd
b. 40 years had passed since he had been in Egypt
c. He was an 80 year old man, already past the average life span for his generation
d. This prompted Moses to wonder whether he was the right man for the job
2. But God’s response was quick, and should have been adequate
a. “I will certainly be with you…” – Exodus 3:12
b. God promised to be with Moses, and this alone should have been sufficient
c. As Paul later wrote, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31
B. SOME USE THIS SAME EXCUSE TODAY
1. Trying to excuse ourselves by believing that we are insufficient for the task
a. It is true that by ourselves that we are insufficient
b. But God can make us sufficient
– Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, (6) who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. – 2 Corinthians 3:5-6
c. Look what He did with the apostles!
– Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. – Acts 4:13
2. Through Jesus, God has provided us the same assurance given Moses – Matthew 28:20
3. With His help, we can accomplish anything He wants us to do! – Philippians 4:13
4. As will be apparent later, any excuse for not doing what the Lord has called us to do is simply a smokescreen. So it was with Moses, and we find him quickly coming up with another excuse.
II. “WHAT SHALL I SAY?”
A. THIS EXCUSE IS FOUND IN EXODUS 3:13
1. Moses knew that should he go to the children of Israel, there were bound to be questions.
a. Such as, “Who is this God who sent you to us?”
b. And perhaps, “Why are we to leave this country we have come to consider our home for over 400 years?”
c. Moses expresses inadequacy in knowing what to say
2. Again, God’s response was quick
a. “Thus you shall say…” – Exodus 3:14-15
b. God tells Moses what he needs to say in response to their questions
B. AGAIN, A SIMILAR EXCUSE IS SOMETIMES GIVEN TODAY
1. We try to excuse ourselves by saying that our knowledge is inadequate
2. But God has told us what to say
a. It is really quite simple – cf. Mark 16:15-16
b. How simple? – cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2:2
3. And so, as with Moses, we have no reason for saying “what shall I say?” As we return to Moses, we see that despite God instructing him what to say, he soon raises a third objection.
III. “SUPPOSE THEY WILL NOT BELIEVE ME?”
A. THIS EXCUSE IS FOUND IN EXODUS 4:1…
1. Now that he knows what to say, he balks at the idea that the people may not listen
a. Is he afraid of failing?
b. Has he already forgotten that God will be with him?
2. God responds by equipping him with several convincing proofs
a. The ROD, which turns into a serpent – Exodus 4:2-5
b. His OWN HAND, which turns into leprosy – Exodus 4:6-8
c. The WATER, which will turn to blood when dropped on the dry ground – Exodus 4:9
B. SOME HESITATE TO SHARE THE GOSPEL FOR THE SAME REASON
1. The fear of failure keeps them from trying
2. But just as God gave Moses convincing proofs, so He has given us the evidences necessary to convince the honest and sincere person.
a. The Word of God, able to produce faith – Romans 10:17; John 20:30-31
b. Especially its evidences concerning the resurrection of Christ, fulfilled prophecy, etc.
3. With such aids, we cannot justify our inactivity in sharing the gospel with others
4. You would think by now Moses would accept the call; but a fourth excuse is quickly given.
IV. “I AM SLOW OF SPEECH AND SLOW OF TONGUE”
A. WE FIND THIS EXCUSE IN EXODUS 4:10…
1. Moses claims that he is not an eloquent speaker
2. But God is not moved by this objection…
a. He already knows the inability of those He calls – Exodus 4:11
b. But He is able to make up for anyone’s shortcomings
1) Again, promising to be with Moses – Exodus 4:12
2) He had even arranged for Aaron to be Moses’ mouthpiece – Exodus 4:14-16 (who was sent earlier so as to arrive about this time – Exodus 4:27)
B. SOME CHRISTIANS TRY TO USE THIS EXCUSE AS WELL
1. But it did not stop the apostle Paul – cf. 1 Corinthians 2:1,3-4
2. It has not stopped others
a. I know of some who overcame speech impediments to become preachers
b. I know of one who despite stammering would preach any opportunity he could
3. At the very least, we can make use of those who can speak by arranging studies for them with others (as did Cornelius – Acts 10:24,33)
4. We have considered four excuses that Moses gave; but as mentioned earlier, they were really smokescreens. The true reason for all these excuses is revealed in Exodus 4:13
V. “PLEASE SEND…WHOMEVER ELSE YOU MAY SEND”
A. MOSES SIMPLY DID NOT WANT TO GO!
1. The previous excuses were simply a smokescreen attempt to hide this fact!
2. Now that the smokescreen is removed, God’s impatience with Moses becomes evident
a. His anger was kindled against Moses – Exodus 4:14a
b. Read Exodus 4:15-17 with an emphasis on the word “shall” to appreciate the anger of the Lord
B. BRETHREN, THE SAME IS TRUE WITH US TODAY!
1. Any and every excuse we could offer is only a smokescreen
2. We really would rather that God use someone else!
3. We really don’t want to do what God has called us to do!
4. But brethren, the anger of the Lord is kindled against those who do not live up to their calling!
5. If we have been making excuses, we need to repent!
Conclusion
1. With Moses, we know the rest of the story
a. He answered the call, and went to Egypt
b. With the help of God, he delivered the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage
2. But what about us? What will be the rest of our story?
a. Shall we heed the call to preach the gospel to the lost?
b. Or shall we make excuses and one day suffer the wrath of God?
c. Only time will tell, but I pray that I encouraged all not to make excuses
3. What about the call to obey the gospel of Christ? Are you making excuses for not responding as you know you should?
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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