Without Offence

Without Offence

Apart from Jesus, the person I admired most is Apostle Paul. He's really an amazing role model.

So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. - Acts 24:16

The word 'clear' in Greek and within the context of this passage means 'without offence'. Paul strove to have a conscience without offence toward both God and man.

The word 'conscience' simply means 'consciousness'. In other words, Paul walked in 'no consciousness' of offence towards God and man.

This is the greatest sign of one understanding and appropriating the power of the Gospel.

Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐬? - Heb 10:2

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 (consciousness of sins) and our bodies washed with pure water. - Heb 10:22 (Greek emphasis added)

To have a 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 before God and man is to have 𝐧𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 towards God and man.

Offence hinders our worship. When we walk without offence, our communion with Him becomes undivided.

To walk without offence, we need to appropriate the power of the Gospel. For He has purified us from the consciousness of sins. The issue of sin has been dealt with by Jesus; so when we realise that our sin has been forgiven, we would realise that others' sin has been forgiven. 

Since the matter has been established, there is no place for offence, because there is no place for the consciousness of sins. For each time when you get offended, you are saying, "I am conscious of both your sin and my sin." The Pharisees were offended with Jesus because they were conscious of their sins. The Bible calls that evil conscience.

To live without offence is the privilege of a believer.