True Discernment...

Christians need more discernment when it comes to the issue of being offensive. We often think we should never offend anyone. When we have that attitude we fear man more than God. We really don’t have a grasp on what “being offensive” really is. The world’s way of being offensive means telling someone something they don’t like or want to hear. Biblical truth will always offend because it either convicts a heart or offends it. And that is not up to us. We are commanded by God to preach the Gospel. We just need to do it with gentleness and respect as Peter says in his epistle. We, personally, should do our best to never offend anyone, right? Well, when we speak of Jesus, the Gospel, salvation, and other core principles of our faith, it’s going to offend. Why? Because it goes against every part of our human nature. Our human nature promotes self first, then others. God’s way is others first, self last. As it says in Hebrews 11:6, “it’s impossible to please God without faith”. I don’t mean forgetting yourself, I just mean thinking about and caring for others should be a priority to you. I remember the story told by Martin Luther about two goats. “Two mountain goats met on a small rock ledge, that was just wide enough for one of the animals. To the left was a soaring, steep rock face and to the right a deep Lake. The two goats faced each other undecided. “What should I do?”, they exclaimed. They could not go backwards. That was too dangerous. Neither could they turn around, the ledge was too narrow.  Had the two goats not had more brains than some people, they would've stood there head to head, and had pushed each other so long, till both had fallen into the lake. One of them lay down on the trail and let the other literally walk over him and both were safe. But they had to prepare, at least one of them, to humbly lay down and let the other pass over him.”1 Here's the point, one goat humbled himself, allowing the other goat to step over him, which eventually allowed him to advance higher.  As Luther put it, "be content if your person is trod upon for peace's sake, your person, I say, not your conscience". The difference between belief and conviction, is belief is something you hold, and conviction is something that holds you. Christians need to learn the difference as to when to “turn the other cheek”, humbling yourself, not offending someone, and when to speak truth in love (allowing the truth to convict, a.k.a. OFFEND). This applies to believers and non-believers alike. This should be our motto: “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity (love)”. Discernment is knowing when to humble yourself, and when to stand tall for the sake of the Gospel. Either way is right in God’s sight when you ask in advance for His wisdom, and you do it with gentleness and respect. 24 On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the Temple tax?”25 “Yes, He does,” Peter replied. Then he went into the house.But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, “What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered?”26 “They tax the people they have conquered,” Peter replied.“Well, then,” Jesus said, “the citizens are free! 27 However, we don’t want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.” Matthew 17:24-27

1- https://books.google.com/books?id=iB8dmQFtzRoC&pg=PA116&lpg=PA116&dq=the+two+goats+martin+luther&source=bl&ots=9Vht5K4TcH&sig=k1czhbY0cJDCozqYVvMikue_E3U&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwio-MGo9_XYAhXn54MKHRjTDdgQ6AEwDHoECAsQAQ#v=onepage&q=the%20two%20goats%20martin%20luther&f=false. Page 116