Excuses - Excuses - Excuses!

Collins Concise Dictionary defines an excuse as an explanation offered in defence of some fault or as a reason for not fulfilling an obligation etc.

We can deduce from this definition that an excuse is an explanation or reason offered to let someone forego an obligation which is rightfully theirs; and that they could fulfil if they wanted to. In other words they could fulfil the obligation but have chosen not to fulfil it.

Let’s have a look at Luke 14:15-24 for some good examples of excuses.

“(15) Now one of those who sat at the table with Him [Jesus] heard these things, he said to Him, ‘Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!’

(16)Then He [Jesus] said to him, ‘A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,

(17) And sent his servants at supper time to say to those who were invited, “Come, for all things are now ready,”

(18) But they with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’

(19) And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’

(20) Still another said, ‘I have married a wife and therefore I cannot come.’

(21) So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’

(22) And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’

(23) Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

(24) For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper’.”

Why was the master so angry? He knew that the excuses were covering up the real reason. They were not just declining the invitation; they were rejecting him as not being worthy of their time, or effort.

The scenario outlined by the Lord Jesus is a picture of God’s great offer of salvation. The gospel invitation goes out and people make excuses as to why they won’t accept salvation.

Are you saved? If not, what is your excuse? Are you ready to suffer eternal loss? The people who made excuses not to come to the supper did not get a second invitation!

Perhaps by the grace of God you have had more than one gospel invitation. Don’t procrastinate, for in Genesis 6:3 we read these words, “And the Lord said, ‘My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years’.”

 How do I know this is true? Noah spent 120 years building his ark and then the great flood came.

Genesis 7:23, “So He [God] destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping things and birds of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive.”

If you do not respond to the gospel invitation to be saved, then God will one day simply give up on you. You won’t be able to blame God for choosing not to be saved.

Excuses, excuses, excuses, they won’t get you into Heaven and they are a sure fire way of you going to Hell when you die.

Jon Peasey

Words of Life blog www.jrpeasey.blogspot

[All Scriptures quoted are from the New King James version; unless otherwise noted]

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