Excuses - Turning Mountains into Molehills

In my post today, I want to look at excuses people give for not wanting to develop a relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ. Along with the reasons for not believing, I want to offer Bible verses to share that will help them overcome their reasons. As our world descends into more chaos daily, we must help others find their way to Christ before they run out of time. (All verses are NIV unless otherwise stated).

Excuses

Not Today Excuses

Some people use excuses because they believe they have lots of time to decide about God. Since they are too busy living life, they put it off. But, as the verses below show, we are either for God or not; there is no middle ground. On top of that, God does not promise them a tomorrow, so putting off the decision endangers their eternity.

Joshua 24:15 – “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

1 Kings 18:21 – “Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”

Proverbs 27:1 – “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”

It is too Late for Me

Some believe they are beyond help because of the sinful lives they led in the past. As a result, they lose all hope for a second chance. But, we only have to look at the thief on the cross to see the untruth in the thoughts. These verses about this excuse shows God will forgive them and welcome them home again.

Ezekiel 33:19 – “And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so.”

John 6:37 – “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”

Romans 10:13 – “for, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

I don’t Need God Excuses

We also see some people that don’t believe in Heaven or hell. So therefore, they think they don’t need a god. Here are some verses that show us otherwise.

Romans 3:23 – “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Hebrews 2:3 – “how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.”

God is Only Love

Many believe that God is only love, so there is no danger in not believing in Him. They further rationalize that God loves me, so He will accept me into Heaven as long as I am a good person. These verses remind us of God’s vengeance towards unbelievers.

Matthew 22:13 – “Then the king told the attendants, Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Luke 13:3 – “I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

2 Peter 2:4 – “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment.”

There are Hypocrites in the Church Excuses

The world often views the church as judgemental. Unfortunately, some churches act that way. So, if they find themselves in that kind of church, seek out another one that fits their needs. But, that should not be the excuse for staying away from the church. These verses guide us to how we should respond to each other.

Matthew 7:1 – “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”

Romans 14:12 – “So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”

1 Peter 4:8 – “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

The Cost is too High

The unbelievers look to the world for their rewards. Some think they will need to give up all things fun to follow Christ. They do not understand the glory that awaits us in Heaven and the joy of serving the Lord. Here are some verses to help explain this excuse away.

Mark 8:36 – “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

Luke 18:29-30 – “29 Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Psalm 116:12 – “What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me?”

I Don’t Want to Give Up Old Friends

People believe that keeping their old friends after finding faith in God will not impact their walk, and they don’t want to give them up. But, these verses show how friendship with unbelievers can damage our walk with God.

Proverbs 13:20 – “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.”

2 Corinthians 6:14 – “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”

1 Corinthians 15:33 -“Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.”

I Might be Persecuted

We all fear pain and suffering. But, God bled and died so each of us could receive eternal life. And, God will call some of us to a similar fate. So, we see that God promises to be with us in the coming persecution in these verses. And He promises us a victor’s crown for enduring it.

Matthew 5:11 – “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”

2 Timothy 3:12 – “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

Revelations 2:10 – “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.”

Lenten Lessons – Excuses. As our world descends into more chaos daily, we must help others find their way to Christ before they run out of time. Click To Tweet

Do you have friends that make excuses for not believing in and following Christ? Pray for them, share your experiences with them and offer them the Godly reasons as to why now is the time for a decision.

Prayer

My Heavenly Father, in John 17:3, Jesus says, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Jesus prayed that people come to know You, our only means to eternal salvation. Today I choose to pray as Jesus did and ask that You help those who have yet to give their lives to Christ. May Your love and power reveal themselves to my nonbelieving friend so that they will know You! Amen.

Do you need prayer? I would love to pray for you. Submit your prayer request on my website at https://yvonne-morgan.com/submit-your-prayer-request-here/