Watch the video above and talk about it with a group or mentor. Learn more.
Proverbs 19:11 talks about how a Christian should respond to minor offenses. A minor offense is something that doesn’t fall into the category of sin but just things people do that are annoying or frustrating to a person. In those cases, we should choose to be gracious and kind. But, there are some offenses that aren’t minor. Those things need to be addressed because they are sinful and harmful. There are 4 categories of major offenses that can’t be ignored:
Anything that dishonors God
The Bible has a lot to say about what honors and dishonors God. Sin is trusting and acting on our thoughts and feelings instead of trusting God’s truth. In other words, sinful acts are always a major offense because God says so.
Galatians 6:1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.
Anything that damages relationships
We are called to be peacemakers, not troublemakers. God calls us to love and forgive others.
Ephesians 4:2-3 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
Anything that hurts other people
As Christians, we need to come to the defense of the defenseless. We can’t be silent when we see one person’s behavior harming another person. We need to stand up to injustice or unfair treatment.
Anything that damages a person’s witness for Christ
Even though what we’re doing isn’t sinful, if someone else sees our behavior in such a way, we should choose to abstain for that person’s sake. For example, if you are around someone who thinks drinking alcohol is wrong, you should choose to honor them by forgoing that drink in their presence. Even though it’s not wrong, if it causes that person to stumble in their faith, or their view of you, you should abstain out of love for them.
2 Corinthians 6:3 We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry.
Talk About It:
- Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
- What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
- Share some examples of minor offenses. Why are those things annoying to you?
- What is the definition for sin? How does understanding sin help you to discern the difference between a minor or major offense?
- Read Galatians 6:1. What are some examples of things that don’t honor God? How should we approach someone who has sin in their life?
- Read Ephesians 4:2-3. Identify all that this passage says about who we should be in relationship with others. How do Christians typically get this wrong?
- Is there someone in your life that you need to lovingly call out on something, based on the four categories above?
