Excuses, Excuses

Excuses, Excuses
“The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate… The
serpent deceived me, and I ate… You know the people, that they are set on evil.  For
they said to me ‘Make us gods that shall go before us’… But the people took of the
plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly
destroyed to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”  

When confronted with their sins, Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:12-13), Aaron (Exodus 32:22-
23), and Saul (1 Samuel 15:21) offered excuses to justify their conduct.  But God rejects
all such pretexts.

Excuses Are Just That—Excuses
They are not really reasons.  They usually revise or change when one finds a more
convincing excuse to use.  Reasons are legitimate.  Excuses are cover-ups.  They hide
true motives.

Excuses Are Sometimes Lies
We can think of 101 excuses not to attend church, do personal work, or help someone
in need if we really don’t want to do them.  Maybe we should just admit our
unwillingness and live with the truth instead of lying to ourselves and others.

Excuses Are Designed To Explain Our Behavior
We may convince one another that our actions are excusable, but God does not judge
by “situation ethics”.  He wants no explanations.  He wants faithfulness!  

God does not accept excuses, legitimate or not because “no temptation has overtaken
you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be
tempted beyond what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of
escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

God refused to accept the excuses of Adam and Eve, Aaron, and Saul.  

He certainly will not accept our excuses in judgment.  

“Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast
out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name?’  And then I will
declare to them ‘I never knew you, depart from me, you who practice lawlessness’”
(Matthew 7:22-23).  

“Then they will also answer Him saying ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a
stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’  Then He will answer
them saying, ‘ Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of
these, you did not do it to me” (Matthew 25:44-45).

--Rob Harbison