Submitted by William Haller on
PART TWO - Quick answers to excuses
In doing personal work 3 things must be done by way of preparation:
- Learn to give at least 2 Scriptures to answer each excuse given by the one dealt with
- Memorize the verses that best answer the various excuses
- Learn the meaning of the verses and be able to answer excuses intelligently
Excuses of the weak and fearful:
The following is a list of the most commonly used excuses and scriptures that will answer them
- I am too weak to live a Christian life (Mt. 1:21; Isa. 26:3; 2 Cor. 9:8; 1 Pet. 1:5; 1 Jn. 4:4, 5:4; Jude 24)
- The Christian life is too hard to live (Pr. 13:15; Mt. 11:28-30; Rom. 6:23; 1 Cor. 10:13; Gal. 6:7-8; Jas. 4:7; 1 Jn. 1:9)
- I will have to give up too much (Mt. 6:33; Mk. 8:34-38, 10:29-31; Rom. 8:32; 1 Cor. 2:9; Ps. 34:9-10, 84:11)
- My friends and relatives would make fun of me (Mt. 5:10-12, 10:36-37; Jn. 15:18-20; Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; 1 Pet. 4:14)
- I am afraid I cannot hold out (Rom. 14:4; 1 Cor. 10:13; Phil. 1:6; 2 Tim. 1:12; Heb. 7:25; 1 Pet. 1:5; 2 Pet. 2:9)
- I am afraid I cannot forgive my enemies (Mt. 6:14-15; Mt. 18:27-35; Lk. 17:1-5; Eph. 4:32; Phil. 4:13; Col. 3:8)
- There are some things I cannot give up (Rom. 6:11-23, 8:1-5, 12-13; 2 Cor. 5:17-21; Col. 3:2; Tit. 2:11-12; 1 Jn. 1:9)
- I do not have enough feeling or conviction (Mk. 16:16; Jn. 1:12, 3:16-21, 16:8-11; Rom. 1:16; Eph. 2:8-9; 1 Jn. 1:9)
- It is too hard to get saved (Jn. 1:12, 3:15-22; Acts 2:38-39, 3:19; Rom. 1:16)
Excuses of the deceived:
- I believe all will be saved (Mt. 7:13-14; Mk. 16:16; Jn. 3:18; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21; Rev. 21:8; Ps. 9:17)
- I will have another chance after death (Ps. 9:17; Pr. 29:1; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Gal. 5:19-21; Rev. 20:11-15, 21:8, 22:14-15)
- I must become better before I become a Christian (Isa. 1:18, 55:7, 64:6; Jer. 13:23; Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5; 1 Jn. 1:9)
- There is no harm in living like the world (Jn. 15:18-19, 17:16; Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; 1 Jn. 2:15-17; Jas. 4:4)
- Salvation is not for everybody (Jn. 3:16, 6:37; Rom. 1:16, 10:9-13; Tit. 2:11-12; Rev. 22:17)
- No one can really know that he is saved (Jn. 3:36, 5:24; Rom. 8:14-16; 2 Cor. 5:17-18; 1 Jn. 1:9, 2:3, 3:15, 5:13)
- I am satisfied with my religion (Mt. 18:3; Jn. 14:6; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Gal. 5:19-21; Rev. 21:8, 27, 22:14-15)
- If I live right it matters not what I believe (Mk. 1:15, 16:16; Jn. 3:14-21, 8:24, 14:6; Acts 2:38-39, 3:19)
- I keep the law, so I will be all right (Rom. 3:10-23; Gal. 2:16, 3:6-29; Eph. 2:8-9; Jas. 2:10)
- All men are children of God (Mt. 13:39; Jn. 8:44; Acts 13:10; Rom. 8:9-16; 2 Tim. 2:19; 1 Jn. 3:8-10, 4:1-5)
- I lead a good moral life and do the best I can (Isa. 64:6; Lk. 16:15, 18:9-14; Rom. 3:10-23; Jas. 2:10; 1 Jn. 3:8-10)
- God will save me when He wants to (Mt. 18:3; Mk. 1:15, 16:16; Lk. 13:1-5; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9; Rev. 22:17)
- God is too good to damn anyone (Mt. 7:13-14, 21; Mk. 1:15, 16:16; Lk. 13:1-5; Jn. 3:16-18, 5:40; Pr. 1:24-33)
- There are too many things I cannot understand. (Way of salvation simple, Jn. 1:12, 3:16; Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Jn. 1:9)
Excuses of open rebels:
- I do not believe in God (Ps. 41:1; Mk. 16:16; Jn. 3:16-18; Rom. 1:20, 3:1-20; Rev. 21:8, 22:15)
- I do not believe the Bible to be the Word of God. (See Bible in Index)
- I do not believe in hell (Ps. 9:17; Isa. 66:22-24; Mt. 10:28, 13:38-50, 25:41, 46; Mk. 9:43-49; Lk. 16:19-31; Rev. 14:9-11, 19:20, 20:11-15, 21:8, 22:15)
- I do not believe in the atonement (Lev. 17:11; Mt. 26:28; Rom. 5:6-21; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:20; Heb. 9:22, 1 Pet. 1:18-23)
- I do not believe in any church (Mk. 1:15, 16:16; Jn. 3:16; Rom. 1:16; Gal. 1:4; Eph. 2:8-9; 1 Jn. 1:7, 9)
- I cannot believe what I do not understand. (Point out many things one does not understand; 1 Cor. 2:14; 2 Cor. 4:3-4)
- I do not believe in the virgin birth (Isa. 7:14, 9:6-7; Mt. 1:18-25; Lk. 1:31-35; Rom. 8:3; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 2:9-18)
- I do not believe in a hereafter or immortality (Mt. 17:3; Lk. 16:19-31, 23:43; Rev. 6:9-11. See Immortality in Index)
- I do not believe in the deity of Jesus Christ (Isa. 9:6-7; Mic. 5:1-2; Mt. 1:18-25; Jn. 1:1, 5:19-23; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:15-18; Heb. 1:1-8; 1 Jn. 5:7-8)
- I do not believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ (Lk. 24:39; Jn. 20:20-29; 1 Cor. 15; Zech. 13:6)
Excuses of backsliders:
- God will not take me back (2 Chr. 7:14; Ps. 51; Mt. 18:21-35; Gal. 4:19, 6:1; 1 Jn. 1:9, 2:1-2; Jas. 5:19-20; Rev. 2:5)
- I have committed the unpardonable sin (notes on Mt. 12:31-32; Heb. 6:4-6, 10:26-29)
- I cannot be lost regardless of what I do (Rom. 6:16-23, 8:12-13; 1 Cor. 3:17, 6:9-11, 9:27; Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Th. 3:8; 2 Tim. 2:12; Heb. 3:6, 11-12, 6:4-6, 10:26-29; Jas. 5:19-20; 1 Pet. 2:20-22; Rev. 3:5; Ex. 32:32-33. See Backsliding in Index)
Excuses of procrastinators:
- Some other day; I have plenty of time (Pr. 27:1, 29:1; Isa. 55:6; Lk. 12:20; 2 Cor. 6:2; Heb. 2:3, 3:15)
- I am too young to be a Christian (Eccl. 12:1, 13-14; Isa. 55:6; Pr. 8:17; Mt. 18:3; 2 Cor. 6:2)
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