3 Misperceptions You May Have About God

Lately what we’ve been hearing from most Christians is, “God is love, God is love” and “It’s all about grace, it’s all about grace.”

But does God ever get offended?

It’s an important question to ask. Does your behavior ever offend God? Are there times when what the church is doing offends God?

I think there are many people who don’t grasp this. They say, “Wait a minute! But God is love.” But does God ever get offended, and if He does get offended, what does He do?

We know what we do when we get offended. We pout, we manipulate with our emotions, we give people a piece of our mind. But what does God do when He gets offended?

1. God can be offended.

“Be angry but do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger. Do not give place to the devil. Let him who steals steal no more. Instead, let him labor, working with his hands things which are good, that he may have something to share with him who is in need. Let no unwholesome word proceed out of your mouth, but only that which is good for building up, that it may give grace to the listeners. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you are sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outbursts, and blasphemies, with all malice, be taken away from you. And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you” (Eph. 4:26-32).

The verse, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God” in the Greek literally means “Do not make Him sad. Don’t offend Him.”

You can offend the Holy Spirit.

2. God can feel rejected.

“Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Examine all things. Firmly hold onto what is good. Abstain from all appearances of evil” (1 Thess. 5:16-22).

The verse, “Do not quench the Spirit, in the Greek means “Do not throw a wet blanket on the Spirit.”

Why would you throw a wet blanket on something? To put out a fire!