NO EXCUSE

John 15:18-27
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

The World’s Hatred

18 “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. 20 Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. 21 They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the One who sent me. 22 They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Anyone who hates me also hates my Father. 24 If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father. 25 This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures: ‘They hated me without cause.’

26 “But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. 27 And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry.


We like to make excuses. When we mess up, instead of stepping up and taking responsibility, we are quick to find someone or something else where we can lay the blame. Adam and Eve did it in the garden and we have been doing it ever since.

Last week, I was late picking someone up. I found myself thinking of excuses before I arrived and had to face the music. The traffic … a train … the phone call just as I was walking out the door … and so on. The truth is I was doing something I didn’t need to be doing and I lost track of time. I was late and I had no excuse.

Jesus says we have no excuse for our sin. Jesus came to take care of our sin problem. When we sin, it’s on us. We have no excuse. We are guilty.

Thank God for grace!!!!