Luke 14:16-24 NKJV

Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ 18But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ 19And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ 20Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ 22And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ 23Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”

I don’t know about you, but I have heard many excuses for why people who profess faith in Jesus Christ do not obey God and do not follow Jesus Christ with their lives. And I have heard many excuses from those not professing faith in Jesus for why they are holding back from putting their faith in him when they have acknowledged that Jesus is who he said he was, and that he did the things that he did, and that he is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. They know the truth. Many have been taught the truth from birth. And some whose lives are not given to the Lord have even taught the truth.

So, why make excuses when you know the difference between good and evil, but while you continue to do the evil and not the good? And I am most certain that I have not heard all the excuses being given, but I have heard plenty, and I see the same excuses being used by many people who must all be listening to the same lies, for they carbon copy each other’s excuses. And some people who have been living in sexual addiction, as one example, for a lifetime, are still living in sexual addiction, and so they are still reciting the same old excuses which they give over again for why they can’t be pure.

That is really what this passage of Scripture is about, for God’s invitation to us is an invitation, not only to believe in Jesus Christ, but to put that faith into daily practice by forsaking our sins and living to please our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands. And yes, this was first an invitation given to the Jews who were God’s chosen people of the Old Covenant, but most rejected Jesus, so the Gentiles (non-Jews) were invited, and many of them accepted the invitation and they believed in Jesus as their Lord and they died with him to sin and obeyed his commands, in practice, by his grace.

But sadly too many people today are professing faith in Jesus with their lips but while they make continued excuses for why they can’t obey his commands, in practice, and live holy lives pleasing to God instead of continuing to live in sin. Some claim it is too hard to obey. Surely it is not easy for those who are still embracing their sinful practices, and it is not always easy even for those whose lives are dedicated to the Lord and to his service. But it is not impossible! For God does not require of us what he will not give us the ability to do if we will let him be master of our lives.

So, if God has called us, he will provide all we need to do as he commands. So there are no excuses for not obeying our Lord if we claim to believe in Jesus and/or if we know the right way to go but we resist because we want our sin more. We know right from wrong. We know good from evil. Even the devil knows that. So one can make all the excuses in the world for not doing what they know is right, and for deliberately and habitually continuing to do what they know is evil, but no excuses will give anyone a free pass from having to die to sin and to walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Give God the Glory

Based off Psalm 19
An Original Work / March 10, 2014
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

All of creation now proclaims:
“Give God the glory; honor His name!”
Each day the stars in heav’n above
Show forth His wisdom; tell of His love.

They do not speak. They have no voice.
Yet, they declare we have a choice:
“Worship the God of heav’n above;
Believe in Jesus; trust in His love.”

God’s word is perfect, just and good,
Refreshing souls who trust in the Lord;
Makes wise the simple; radiant –
Lighting our lives with God’s righteousness.

Joy to the heart His words now speak;
Pure and enduring, now we seek.
They are more precious than our gold;
Sweeter than honey; never grow old.

Keeping the word brings great reward.
By the word Jesus speaks and He warns,
Convicting hearts of all their sin;
Forgiving all who call upon Him.

Praying You keep me, Lord, from sins.
May they not rule my life again.
Then will I walk in all Your ways,
Following Jesus all of my days.

No More Excuses
An Original Work / May 15, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love