Human weaknesses, failings and misbehavior are unlikely to remain hidden indefinitely.  When they are in danger of imminent exposure or are actually revealed, excuses are inevitably offered.

Excuses have two main purposes.  The first, is to enable us to feel better about ourselves, despite having done what we shouldn’t or having neglected to do what we should.  The second purpose is to induce others to feel better about us, our shortcomings notwithstanding.  We are most comfortable when one excuse serves dual purposes—persuading both ourselves and others that while our actions are not okay, we ourselves most definitely are okay.

Preemptive excuses (those made before a dubious act is committed or before it has been found out), are like pre-trial motions made by the accused when acting as his or her own defense attorney.  Examples include challenging the statute which was transgressed, alleging prosecutorial misconduct, arguing for the exclusion of evidence, pleading guilty to lesser charges, and so on.

Excuses raised in the moment are essentially judicial pleadings, offering exculpatory information, citing mitigating circumstances, proffering alibi witness testimony, et cetera.

The defendant’s theory of the case typically varies with the strength of the evidence.  A weak case may trigger protestations of absolute innocence, but these are rarer than one may suppose.  ‘Guilty with an explanation’ is the broadest category and is also the most popular for the wide range of options that it offers.  It covers everything from legalistic claims that ‘the law should not apply to me or should not apply in this instance,’ to ‘I did a bad thing but had a good reason.’ Other choices include self-defense, temporary insanity or incapacity, selective prosecution (“everybody’s doing it—why am I the only one held accountable?”), and so forth.  Convictions are frequent and so are appeals.

Ironically, salving one’s conscience at the expense of the truth is perhaps most prevalent in metaphysics (the realm of the soul).  How is it possible to be irresistibly drawn to themes extolling the joys and wonders of redemption, while ignoring the obvious fact that redemption takes two—Redeemer and redeemed?  Yet, millions do.  They have heard the gospel (the good news of forgiveness of sins and everlasting life through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ), but have not repented of their sins and turned to Him.  They have their excuses, and they can certainly think of a few.  Here in no particular order are 25 of them:

1. It’s too soon, too late or not the right moment just now (a tragic case of bad timing).
2. I couldn’t possibly, unless I first know the fate of all those who haven’t heard of Christ.
3. I don’t believe that a loving God would allow anyone to go to hell.
4. I’m not a “sinner,” so I don’t I don’t need a Savior.
5. I’m a pretty good person, compared to most, so I should be okay.
6. I think my good deeds outweigh my bad ones, so I don’t fear judgment—bring it on.
7. I’ve lived a good life, if I do say so myself, and isn’t that what counts?
8. You get what you pay for, so a free gift can’t be worth much—if I can’t earn it, forget it.
9. I’ve done too many bad things for God to forgive me.
10. Too many bad things have been done to me, for God to want me anywhere near Him.
11. The gospel can’t be true because it can’t be that simple.
12. The gospel can’t be true because it can’t be that easy.
13. I was raised in XYZ religion, and faith in Christ goes against our teaching and traditions.
14. My family would never understand and accept Christian beliefs…or me.
15. I would probably lose all my friends.
16. I like myself the way I am—if I give my life to Jesus, He’ll completely change me.
17. I have to maintain my intellectual integrity, and I just can’t buy this faith thing.
18. Very few rich, powerful, popular, or successful people live to serve Jesus Christ.
19. The idea that we’re all sinners and only by trusting Jesus can we be saved is offensive.
20. I tried this Jesus thing once, but it didn’t work—there was no supernatural experience.
21. Only one way to be saved?  Please.  I’ll never believe that.
22. I can’t believe in a God who would allow so much suffering and death in this world.
23. Too many people who call themselves Christian don’t live like it—they’re hypocrites.
24. Following Jesus means the end of my freedom to live as I please—maybe when I’m older.
25. My employer and peers hate Christians—I can’t afford to lose my job or tank my career.

It’s an impressive list for its sheer size and the ease with which these excuses pop into mind (though I stopped at 25, I could easily have kept going).  The reasons seem quite varied, but are they really so different?  Closer inspection reveals some common threads, consistent with what we’ve already observed about excuses. Overarching themes include but are not limited to:

• The desire to escape or to minimize personal accountability
• Wrapping evasion in high-sounding terms, dressing up dodginess as something noble
• Attempts to distract and divert attention away from rejection of God and His plan
• Preoccupation with what others may think of a decision to follow Christ
• Ignorance of what God’s word says about judgment and the consequences of unbelief
• Emphasis on earthly wisdom and the secular human viewpoint, versus God’s perspective 
• Self-delusion regarding readiness to stand before God without the pardon Jesus died for
• Denial of spiritual danger and the urgency of making an immediate U-turn

If you haven’t yet come to Christ, what’s YOUR excuse?  Did you find it on the list or in one of the broad categories above?  Is it an excuse you often hear parroted or is it the unique product of your own imagination?  Are you closing your eyes, crossing your fingers and gambling that God’s word is untrue? 

Do you realize that to say you don’t need the gift Jesus died to give you implies that the cross was unnecessary and His suffering to pay the penalty for your sin was worthless?  Can you see how this denial of God’s Son also denies the Father who sent Him to save you?  After rejecting both Him and His Son, do you confidently expect God to make an exception in your case, allowing you to become the only human being in the history of Planet Earth to obtain eternal life in God’s presence without having your sins permanently dealt with?  Do you refuse to come to God His way, on His terms, insisting that there is some other way?  God addresses unbelief and procrastination this way (Romans 2:4-11):

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God. 

“But wait,” you say.  “I haven’t rejected Jesus.  I’m still mulling it over.  I’m not saying ‘no,’ just ‘maybe’ or at least, ‘not now.’“ Looking at the world as it is today, is this complacency justified?  Is it even rational?  To confront this kind of thinking, Jesus told a parable (Luke 14:16-24) which began this way: “…A certain man made a great supper, and bade [invited] many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.  And they all with one consent began to make excuse….”

This response angered the Master of the house, who commanded that others be invited to fill the empty seats.  The story ended with this vow, “For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.”

God does not accept excuses.  He silences them: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Romans 3:19).

Those who will come to Christ are coming now.  With all my heart I pray that you will be among them.  If you hear the call of Christ today, come to Him.  Come without further delay.  Whoever and wherever you may be: Don’t make excuses.  Make haste!

HOW TO BE SAVED:

• Admit to God that you are a sinner (that you have not kept His moral law to perfection; in your thoughts, words and actions you have done what His law forbids and have failed to do what His love demands).  This is seeing yourself from God’s point of view and agreeing that He is right about you.  Be as specific as you can.
• Believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and that God raised Him from the dead.
• Sincerely repent (turn away) from your sins, asking God to forgive you and to use His power to help you resist temptation, no matter how strong the pull of sin may be, at first.
• Acknowledge Jesus as the Lord of your life.  Invite Him to move into your heart and take up residence there, so that He can change you from the inside out.
• Trust His promise to save you and give you a new spiritual birth and a new nature (thoughts, desires, priorities, hopes, dreams and character).

SOME KEY TRUTHS:

• “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  (Romans 3:23)
• “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.”  (Romans 3:10)
• “For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23)
• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16)
• “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Romans 5:8)
• “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”  (I Corinthians 15:3,4)
• “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12)
• “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him…”  (Revelation 3:20)
• “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  (Romans 10:13)
• “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”  (Romans 10:9)
• “Verily, verily, I say unto you; He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life; and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”  (John 5:24)
• “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, ye might have life through his name.”  (John 20:31) 
• “These things I have written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”  (I John 5:13)