Why Christ offends men

The following is from Spurgeon’s sermon,
"Unbelievers stumbling; Believers rejoicing"

There are some who stumble at Christ because of his holiness.

He is too strict for them; they would like to be Christians,
but they cannot renounce their sensual pleasures; they
would like to be washed in his blood, but they desire still
to roll in the mire of sin.

Willing enough the mass of men would be to receive Christ,
if, after receiving him, they might continue in their drunkenness,
their wantonness, and self-indulgence. But Christ lays the axe
at the root of the tree; he tells them that these things must be
given up, for “because of these things the wrath of God comes
upon the children of disobedience,” and “without holiness no
man can see the Lord.”

Human nature kicks at this.

“What! May I not enjoy one darling lust? May I not indulge
myself at least now and then in these things? Must I altogether
forsake my old habits and my old ways? Must I be made a
new creature in Christ Jesus?”

These are terms too hard, conditions too severe, and so the
human heart goes back to the flesh pots of Egypt, and clings
to the garlic and the onions of the old estate of bondage, and
will not be set free even though a greater than Moses lifts up
the rod to part the sea, and promises to give to them a Canaan
flowing with milk and honey.

Christ offends men because his gospel is intolerant of sin.

When God pardons

by William S. Plumer, "Sinners Saved by Unmerited Kindness"

One unpardoned sin would destroy a soul forever.

Many words in Scripture point towards forgiveness, such as:
grace,
mercy,
peace with God,
not imputing iniquity,
taking away sin,
bearing sin,
making an end of transgression,
covering sin,
forgetting sin,
not remembering iniquity,
washing, cleansing and removing sin,
casting it into the sea, or behind the back,
scattering it like a cloud,
burying it,
blotting it out,
pardoning it.

The forgiveness of sins is free. It is "without money and
without price." We can do nothing to merit it, or prepare
ourselves for it. When God pardons, He pardons:
all sins,
original sin and actual sin,
sins of omission and of commission,
secret and open sins,
sins of thought, word and deed.

To those who believe in Jesus, all is freely forgiven.
Full pardon, or none at all, is what God gives. Nor is
this gift ever revoked by God. When He forgives, He
forgives forever!

"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin
the Lord does not count against him." Psalm 32:1-2