Slander, The Forgotten Sin
As we seek what it is that God will have us to do and what it is He does, It came to me as he behooves me to tell you of a forgotten sin.
In the book of Exodus 20:17 it says, “ “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” Now we all know there are nine other commandments but on today we want to focus on this particular scripture for today.
So to give false testimony is to tell a lie on, or cause harm to someone by words. Hoping to defamed them. To tear a person down by diminishing their reputation. Even if what you know is true about someone, we must be careful not to judge them or to slander them any farther than they already been. No matter what it looks like don’t give your input without proof. This is called slander.
slander
n. oral defamation, in which someone tells one or more persons an untruth about another which the untruth will harm the reputation of the person defamed. Slander is a civil wrong and can be the basis for a lawsuit. Damages for slander may be limited to actual damages unless there is malicious intent, since such damages are usually difficult to specify and harder to prove. Some statements such as an untrue accusation of having committed a crime,having a loathsome disease, or being unable to perform one's occupation are treated as slander per se since the harm and malice are obvious, and therefore usually result in general and even punitive damage recovery by the person harmed.
You see, often times we as a people love to point out others flaws or sins. We find fault in others in many ways before giving them an opportunity to prove themselves. We as a people and as christians are quick to point fingers at others when we feel they are not living up to guide lines in which we ourselves often sets. In our bibles it says in St. John 7: niv
1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
That’s right saints. In the midst of slandering someone's name we become judges of the law, which in turn causes we ourselves to be judge.
In 1st John 4:11- Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.
See saints we become judges of the law. Going against the will of God. It was not God’s will for us to talk about one another. To bring each other down to desolation. To turn a person from association with another. To ruin one’s name on a job or to keep them from promotion or exaltation. This puts you in the judgement seat when you began to put your mouth on others. So when you judge or slander a person’s name or character we are saying that we are God.
We as Christians are so vain, that we often think that one sin is greater than the other sin. Sin is sin. All sins have a goal and that is to imprison your soul to the depths of hell.
If there is someone of the LGBT community and someone who is an adultra. Who has the greater sin? If someone one steals and the other kills, who has the greater sin? If one is a liar, and the other covenants his neighbor's ox, who has the greater sin?
If there was a lady who had dirty clothing, tangle hair, and smell, do you suppose to talk about her, or help her? What if a brother was saved and sanctified but somehow lost his way, would you say, “I told you so,” or would you pick your brother up, dust him off, minister to him, become your brother’s keeper? Or would you slander his name just because everyone else is doing it. You focus on all the other sins, but what about the one you forgot. Slandering!
I say that even if you found out that what they say about someone is true do you continue to modulate them with your words and with obscene jesters? What if the person has repented but you didn’t know it, you could be responsible for driving this person back into a life of sin. You have become your own judge with your slanderous mouth only because you harm another with your words. What we call , Character Assassination. Character Assassination is to kill or murder someone with words. There are people who take their own lives or someone else's because of things said. Then there are those who think they are doing God's will when derailing you.
How is slandering or talking about someone a sin? Sin brings death and destruction. Sin is what God said don’t do. Did He say not to slander or judge your brethren? Let’s go to the scriptures and see. Scriptures say:
Matthew 12:36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,
1 Peter 3:16 Having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
Proverbs 10:18 The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool.
James 4:11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
Exodus 20:16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Titus 3:2 To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Proverbs 16:28 A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
1 Peter 2:1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.
See Saints ,God says put away your slanderous ways and stop your backbiting against one another. I know they may be wrong. The lady that was caught in the act of adultery was wrong, but Jesus didn’t accuse her. Peter was wrong when he deny Christ three times but yet Christ acknowledge him. The people of Israel continued turn their backs on God and each time God would forgive them. So who are we to kick another when they are down? Who are we to take the place of God and judge another for his or her action. Preach the word and condemn not, it’s not our job to play God .
So how does Christ want us to talk or act? What does He expects us to say?
Eph 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Col 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
Eph 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
God want Christians and people to speak well of one another. He would have good things and good words come from our mouths. My mom use to say, “if you can’t say something good about someone, don’t say nothing at all.” I heard in his word and I read it for myself, that Jesus said “if I be lifted up then I will draw all men unto myself.” If we spend our time praising and lifting up the name of Jesus, then we would have no time to codem the brethren. I learn that when people want to hurt you, deter you, or keep you down, they began to recruit others with slander of the person they want to hurt. But God…
Slander is a sin and a tool of the devil to separate God’s people. God is a God of unity! He is looking for a unified body of Christians to do His blessed will. But how can we do this if we are destroying each other with words that we will one day have to give in account of. 1 Corinthians 1:10 - Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and [that] there be no divisions among you; but [that] ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
