2002-01-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
I am led to continue delving into the reasons why truth is so important to God and to us, particularly in dealing with spiritual warfare. The standards for us that God establishes are exemplified by EPH 4: 25-26 in which we are told not to lie to each other (or to Him) and not to allow anger to lead us to sin. The prior aspects of this already taken up in previous messages are: 1) problems that come from unqualified leadership, who come in like “devil’s servants disguised as angels of light” [2 COR 11: 14-15] and 2) our need to be aware of apostate doctrine, such as is found in cults and non Bible-based sects. One other aspect of apostate doctrine and ungodly behavior is gossip. This is how lies are often transmitted. There are several reliable web sites on the Internet, such as Urban Legends, Hoaxbusters, and Symantec for example, which can help people figure out the truth of some of the messages web users receive. This can be very important when these messages contain requests for money, seduction to sign one’s name on a petition, whether a virus warning is real or a hoax, and other stories received. By the way, www.symantec.com is a very useful site that is the actual computer security site used by Norton Utilities, the author of some of the best, most reliable computer security software available. It has a virus research lab, which allows a person to run a search on a virus warning to see if it is real. If it is, one can access articles describing the virus and how to deal with getting rid of it or quarantining it. I encourage you to visit that site and “bookmark” it or select it under “favorites,” so you can return to it easily when you need it.
It would hardly be appropriate for me not to mention how much damage to people’s lives gossip really does. Bearing false witness is important enough to God that He included a Law about it in the Ten Commandments [EX 20: 16]. LV 19: 16, “Do not spread lies about anyone, and when someone is on trial for his life, speak out if your testimony can help him. I am the Lord.” God even gives us basic rules concerning gossip in NU 23: 8 in which He told the Moabite prophet, Baalam, what to say. “How can I curse what God has not cursed, or speak of doom when the Lord has not?” Job is offered protection from gossip out his friend, Eliphaz’s, Jewish understanding of God’s attitude in JOB 5: 21, “God will rescue you from slander; He will save you when destruction comes.” David speaks of the damage caused by dishonest words in his prayer for protection in PS 5: 9. “What my enemies say can never be trusted; they only want to destroy. Their words are flattering and smooth, but full of deadly deceit.” The issue of fitness for worship due to gossiping comes up in PS 15: 1-3, “Lord, who may enter Your temple? A person who obeys God in everything and always does what is right, whose words are true and sincere, and who does not slander others. He does not wrong to his friends and does not spread rumors about his neighbors.” Flat out, we learn that gossip is a sin in PS 59: 12. “Sin is on their lips; all their words are sinful; may they be caught in their pride!” David utters in this prayer for safety. Two examples of many in the NT which take up this issue: MT 15: 10-20 shows us gossip denotes an unclean heart; JAS 3: 1-12 discusses what the tongue can do. I hope you will read both these passages and maybe even find some of the many more. God makes Himself very clear on this subject.
We should also look at our own lives and past experience with gossip. We can learn a lot from the circumstances of our lives. I know this, because in the past I was the subject of some very unrighteous gossip among some family members that caused me a lot of personal pain. Eventually, this stopped, and God adjudicated the case of these wrongdoers, without intervention from me other than prayer-in His own time and in his own way. Whispering campaigns within groups or congregations have caused a lot of chaos. All of these examples including the ones from our own individual lives bring us to the need to behave with others according to God’s commandments. We must never forget what Christ said in JN 13: 34-35, “And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you should love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are My disciples.” Christ is challenging each of us to consider the impact of our decisions, words, and actions on others before saying them or taking action on them. There are common sense boundaries we should respect in our dealings with family, friends, and people we encounter who we don’t yet know. I am led to further discussion of this subject in tomorrow’s message.
PRAYER: O Lord, James, in JAS 3: 5 reveals Your insight on the power of the tongue. “So, it is the tongue, small as it is, it can boast about great things. Just think how large a forest can be set on fire by a tiny flame!” There are so many times when we don’t realize our power to do good or to do damage by what we say. When Satan has power over us, our emotions drive us to say damaging things, even things that destroy. How many children we know who have no self-confidence, because their parents were constantly impatient and overly critical of them? How many potential servants do You have who have been taught to believe they can’t serve You in certain ways for which You call them, because someone else convinced them of that? We consider the lack of courage some people have to participate in a given faith-building activity, because of someone else’s ill-considered words. Dearest Lord, the virgin Mary dealt with this very issue when she became pregnant by Your Spirit before her marriage to Joseph [MT 1: 19-21]. You lead us to examine our personal lives and what we have been saying to others. You have made Your will in this matter known to us throughout the Scriptures, from the Torah all the way through Revelation. You even made not telling lies a criteria used in selecting the 144, 000 evangelists in REV 14:5, “They have never been known to tell lies; they are faultless.” Your will on a believer’s conduct is made clear in TITUS 3: 2, “Tell them not to speak evil of anyone, but to be peaceful and friendly and always show a gentle attitude toward everyone.” Today, we come before You to dedicate ourselves to obeying Your will, to stop gossiping and lying (if we have been doing these things), and “to guard the treasure of Your truth (the Gospel) entrusted to us” [2 TIM 1: 13-14]. In utter humility, we offer You our confession of sins and our utmost worship, adoration, loyalty, diligence, trust, obedience, honor, glory, praise, and thanks. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.
In tomorrow’s message we will examine the subject of godly boundaries and look at the story of what happened when the believers in the early church shared their possessions and some lied from AC 4: 32-5: 11. A parent who has no real love for his child either ignores that child when the child misbehaves or overly criticizes and nags that child. God is a loving Parent Who does neither of these things. The content of His heart is made known to us in the Scriptures. When something is very important, God spends a lot of time talking about it. And, we need to listen to Him and listen well! Such is the case about gossip and remaining truthful. I’m convinced it’s why He is giving me so many messages to write to you about how the truth matters to Him. God is not nagging us; He simply knows our great weaknesses in this area. Not one wasteful word is in the Bible. A loving parent wants nothing more than to see His child mature into a productive, loving, and capable adult. That is how our Abba feels about us. He wants us to mature into “co-laborers in ministry” –people who serve Him well and are His good friends. He gave His Son on the cross, gifted us with the Holy Spirit, and is eager for us to be sanctified so we can live eternally in joy with Him. Bask in the warm glow of His love today and always. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn