Can Truth Be Used to Slander?
"A gossip betrays a confidence,
but he who is trustworthy keeps a secret."Proverbs 11:13
"A perverse man spreads strife,
and a gossip separates intimatefriends."
Proverbs 16:28
"He who conceals an offense promoteslove,
but he who repeats the matter separates closefriends." Proverbs 17:9
"Do not go about spreading slander among yourpeople" Leviticus 19:16
"Do you not know that the unrighteous will notinherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexuallyimmoral nor idolaters ... nor slanders .. will inherit the kingdom ofGod." 1 Corinthians 6:9,10
Clearly, if gossip can include betraying aconfidence then to share a tidbit of truth about someone which isharmful is indeed gossip! While slander can involve creating orrepeating lies, it is not limited to this. Slander and gossip alsoinvolve destroying another person through our words, whether what isshared is true or not.
Although that burning feeling of the fleshlynature to pass on a juicy insider scoop can seem overpowering, itinvolves selling out God's purposes in order to destroy and serve theevil one. Whether it be a blunt, "Did you know that ..." or aself-justifying, "I don't want to gossip, but ..." the Lord treatsgossip with teeth. Gossiping is placed right alongside of sexualimmorality, idolatry and theft. Those who embody thesecharacteristics will not inherit the kingdom of God.
The life of love, which Paul calls the disciple ofJesus to imitate, involves a rejection of the sinful fleshly impulsesof gossiping.1 The Christian, having cast off being driven byungodly desires, puts on a new attitude shaping his or her behavior. Words become tools for pointing people to the Lord and building themup, not tearing them down. The motivation promoting Self through"look what I know" is replaced with seeking the wellbeing ofothers.
Accordingly God's people are to be very carefulregarding how they live so as to use their time wisely in serving theLord's will. We are to seek promoting God's will in this world, notembody the will of the evil one.
Can we purify ourselves from whatever contaminatesso that the Lord can use us to promote his purposes? Paul believedit was possible.2
(1) Ephesians 4:25-5:4
(2) 2 Timothy 2:21
Barry Newton, Copyright © 2005
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