The Cultural Shift Toward Gossip and Slander

Thank you again, Mr. Blakey, and once again, happy Sabbath with all of you.

I'd like to begin with a question today. The question says, do you know what the greatest modern sin is? This is a sermon that's based on providing a warning for all of us, because there's something going on that has become so natural, so comfortable, so pervasive that it's begun to invade some of the conduct and thinking and things said in the Church of God. It's a sin that's rapidly expanding in our culture today. It's a very ancient sin, but it's become a lot more pronounced today because of our age of social media. It's so common. It has the feeling of being natural. So prevalent today in the news feeds Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, the left-wing sites, the right-wing sites, the middle-wing sites, that it almost feels comfortable. It feels natural. It feels normal. We don't even recognize it is wrong or it's harmful. My question is, could this be something that we, we as God's people, are participating in more than ever before?

Well, let's see what this sin is. Leviticus chapter 19 verse 16. If you'll turn there with me.

Leviticus chapter 19 and verse 16. It says, you shall not go about as a tail-bearer among your people, nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor. I am the Lord. I am the Eternal. I am the Eternal One. Now, this word that's translated into English as tail-bearer comes from a Hebrew word, rakhiel, and it means a scandal-monger, someone who travels about carrying tails, and that can include gossip. It can include slander. The difference between the two, by the way, is slander usually is a lie or an exaggeration, where gossip may be very well telling the truth, but it's still gossip. Verse 16 here, from the New International Version, says this, do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the Lord. You know how you can endanger your neighbor's physical life? You can commit an act of violence against them. You know how you can assassinate their character? You can gossip about them.

Or you can slander them. And again, in our age of Facebook and YouTube and Twitter and all of these things that are going on in this constant bombardment of opinions and ideas and attitudes and agendas, our culture is rancid with slander every minute of every day.

And I want to ask the question today.

Heartfelt. Have we allowed this mindset to begin sinking into our thought patterns and into the things that we say about people, about individuals, whether they're in the church or out in the world? The college dictionary defines slander as this. The utterance in the presence of another person of a false statement or statements damaging to the third person's character or reputation usually distinguished from libel, which is written. Something written down would be called libel. A tale-bearer or a slanderer, someone who spreads false information, purposely intended to harm or hurt another, including their reputation. Its character, assassination, maybe something they worked for their whole lives, very hard, to have a particular reputation, to live a certain way of life, and all that can be so easily destroyed by either gossip or by slander. The tale may be exaggerated. It may be an outright lie intended to defame another person's character or their standing. It can occur in a one-on-one discussion just you and another person. It can be gossiping. You can be slandering about someone. It may be publicly proclaimed from the pulpit. Sometimes I've heard slander in my lifetime, and I've heard gossip. It can be an accusation. And again, it's so hard to recognize it anymore because the media does it every minute of every day to the point that it is now passed off as natural, normal, acceptable communication. It's usually cloaked in phrases like reportedly, I saw a headline yesterday, Trump reportedly this. But what does that mean reportedly? Were you there? The person who wrote the were you there? Another one of my favorite anonymous sources state who's anonymous sources?

All of these and I see the same things slamming President Biden today. Biden reportedly says this or did this in a meeting or his dog did this in a meeting. That's real top news, whether his dog bit somebody or not. But we are so infected in our culture today with all of this slander and gossip that we can get to the point where even we, God's people, can begin to believe that this is an acceptable level of communication. And I'm here today to tell you that it is not.

Let's go to Proverbs chapter 10 and verse 18.

We have to be careful, brethren, not to fall prey to believing it is acceptable to simply slander or gossip about others. Proverbs chapter 10 and verse 18.

So I'm reading from the New American Standard Bible. Please follow me with whatever translation you have in front of you. He who conceals hatred has lying lips. That's people who have an agenda. They really hate President Trump, President Biden, anybody, this Senator, that Senator, this philosophy, this idea, that idea, they hate it. And so they write lies, they write exaggerations, they take something like this and blow it up as if it's this. And they are lying to people in order to support whatever it is they believe they want everyone else to believe and accept that is the truth. He who conceals hatred has lying lips and he who spreads slander is a fool. That's not me who said that, that's the Bible who said that. Verse 19. When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable. I always remember that when I'm coming up to speak for 50 minutes, by the way. The more you talk, the greater the opportunity you have to plunge your foot into your mouth. And some people, some of us should have been born with peppermint-tasting feet. Would have been easier. When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise. The less you say, the better it is. The less opportunity you have to say something that you're going to regret that you said. Verse 20. The tongues of the righteous is as choice silver. So when a righteous person says something, it's of great worth and value. It's stimulating, it's encouraging, it's motivating. Sometimes it may even be profound. The heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many because the words that come out of a righteous person's mouth are encouraging, stimulating, thought-provoking. They provide wisdom. But the fools die for a lack of understanding. I want you to notice the dramatic contrast here between someone who slanders others, and the scriptures call that person a fool, and someone who chooses their words wisely.

Some individuals justify the sin of gossip or slander, thinking, well, it must be okay because it's true. And that doesn't pass muster. We'll see what Jesus Christ says in a few minutes about that kind of thinking. Whether something is true or not, and again, even if it's true, it's still gossip. And if it's a lie, if it's an exaggeration intended to put someone else down in the eyes of the person that you're talking to, then that's slander. And, of course, we should always ask ourselves when we read anything on the internet. When we hear something about someone before we pass it on, we should always ask ourselves, was I there? If this is a lie, and I'm just believing what I read, and I tell someone else about it, and I'm naming names, then I'm slandering. Even if I just accepted that it was okay from the news media, and I repeat it as if it's true and tell other people about it, and name names and personalize someone in communication, then I'm slandering them. Was I there? Ask ourselves, did I witness that actual event? Do I know that that happens to be true? Or am I just passing along what I read, or what I heard, or what I would like to think, and passing it on as if it's true, as if it's valid? Proverbs chapter 11. Let's take a look at the way this Hebrew word is used again, defined in English as tail-bearer. This is Hebrews 11 verse 11. By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked. You know, what's true for a city is also true for a nation. This was once a nation that had a sense of unity, that had a sense of purpose. Now our media is just filled with hatred, trying to cause racial division, trying to cause political division, a media whose sole goal is to divide this nation and to divide families, divide people, divide genders, divide, divide, divide, die! That's the whole purpose of our media today.

Let's read this again. By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted. As a nation we're no longer exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked. He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor, someone who doesn't have the facts, someone who doesn't know what's going on, despises his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his peace. Zip!

How are we doing in that regard? A tail-bearer—that's this Hebrew word again, rockhale—reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter. Is it eager to proclaim it to everyone who will listen to them? Conceals the matter. If we hear something about someone, do we have the discipline to conceal the matter and pray about it? And even if it's true and we believe that it's true, believe it in God's hands? Or are we quick to pass it on with a phone call or an email or to get on the internet and type something on Facebook or YouTube or create a YouTube video about it? How do we react to these kinds of things today? Are we into mentioning names? Calling people liars, perverts, other pejoratives? Again, both gossip and slander are sin. The difference is that gossip can be true, and slander is usually an exaggeration or a lie. And I'm sad to report that at times I've heard from the pulpit, I've heard people name names, name political figures, or name public figures and call them perverts or deviants, and some of the most unbelievable things come out of people's mouths even at the pulpit. And thinking, thinking that that somehow is acceptable in Christian. And it's not. Proverbs chapter 20 and verse 19. Let's go there. Take a look at another proverb. Some good wisdom here in these Proverbs.

Proverbs chapter 20 and verse 19. He who goes about as a tailbearer. That's that Hebrew word again. Raquel reveals secrets. Therefore, do not associate with one who flatters with the lips. What does it mean to flatter with the lips? Someone who talks too much. I'm going to read this from verse 19 from the new century version. Gossips can't keep secrets, so avoid people who talk too much. Ever known someone who talks too much?

I've had conversation with people that were two, three hours, and I was allowed to speak for about five minutes.

And even when I would say something, immediately within a few sentences, I would be cut off, and that person once again would dominate the conversation.

Some people are so addicted to talking that they have very little self-control. They want to dominate your time. They want to impress you with how much knowledge they have or proclaim their opinions. And it's always seasoned with gossip and or slander.

The prophet Jeremiah had a warning for the nation of Israel. Let's see if modern Israel can figure this out. Jeremiah chapter 6 and verse 26.

Even the prophet Jeremiah was instructed by God to warn the people of his day.

I wonder if our Western culture today will get it, or if we too will just be stubborn rebels. Jeremiah chapter 6 beginning in verse 26.

O daughter of my people, dress in sackcloth and roll about in ashes, make morning as for an only son with most bitter lamentation, for the plunderer will suddenly come upon us.

And yeah, we think we're just such a great nation. We're such a smart people.

It's not always going to be like this.

I've studied history extensively, and I can tell you one thing is for sure. Kingdoms rise and fall, and when they fall, they fall hard. That's one lesson in history.

Verse 27. I have sent you, talking to Jeremiah, as an essayor. That is a tester of medals and a fortress among my people. So Jeremiah, God says, you're going to be testing their metal. I want you to test the metal of my nation, and I want to tell you something about them.

And a fortress among my people that you may know and test their way. Again, this is a metaphor about testing their metal. There are all stubborn rebels walking as slanderers. Read the news lately? Oftentimes, it's already encapsulated in a headline. The slander is in the headline to draw you in, to grab our attention. So we read the article and get a good dose of their agenda of what they want you to believe. Walking as slanderers. That's that Hebrew word, rock hill. They are bronze and iron. They are all corruptors. Not translated well here in the New King James Version. It means covered with corrosion. My people are covered with rust. They're corroded. Their thinking is corroded. Their actions are corroded. Their culture is corroded. Their culture is corroded. The bellows blow fiercely. The lead is consumed by the fire. The smelter refines in vain. For the wicked are not drawn off. So corrupt, you can't even distinguish the righteous from the wicked. You can't even draw off the impurities anymore to see the good stuff that's left. I pray to God that we're not part of this. I hope we're different enough that people can see. I hope in our modern nation that people can see that we are people of righteousness and integrity. Verse 30, people will call them rejected silver because the Lord has rejected them. That's our culture today. I'm sorry, I hate to tell you the way it is, but that's the way it is. Hopefully when God looks down on us, He can see the difference between the wicked and the righteous.

God told Jeremiah that the corruption was so deep in Israel that it was even hard to separate the righteous from the wicked to see the difference anymore. Could this be said about us, brethren?

Are our thoughts and actions so corroded with slander and gossip, scandal-mongering, that we don't even notice it in ourselves anymore?

Do we think, well, everyone does it? And because everyone does it, including the media and so-called leaders and politicians do it towards each other. They slander and gossip about each other and celebrities gossip and slander about each other and religious leaders sometimes slander and gossip about each other. I wonder if that makes it right, if that makes it okay. I don't think it does. It's not acceptable to God. So let's see what Jesus said about this topic in Matthew chapter 12. What Jesus taught us. He, of course, presents a spiritual application of Leviticus 19 and 16, which was the first scripture that we read today. And you know how Jesus always applied the spiritual application to the law, and it's always deeper. It's always stricter.

Take lust, for example, or murdering someone even in your heart through hate.

Matthew chapter 12 and verse 35. It says, a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things. So what's coming out of our heart? What words are coming out of our mouths?

Good things, I hope? And an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. That's things that they think or say or do. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account on the day of judgment. So do you think slander qualifies as an idle word? I do. I'm terrified at that thought. That alone should drive us all to repentance. Do you think gossip qualifies as an idle word? Absolutely. It sure does.

For by your words you will be justified, or by your words you will be condemned. This is a very strict warning by Jesus Christ to his disciples. Idle words certainly include slandering another, gossiping, being a tale-bearer, trying to cause trouble, trying to pit families one against another, trying to divide churches so you can start your own church, or so you get to feel important by proclaiming yourself a pastor or whatever. It also includes being judgmental, condemning others, or claiming to know another person's motives, claiming to be able to read their art and know what their motives are. I want to point out here the key to a higher level of spiritual maturity that Jesus Christ teaches here. And I hope at least as a congregation we can get this, and in the way that we communicate with one another, and in the way that we present our messages here, we can begin to understand this more profoundly. When there is a problem, a sin, a difficulty, an error, the discussion should always be on what is wrong, not who is wrong. When we focus on a person, when we name names or personalize a problem, we are attacking the person, not the problem. Therefore, the person becomes the focus, and the actual problem, the sin, the difficulty, is minimized. So I want to emphasize that again. The discussion should always focus on what is wrong, not who is wrong. Did the Gospel authors understand this? Did they practice what Jesus preached here in Matthew chapter 12? Let's drop down to verse 38 here in Matthew 12 verse 38. And let's read something here. As an example of what we would see over and over again, if you study the Gospels closely, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, you will see a pattern, and the pattern is to rarely name names.

Verse 38. But some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, notice what Matthew doesn't say? And Aaron, the rabbi, answered, saying, it doesn't say that. Why? Because there's a lesson to be learned here. It isn't an important who said it. The discussion should be about what is wrong, not who is wrong, saying, teacher, we want to see a sign from you.

But he answered and said to them, an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah, where as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Jesus was predicting he would be dead three days and three nights before he would be resurrected out of the tomb. Continuing, he says, the men of Nineveh will rise up in judgment with this generation and condemn it because they repented of the preaching of Jonah. Something the generation that Jesus talked to was unwilling to do. They thought they were right. They were so smart. It's them and God were like this. Well, if you're like this, then how come you're under Roman occupation? If you're like this, how come you don't have your own kingdom anymore?

But they refused to repent. He says, and indeed, a greater than Jonah, talking about himself, is here. The queen of the south will rise up in judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and indeed, a greater than Solomon. Again, Jesus referring to himself is here. I want you to notice that Matthew is careful not to name an individual. He doesn't say Rabbi Horwitz answered. Jason the Pharisee asked.

As a matter of fact, if you examine all four gospels, you will notice dozens of times that scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, or Jews ask questions or challenge Jesus Christ, and they are never named. They're not in the naming names. Why? Because the question should be, the lesson to be learned is what is wrong, not who is wrong. It's rare, very rare, that any individual's name, particularly in a negative way, is mentioned in the gospels. Very rare that that happens, because the discussion should always focus on the right thing and not the personality.

Let's take a look at some examples. Turn with me, if you would, to John 8. Just quickly, we'll look at the beginning of some verses here before we read what Jesus said about the one who is the true author of slander, and that is Satan the devil. But before we get there, we'll just take a look at some examples here. John chapter 8, and see if we can connect the dots with what the authors of the gospels are focusing on. John chapter 8 verse 3, then the scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman caught in adultery.

No names mentioned? Verse 13, the Pharisees therefore said to him, you bear witness of yourself, your witness is not true. No naming names there. Verse 19, then they said to him, where is your father? Now, I'm sure they, it means that an individual must have said that. I'm sure five people didn't lip-sync and all at the same time say, where is your father? It was one person. But that person represented the thinking of the group, whether it was a Jew or Pharisee or Sadducee, then they said him, where's your father? Verse 22, so the Jew said, will he kill himself because he says?

Verse 25, then they said to him, who are you? Who's they? An individual said that. No need to name names, no need to gossip, no need to slander. Verse 33, they answered him, we are Abraham's descendants that have never been in bondage to anyone. Verse 39, they answered and said to him, Abraham is our father.

Verse 48, then the Jews answered and said to him. Verse 52, then the Jews said to him, now we know you have a demon. Most likely, again, one person who said that, but he represented the group, and that's why the author said the Jews said. But it was most likely just an individual. It wasn't, again, five people saying those words at the same time together. Verse 57, then the Jews said to him, you're not yet 50 years old and you've seen Abraham. So I want you again to notice that not once is an individual Pharisee, scribe, or Jew identified by their name. Why? Because it's not important.

There are important lessons to be learned here, but who they are is not important. The discussion should always focus on what is wrong, not who is wrong. So while we're in this chapter, let's go to verse 42 and see something that Jesus says about the devil. John chapter 8 and verse 42. Jesus said to them, if God were your father, you would love me, for I proceeded forth and came from God, nor have I come of myself, but he, speaking of God, sent me.

Why do you not understand my speech question? He says because you are not able to listen to my word because of your bias, because of your preconceived self-righteousness. Jesus is saying to them, you can't really get it. You're not listening to my words. You're filtering everything that I say through your particular religious bias. Verse 44, you are of your father the devil and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there's no truth in him when he speaks a lie. He speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. In verse 44, Jesus refers to your father the devil, and that word devil is from the Greek, diablos, and it means a slanderer. That's what that word means in Greek. Your father, the slanderer, the false accuser, the liar. That's how he refers to Satan the devil.

Again, slandering someone is attempting to murder their reputation or assault their character, or to judge them, or in some cases, most harshly to condemn them.

Do we have the right to do that? Is that a Christian prerogative to do those things? Or will we be judged by every idle word that comes out of our mouths?

Job chapter 1 and verse 8. I want to give you an example of Satan the slanderer.

Job chapter 1 and verse 8.

Then the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and shuns evil? So Satan answered the Lord and said, First of all, God presents Job in a positive way. By the way, God looks at your life the same way as he comments on Job. Does God know that Job was human? That he had flaws and weaknesses? That by the way will be revealed through the trials he goes through? God knows that. God still loves him. And in God's eyes, because God loves him so deeply, he's a blameless and upright man because God has forgiven him and God loves him. God feels the same way about you, same way about me. One who fears God and shuns evil. So Satan answered the Lord and said, Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands and his possessions and have increased in the land. But now, the adversary says, stretch out your hand and touch all that he has and he will surely curse you to your face. That's an accusation. That's what the accuser says about Job to God. And the Lord said to Satan, Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only do not lay hand on his person. You can't take his life. You can give him disease. You can take away all of his material possessions. You can destroy his loved ones. You can do a lot of terrible things to him, but you cannot take his life. So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. So again, I want you to notice that God has positive comments to make about Job in spite of his carnal human traits. Satan, on the other hand, only sees the negative and he actually slanders Job. Do you know how he slanders Job? Satan lies about him. Job never cursed God. Read the book from beginning to end, chapter to chapter. He never, ever, ever, ever curses God. Yes, his wife encouraged him to curse God and die. I'm sure that was very encouraging to him. Job chapter 2 and verse 9. Job suggested that others curse the day that he was born. He threw that out as something to think about in Job chapter 3 and verse 8. But in spite of all, he went through losing his loved ones, losing his possessions, and sitting in physical pain and misery and all that he experienced. He never cursed God.

Satan lies the same way about you. He accuses the brethren in the Church of God. He's a slanderer. He's a liar.

And brethren, that's something that we certainly don't want to emulate in our own lives, and certainly not in our own Church.

So I want to talk about a rare exception of naming names, and it's something we really shouldn't do. We should be following the example of the New Testament. So instead of saying, Trump, Biden, this person, that person said this, we need to follow the example of the New Testament. That is, this week a politician stated, see the difference? It's not gossip. You're about to state a lesson of fact, hopefully quoting verbatim what that individual may have said.

But not naming names, because that's not the right thing to do. That's not an example that we want to set for our children in this congregation. That's not an example that we want to set for the world. Now there is an exception. There's one time that the Bible allows the naming of names. It's a rare exception, and I want to explain it just to avoid confusion, and so people don't use it. As some kind of get-out-of-jail-free card, as an excuse or license to name names and to slander people publicly, or to gossip about people publicly. Sometimes an individual's conduct is so offensive and damaging to the church that they have to be mentioned by name. They have to be disfellowshipped by their name and their name mentioned publicly to protect the flock. In 1 Corinthians 5, it's interesting, Paul tells the brother not to keep company or even share a meal with a person who has particular conduct. And some of that conduct includes brother who is sexually immoral or greedy, an adulterer, a slanderer, a drunkard, or a swindler with such a man do not even eat. That's 1 Corinthians chapter 5, beginning verse 11 from the new international version. But you know what? Paul's addressing someone committing incest in the congregation. You know what he doesn't do? He never mentions that person by name. In 1 Corinthians, never mentions his name at all. Why? Because the discussion should be on what is wrong, not who is wrong.

Now, the idea of marking or naming someone publicly should be done very rarely. It's a very serious thing, and it should be rare. Paul himself mentions someone like Alexander the Coppersmith. He mentions him by name. He names a name in 2 Timothy 4.14, but he tells the brother, and he mentions the name because he says, beware of him. He's evil. He hurt me. Beware of Alexander the Coppersmith. Simon Magus is mentioned in Acts 8 because he put on the false pretense of believing in Jesus Christ in God's way of life, and he was just out for the money, tried to perform some miracles and make money out of the power of the Holy Spirit. So he is mentioned specifically by name. The Apostle John also has a rare example, a rogue pastor named Diatrophys. Let's turn there and read about that. 3 John chapter 1 and verse 9. But again, I want us to realize that these rare exceptions of individuals being marked publicly were because these were individuals associated with the church who, by their conduct, could be very destructive in the church, could harm the church of God. And John mentions an example here. He's an elderly man. By now, he's probably close to 100 years old. He's most certainly in his 90s when he writes this. It's just had to be painful for him to write. I don't know how well he knew Diatrophys, but he says here in 3 John chapter 1 verse 9, I wrote to the church, but Diatrophys, who loves to have the preeminence. Other translations say he just loves to be in charge. He just loves, he gets off on all that authority, barking at people, telling people what to do all the time. Loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us, doesn't even recognize or acknowledge my letter. Pretends like I don't even exist, is what John is saying. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds, which he does, prating against us with malicious words. The new and century version translates this verse malicious words as he lies and says evil things about us. That's slander. Unfortunately, this was a pastor who was slandering others, including apparently the Apostle John. And not content with that, as if that isn't bad enough. There's more. He himself does not receive the brethren who forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. He won't even let people come and assemble with others of like mind. He puts them out because he's a little control freak. He's a little Hitler. That's his problem. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is from God, but he who does evil has not seen God. So again, this is just an example of a rare exception, where there's a naming of names. In this case, diatrophies. It was necessary to protect the church from his evil conduct. But again, I want to emphasize these are rare, needful examples, but they're not an excuse for us to gossip about people publicly, naming names, making it personal, or heaven forbid, slandering, which is a direct lie, or slandering individuals. A few more scriptures. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 29. Please turn there with me. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 29.

Paul himself writes here to the congregation to Ephesus, Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the hearers. So what should come out of our mouths? The word edification comes from the word that we know of as edifice. What should come out of our mouths, build other people up. She can build them up or build the church up, or be positive and be constructive. Those are the words that should proceed out of our mouth. What is good to build? Standing behind a podium and ranting, calling people by names perverts and deviants and pedophiles and liars, and that has nothing to do with necessary edification. It's just gossip. In many cases, it's just slander. And we don't want to be guilty of that. That it may impart grace to the hearers. Verse 30, Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice, all gossip, all slander. All evil speaking should be put away from us, should be put out of our lives. Verse 32, And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. What should be coming out of our mouths is positive reinforcement to build our congregation. At home, it should be positive reinforcement to build our families. At work, it should be positive reinforcement to build our company. And I know that can be very hard sometimes. But we should not be speaking evil because it just tears down. It breaks down. It corrupts. Our conversation should be seasoned with grace, kindness, and tenderheartedness. And this is all the opposite of slander and gossip. Let's see what Peter says. We saw what Paul just said. Let's see what Peter says. 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 22. 1 Peter 1 and verse 22.

Peter writes, Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart. Do we have a sincere love for one another? Genuine concern for each other's well-being, spiritually, physically, emotionally?

Are we loving one another fervently? Not just a little bit. Not from arm's length.

Not as James would say, you know, someone's hungry. Well, I'll pray about it.

But actually doing something about it? Loving one another fervently with a pure heart? Having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and abides forever, because all flesh is grass, and all glory of man, as the flower of the grass, as the grass withers, and as flower falls away, but the word of God endures forever, now this is the word by which the gospel was preached to you. So that comes from a pure heart. Love is part of the word of God. Loving our neighbor is the word of God. That lasts forever.

All the idle things that we say, and our opinions, and our thoughts, and repeating gossip, and committing slander, and all those things we say, is like everything else in this physical world. It's going to wither. It's going to shrivel up, and it's going to all blow away, just like a flower fails away. Again, this is the opposite of slander and gossip. Loving our neighbor is part of the word of God, and that's incorruptible according to the Scripture. Slander, lies, and gossip are corruptible. Corruptible to God, and it should be corruptible to us, and it will fade away like all fleshly things. 1 Peter chapter 2. Let's go forward one more chapter here. Verse 1. Chapter 2, verse 1. Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, that would include gossip and slander, all evil speaking, as newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

So we should desire the word. Another way of him saying the previous chapter, we should desire the pure milk of the word, not desire engaging in evil speaking and gossip and slander and all of those things that are carried on in this world. This should be our spiritual response to God showing grace to us. It should prompt us to have grace on others because God's been so forgiving to us, so compassionate to us. And when we, by God's grace, put away evil speaking, we can begin to grow. We can take our lives to a whole new level. Our final scripture, John chapter 4 and verse 10. John chapter 4 and verse 10. The root cause of people, I'll try to put this delicately, of people who talk too much, of people who gossip, of people who slander, the root of all of that is this. Look at me! Give me attention! Would you, would somebody please give me some attention? I have secret knowledge. I have insight. Did you know? Are you aware? That's the whole root of that kind of thinking. What's the antidote to that? James chapter 4 and verse 10. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up. Don't rely on being the person in the know.

The person who constantly wants to draw attention to themselves to lift yourself up. Rely on God because if we're humble, he will lift us up. He will give us the promotions. He will give us all the attention we could possibly ever want. Like how about living forever as a spirit being in his kingdom? Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother speaks evil of the law and judges the law. We don't want to be accused of being so self-righteous that we're smarter than God, that we're even superior to God's law. We know more than God's law knows. That's what we're saying when we judge our brother. Forget the law. I'm judged and I'm the jury and I'm the condemning agent right now. That person's badness should be stoned. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one law giver who is able to save and destroy. Who are you to judge another? Let's allow God to be the judge. And when there's a problem, when there's an issue, when there's a sin, when there's an error, let's focus on what is wrong, not who is wrong.

So again, I want to emphasize and reinforce today that slander and gossip has become so common and natural in our culture today that we can easily accept it as right, as normal, as natural, as okay. But brethren, it's not biblical. It's potentially harmful to yourself. And if we engage in gossip or slander, we're committing character assassination and God will not accept that. It's a sin. I can't put it in any softer words than that.

So let's think about our discussion today. Let's all of us work a little harder in our personal lives and in our conduct to church and realize there is a difference. And God has called us to be a righteous people. And we, of all people, want God to be able to look down on this earth and say, ah, I see. I see by their attitudes. I see by their hearts. I see by their conduct that these are the righteous. Let's all allow our lives and our lights to shine. Have a wonderful Sabbath day.