Slander and It Will Hurt 1

Psalm 15:1-3

¹ Lord, who shall dwell [temporarily] in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell [permanently] on Your holy hill? ² He who walks and lives uprightly and blamelessly, who works rightness and justice and speaks and thinks the truth in his heart, ³ He who does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his friend, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;

In a previous blog posting, I mentioned some of the characteristics of a person that can go to God (to the mountain of the Lord) and seek His presence. This person has to have clean hands and a pure heart that only worships God and not idols, nor believes the lies of the enemy to the point of constantly acting out of fear which causes him or her to want to manipulate his or her way out of their circumstances without the input and direction of the Lord. But in verse 3 of the above passage, we see another aspect of what is needed in order to not have hindrances that keep us from the Lord’s presence in our lives.

 The Scripture says that this person should not be a slanderer, nor one who speaks evil to his friend, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor. First of all, let me highlight that this admonition includes our thoughts. Many of us have been found guilty of thinking things about another person while showing a different attitude outwardly as well. But Jesus raised the bar for us when He was on earth and said after the Sermon on the Mount that the motives and intents of our hearts are found in the way we think about others, and if we did the things we did in our thoughts, He sees that also as been done outwardly. 

Matthew 5:22 states, But I say to you that everyone who continues to be angry with his brother or harbors malice (enmity of heart) against him shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the court; and whoever speaks contemptuously and insultingly to his brother shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, You cursed fool! [You empty-headed idiot!] shall be liable to and unable to escape the hell (Gehenna) of fire AMP.

 When we are prone to slandering, this is a sign of pride and haughtiness. One leads to the other, and are both opposed by God. When we are opposed by God, it’s like wanting to move forward, but meeting many obstacles along the way. We cannot blame the devil when God Himself is the One opposing us. One of the reasons He opposes pride and haughtiness is because they are completely opposite to His nature of being Righteous and Holy (Ephesians 4:24). When a person has reached the point of haughtiness, he or she has become his or her own giant, perhaps to the stature of Goliath, and can easily defy God with his or her actions and words. Goliath was a haughty giant, and the taller the giant, the harder he falls. In addition, pride and overestimating ourselves highly while underestimating others are found among the seven abominations the Lord hates (Proverbs 6:17).

Furthermore, as we have seen also in previous postings that slandering is rooted in pride which in turn is rooted in fear, this is also a sign that the person is under the grip of a religious spirit. This spirit has caused many to miss their mark and lose their inheritance promised by the Lord because it is found wherever there are contentions and chaos produced by strife. Indeed it hurts the ones who engage in the act of slandering because they feel superior to the ones they’re speaking or thinking evil of. One example of this we see in Canaan being sentenced by his father Noah to serve his two brothers Shem and Japheth. The latter two covered their father in his nakedness, but Ham (forefather of Canaan) talked about it to his brothers (Genesis 9:20-27). This caused Canaan’s descendants to have to surrender their land to Abraham and his descendants many generations later if there is no repentance (Genesis 17:8). God has a great memory that transcends many generations, and vengeance belongs to Him.

In addition, James 1:26 says that, if anyone thinks himself to be religious (piously observant of the external duties of his faith) and does not bridle his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person’s religious service is worthless (futile, barren) AMP. 

The reason is found in James 3:9-12 which says that, ⁹ With it (the tongue) we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who were made in God’s likeness! ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing. These things, my brethren, ought not to be so. ¹¹ Does a fountain send forth [simultaneously] from the same opening fresh water and bitter? ¹² Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine figs? Neither can a salt spring furnish fresh water AMP. (Emphasis mine)

My brothers and sisters, the Lord desires instead that the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in His sight (Psalm 19:14), thus, let us come boldly to His throne with repentant hearts to obtain mercy and grace in time of need (Hebrews 4:16) for we desperately need a change of heart. A heart that forgives and loves others. To Him alone be all the glory.

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