"...[A]nd casts no slur on others [his fellow man]" (cf. Psalm. 15:3).
Christians should be held to a higher standard and learn to tone done and restrain their rhetoric.
James said that it is impossible for a spring to have both fresh and bitter water. One cannot speak with a forked tongue, so to speak. Slander, gossip, lies, and threats are evil and Paul condemns such in Romans 1. Today many politicians have no remorse or compunction about slandering other fellow politicians or politicos. Leaders are held to higher standards yet use derogatory remarks and snap judgments to ridicule and made the butt of the common joke du jour. They are supposed to be in a position of authority and to be examples, yet they poison the public with their words. They have no right to do so even if it is a constitutional right because the Law of Moses forbade us to speak evil against a ruler of the people (Acts 23:5).
The powers that be are of God according to Romans 13 and we are to respect all in authority and pray for all our leaders: how can one curse them and pray for them together? The Scripture says: "show proper respect for everyone...fear God, honor the king." It is one thing to disagree and quite another to maliciously and in a mean spirit to deride one's reputation and seek to destroy what God has build up. God put them in office and they are showing contempt for His orchestration of history--don't forget that God is sovereign and rules over the nations (Psalm. 22:28).
One must also put away the "pointing of the finger" (per Isa. 58:9) and stop making someone or some group a scapegoat like Hitler did to the Jews. We are all to blame and God is giving us the leaders we deserve. Augustine said that government is not a necessary evil, but necessary because of evil.
In conclusion let me add: "Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes" (Eccl. 7:18). Soli Deo Gloria!
Michael, the archangel, does not dare slander Satan, but says, "The Lord rebuke you." Angels do not dare slander the principalities, dignitaries, and powers but let the Lord take charge; much less are we to condemn our God-given leaders.
ReplyDeleteNote that you can murder with your tongue and verbal abuse is a harder pill to swallow for some than physical torture.
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