Unfounded Accusations Based on Little Evidence

When observing the actions of others from a distance, it might be good to remember that our mind tends to interpret intentions and actions in terms of what we expect or believe, which are not always accurate.

The best way to avoid making rash and inaccurate evaluations is to actually speak to the person we observed, telling them what we saw and asking them what was meant by it.

I wonder how many relationships would be spared, how many misunderstandings cleared up and how much gossip thwarted by a simple act of love, through opening the two appendages on the front of our face called lips, in the presence of the one we are inclined to judge.

God never said not to judge, He told us to "judge righteously." There is only one way to judge righteously and that is to have all the information necessary to discern a matter.

Many forms of sin are easy to judge, we see it and know that it is bad and that the one doing it is sinning. However there are lots of things we see that look like sin, that may not be at all.

An example of a sin easy to judge is the man who walks into a grocery store and robs it at gun point.

Other activities are not so easy to judge. When we see a woman in a restaurant having dinner with a man not her husband, later only to find out it was her brother. Of course the rational thing to do is walk right up to the table, say hello and introduce yourself. In other words assuming there is nothing wrong. If we are afraid to walk up and introduce ourselves, we have made the judgement that the woman was sinning, without even speaking to her.

I remember a case in the news a few years ago when a man in a car on the freeway appeared to deliberately swerve into the lane next to him, pointing his car at the driver in the lane, causing the victim to have to veer off the road into the ditch. Witnesses reported that it was a deliberate act, assuming he was drunk. Later it was discovered and revealed that the driver had a heart attack, losing control of his car. There was nothing deliberate and no sin involved.

The moral of the story is that we cannot always know if something is sin until we have investigated it, if in fact it is any of our business to begin with. Gossips love to report what they have seen and make "educated" guesses on things after which they enjoy passing on their conclusions.

A truly educated guess is one in which the people involved have investigated all the facets of the event and discovered the truth. One of the violations of these principles are the videos we are seeing on the internet that malign the reputation of a police officer in 5 seconds of video, while foolish viewers shout foul without any more information that that snippet.

It's alright to be curious and even concerned about those we love, we just need to be willing to ask and listen before we jump to unfounded accusations.

Proverbs 14:18 "The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge."

Ephesians 6:14 "Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,"

Proverbs 2:1-3
"The Pursuit of Wisdom Brings Security
2 My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,
2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
3 For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;"

Proverbs 2:7-8
"7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 Guarding the paths of justice,
And He preserves the way of His godly ones."

God Calls It An Abomination

God calls homosexuality an abomination. not all sin is called that, it basically means a detestable and absolutely filthy sin, the worst of all sins.

When we fly in the face of God's creation in this way it is the same as thumbing our nose at God, mocking and demeaning Him.

Leviticus 20:13 "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them."

This detestable sin was so terrible that God called for the execution of anyone who practiced it. We no longer put people to death for sins, but that isn't because the sin isn't bad any more, it is merely because God gives many chances to repent in this dispensation of Grace.

It is God's mercy that He does not annihilate those who practice abominations. In these last days of Grace He is giving every person an opportunity to choose to be broken over their sin while confessing it to be cleansed by God.

The very frightening thing is that most Christians do not take sin seriously, they play with it believing God winks at it the way everyone else around us does. We don't realize that He is not winking, but patiently waiting until we have gone too far in our rebellion, then He will pour out His wrath on those who continue to shake their fist at Him.

Romans 1:18-32
"18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.
27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality,[a] wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,
30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;
32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them."