Dead religion causes people to falsely judge one another over silly and unproven things.
What is "dead religion"? Dead religion is based on man's ideas and rituals that God never commanded. These ideas and rituals make demands on people unjustly and without purpose.
Mark 7:13 "13Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.”"
If you are going to confront a brother or sister about something they are doing it had better be backed up by scripture.
We are not required to do anything someone else did in the Bible merely because they did it if the thing they did was not a command for all believers.
An example might be Ananias and Sapphira who were killed for lying to the Holy Spirit. There might be those who would have judged these two believers as not having given enough. That was not the issue here in the Word of God. The issue was not how much they gave, they were allowed to give what they wanted. The problem was that they lied about what they gave to impress others. And, they lied to the Holy Spirit Who lived in them.
Yes, the devil divides over silly things that make no difference as well as important matters. I am shocked at how many people fight over foolish things merely to feel more important than others.
A gossip is always a tool of the devil. Those who think they saw something without knowing details or for merely believing someone they wish to impress are falling into the trap of the devil.
So many things could be easily resolved if those who hear gossip would either ignore it or go to the one gossiped about and ask their side of the story. Talking things out is always valuable with reasonable people.
Gossips are often very big liars. They love to take one insignificant event and embellish it for shock effect. They are also those who wish to turn friends against one another. I have seen this more times than I can count.
Often people hear a tidbit here and a tidbit there but never observe for themselves the life of the target of gossip. They enjoy disliking someone so they are ready and willing to believe what others say about them.
Most if not all gossip has its roots in jealousy. Those who are jealous wish to believe bad about their target. But not only that they are dedicated to turning others against those they despise, the very reason they gossip.
2 Corinthians 12:20 "20 For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder."
Ephesians 4:29 "29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
Ephesians 23:1 "1 “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness."
James 4:11 "11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it."
Keep in mind that it is no gossip to share with trusted friend things that happen to us personally in our own lives. Gossip is "slander" in which the intent is to harm the one about whom we spread false information.
False information can be a perspective we happen to have, but it can also be embellishment events that we have not seen and perhaps have seen but do not have an understanding of what they mean. Many who gossip guess about the lives of others when they have not witnessed the very thing they wish to believe.
Proverbs 16:28 "28 A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends."
We as born again believers want to tell the truth when it is appropriate and Biblical but we never want to grieve the Holy Spirit with gossip that does nothing to help anyone, but in fact, is designed to deliberately harm someone.
John 13:34-35
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
