Topical Bible: Slander: Wicked People Love

◄ Slander: Wicked People Love ►

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Slander, a malicious and false spoken statement about someone, is a grievous sin condemned throughout the Bible. It is an act that not only harms the reputation of others but also reveals the corrupt nature of the one who engages in it. The Bible consistently associates slander with wickedness, emphasizing that those who love slander are far from the righteousness that God desires.

The book of Proverbs provides profound insights into the nature of slander and its association with wickedness. Proverbs 10:18 states, "He who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool." This verse highlights the foolishness of slander, linking it to hidden malice and deceit. The act of spreading slander is not merely a social faux pas but a reflection of a deeper moral failing.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul warns against slander as a characteristic of those who live contrary to God's will. In Romans 1:29-30, Paul describes the unrighteous, saying, "They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful." Here, slander is listed among other grave sins, illustrating its severity and the corrupt heart from which it springs.

The Psalms also speak to the destructive nature of slander and the wickedness of those who engage in it. Psalm 101:5 declares, "Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him I will put to silence; the one with haughty eyes and a proud heart, him I will not endure." This verse underscores God's disdain for slanderers, equating their actions with pride and arrogance, traits that are antithetical to a godly character.

Furthermore, the book of James addresses the power of the tongue and the potential for harm it carries. James 3:6 describes the tongue as "a fire, a world of unrighteousness," capable of corrupting the whole body. Slander, as a misuse of the tongue, is a manifestation of this unrighteousness, revealing the sinful nature of those who indulge in it.

The Bible also provides guidance for believers on how to respond to slander. In 1 Peter 2:1, Christians are exhorted to "rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind." This call to reject slander is part of a broader appeal to live holy lives, set apart from the sinful behaviors that characterize the wicked.

In summary, slander is a sin that the Bible unequivocally condemns, associating it with the wicked and foolish. It is an act that not only harms others but also reveals the sinful nature of the slanderer. The Scriptures call believers to reject slander and to pursue lives marked by truth, love, and righteousness, in stark contrast to the ways of the wicked.

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Psalm 52:4
You love all devouring words, O you deceitful tongue.
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Library

God's People in the Furnace
... vexed with the conversation of the wicked and who ... dry land, standing in the furnace
of slander and laughter ... Elijah stands, the remnant of God's chosen people. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/gods people in the furnace.htm

Article I: of God.
... that our heart is naturally destitute of love, fear, and ... Majesty will find on this
point a manifest slander. ... day that it hurts us to see wicked people in good ...
/.../melanchthon/the apology of the augsburg confession/part 1 article i of.htm

The Folly of Slander. Part 2.
... He that can dispense with himself to slander a Jew or a Turk ... It is only ill-natured
and ill-nurtured, unworthy and naughty people that are ... A wicked doer," saith ...
/.../barrow/sermons on evil-speaking by isaac barrow/the folly of slander part 2.htm

The Folly of Slander. Part 1.
... practice commonly doth arise from the same wicked principles, at ... as the wilful devising
and conveying slander: so it ... as a tale-bearer among thy people:" as a ...
/.../barrow/sermons on evil-speaking by isaac barrow/the folly of slander part.htm

Christ Manifesting Himself to his People
... Christ was afflicted, even so the whole of his people must have ... He will not bestow
his favors upon the wicked; for while ... "We disdain your slander, and remind ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/christ manifesting himself to his.htm

Psalm CIX.
... blotted out, so the imitation of the wicked causeth men ... like as with a raiment:"
either Judas, or that people. ... "This is the work of them that slander me before ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm cix.htm

The Security of the Church
... The wicked when they can do nothing else against ... the church, neither by persecution,
nor slander, nor heresy ... be separated from his own chosen people, you might ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the security of the church.htm

The Ninth Commandment
... God will clear up the names of his people. ... to God, if he has preserved you from slander
and false ... is the Lord who muzzles the mouths of the wicked, and keeps ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 9 the ninth commandment.htm

"Who Will Rise up with Me against the Wicked?"
... of some to "rise up against the wicked," and join ... that "sin is a reproach to any
people?" Yea, and ... This is another mistake, if not wilful slander, for which ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 52 who will rise.htm

One Antidote for Many Ills
... another, or filling their mouths with slander and reproach ... pause and think that what
God's people love must be ... give thee grace to forsake thy wicked ways, turn ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/one antidote for many ills.htm