"Speak Evil of No Man" - Titus 3:2a

I give a hearty AMEN to this post on Facebook!

Via Facebook page of The Sovereign Grace Society

Post by Ruth Brenter

This is a hard but necessary truth. “Speak evil of no man” includes those in authority over us — even when we believe they are sinning against God and man — for it is always true that “the powers that be are ordained of God.” (Romans 13:1-2; Daniel 2:21; 4:17, 32)

It does not make it right that the words we speak (or write) about them are true: -

PAUL’S WITNESS: The Apostle Paul inadvertently called the High Priest a “whitewashed wall” (true words about him) but as soon as Paul learned who he was speaking to, he immediately humbled himself and repented. (Acts 23:1-5; see also Exodus 22:28; 1 Samuel 24:6; Jude 1:8)

PETER’S WITNESS. Peter’s first epistle commands believers to “fear God, honor the king”. (1 Peter 2:17) The king in power at the time Peter penned those words was a pagan, anti-Christian, persecuting emperor: Nero. The fear of God (who is the King of all kings) is meant to motivate and lead us to give due honor to earthly “kings”, who rule by His controlling providence.

DAVID’S WITNESS. David, the man after God’s own heart, treated King Saul with great respect (though he was a deceitful and ungodly ruler). Neither would he harm “the Lord’s anointed”. (1 Samuel 24:6; 26:10-11, 24)

There is a wise and God-fearing way we can expose sin and evil itself, in harmony with the Spirit of Christ within us. It is not wrong to identify someone as an evildoer, but as we can see from scripture, it’s not by attacking our leaders (or anyone, in public or in private) with hateful, contemptible words (or posts) that revile, curse, mock or ridicule them. It is arrogant and self-righteous, and a terrible witness to the world that turns people away from our Savior.

Shouldn’t our words (and our social media posts) humbly reflect a heart that was once ruled by sin… but for the mercy and grace and kindness of God towards us? Or have we forgotten? (Ephesians 5:13; Titus 3:3-5: 1 Timothy 2:1-2)

Lord help us all.

 

None of us are Christ. None of us is even an apostle.

False.

Daniel 4:25 - the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

Daniel 4:35 - and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

Daniel 2:21 - he removeth kings, and setteth up kings

Psalm 75:7 - But God is the judge: He putteth down one, and setteth up another.

To think that we fallen, corrupt human beings can override God's will by our involvement in worldly politics is vain, human pride. Corrupt human beings voting for other other corrupt human beings, as if man is capable of self-government, is problematic - very, very, very, very problematic.

Furthermore,

Colossians 3:2 - Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

2 Timothy 2:3-4 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

God is absolutely sovereign(see Daniel 4:35 above). He will always accomplish what He wants, not necessarily what we may want - unless what we want happens to agree with His sovereign will that He has purposed to accomplish whether it is what we want or not.

This earthly life is not the be all, end all. It is practically nothing compared to eternity. Christians should live like their treasure is in heaven, not on this earth.

Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

If you ever become appointed as an apostle and inspired by the Holy Spirit to write Scripture, please let us know on this board. Just because an apostle, under the authority of God, wrote or said something, does not mean that we have the authority to do such. And the apostles were given authority - 2 Corinthians 10:8 For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed.

Furthermore,

Jude 9-11 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion.

I know, personally, that this is hard, even for those of us who have been chosen for salvation and given a new heart and regenerated. We are still in the flesh and the flesh fights extremely hard against the Spirit. Thus, we say with the apostle Paul: Romans 7:24-25 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!