God’s Servants and Slanderous Accusations

 

I am often asked, particularly by young preachers, “What do you do when you are falsely accused of things?” My answer is — “Nothing.” The sad fact is faithful men have always been the objects of slanderous accusations. Our Master was accused by religious men who hated and were confused by his doctrine of being a glutton, a drunk, and a man of questionable moral character. Paul was accused of being a self-serving man and a promoter of licentiousness. When men who oppose our gospel cannot refute it and will not bow to it, their most common weapon of choice to oppose it is slander.

            Last week, in one day, I received letters circulated by various people accusing me of various, contradictory things. One accuses me of preaching works, another of being an antinomian, another of promoting Arminianism, and another of being an antinomian and a promoter of licentiousness. One had a really tough time finding a reason for fault. So he expressed dismay at the fact that he once heard me laugh while preaching! All were accusations made by preachers who claim to be friends of the gospel and promoters of righteousness. And those are some of the nicer things I have been accused of over the years.

            If you are like me, your first and most natural inclination is to strike out in defense of yourself, when you find yourself in a similar situation. If you give in to that inclination, I promise you, you will regret it. Someone once said, “If you get into a spitting contest with a skunk, you may win the contest; but you will still come out smelling like a skunk.” If we belong to God, he can and will take care of every slander thrown our way by Shemei and his little imps. It is best for us to respond as Paul did to his accusers at Corinth. — “With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God” (1 Cor. 4:3-5).

Don Fortner