"Little Christ" or "Little Satan"?

As I said before, my sister-in-law and I have been doing a daily Bible Study together.  Every morning we read our Bible verses and the lesson for the day and then we email each other our thoughts.  This has been such a life changing experience!  Daily Bible study has been something I have ALWAYS struggled with.  This daily accountability - and daily encouragement - has been truly incredible!  Thanks E, for being willing to share what the Lord is doing in your life with me & for being willing to listen to what He is doing in my life!  For everyone else listening, I encourage you to get a Bible study partner -even if they are out of town. An email Bible study is much better than none at all!  Plus, if you happen to be distracted or have difficulty concentrating because something is going on, you can always go back and read the email again later.

     Now on to my new post!  :) Today's Bible study was particularly convicting.  The topic ... sins of the tongue.  Ouch!  If you know me, you know this one hits home!  I LOVE to talk!  I'm a pretty friendly person I think.  I mean, for crying out loud, I can make a new best friend in the grocery store check-out line in three and a half minutes!  The tongue is great!  Its definitely a gift that can be used for God's glory.  Unfortunately, it can also be used for sin - A LOT OF SIN.  Proverbs 10:19 says "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin..."  Or, in other words, the more you say, the higher your chances of sinning.  Ouch!  Boy do I know that to be true!

     So, what do we think of when we think of "sins of the tongue?"  Well, one thing that was discussed in our Bible study today was "slander," or, as we so lovingly like to say, "gossip."  Come on, "gossip" doesn't sound as bad as "slander" right?  Sounds sort of harmless, kinda like the phrase "little white lie."  But gossip, or slander, is not harmless.  Titus 2:3 says, "The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not FALSE ACCUSERS, not given to much wine, teachers of good things."  That term "false accusers" is the same word as "slanderers."  Now, here's where it gets REALLY SCARY. - If you have a concordance, you can look the word "slander" up.  Guess what the Greek word for "slander” is – “DIABOLOS.”  Sound familiar?  Well, if you ever took Spanish, you know the Spanish word for “devil” is “diablo.” Don’t feel bad if you never took Spanish.  I won’t think any less of you.  Although, it really is a wonderful language to learn!  But, if per chance, you speak no Spanish, that’s OK.  You should still recognize this word as similar to our English word “diabolic.”  Now, does that sound harmless to you?  Being a slanderer – or gossip – is diabolic.  DIABOLIC!  And what does “diabolic” mean?  Well, I’m sure you can guess!  “Diabolic” means “characteristic of the Devil, or so evil as to recall the Devil.”  Did you get that?  Every time we slander or gossip about someone we are behaving JUST LIKE Satan himself!  I don’t know about you, but that scares me to death!  I definitely don’t want to be like Satan.  I call myself a “Christian,” which literally means “little Christ.”  But when I gossip about someone, I am not acting like a “little Christ” but like a “little Satan.”  That’s a painful sentence to even write!

     So, what do we do?  Well, we “put off slander, gossip.”  And what do we replace with?  Well, if I’m not gonna be like Satan, I’d really like to be like Christ!  I John 2:1 says, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.  But if anyone does sin, we have an ADVOCATE with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”  You see, Satan is the chief of accusers, the head slanderer, but Jesus Christ has taken the opposite position.  He is our advocate, or defender, speaking to us and about us with love and kindness.  This is how we should live.  This is how we should speak of others.  My sister-in-law shared this quote with me today:

 (it was said of M'Cheyne)...

"When a fellow Christian's name was mentioned in company, if he could not say anything good about him, he would refrain from all speech about him. Better that than to destroy a brother for whom Christ died."

Wow!  How powerful is that!  How dare I slander or gossip about someone for whom Christ died!  I don’t what that to characterize me.  I want to be known as an advocate, a defender, not a slanderer or gossip.  I want to be known as a “little Christ” not a “little Satan.”

     I’d like to leave you with an encouraging thought – the KING OF KINGS, the SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, the LAMB OF GOD took it upon HIMSELF to be your advocate.  He didn’t delegate this job to the angels or anyone else.   HE HIMSELF took the position as your defense attorney.  Think about that!  Oh,  how He loves you and me!!!

     And finally, and this one is for you Mrs. Bohler, I leave you with one of the most incredible, encouraging poems I have ever read:

My Advocate

By: Martha Snell Nicholson

I sinned. And straightway, posthaste, Satan flew

Before the presence of the most High God,

And made a railing accusation there.

He said, “This soul, this thing of clay and sod,

Has sinned. ‘Tis true that he has named Thy Name,

But I demand his death, for Thou has said,

‘The soul that sinneth, it shall die.’

Shall not Thy sentence be fulfilled? Is justice dead'

Send now this wretched sinner to his doom.

What other thing can righteous ruler do?”

And thus he did accuse me day and night,

And every word he spoke, O God, was true!

Then quickly One rose up from God’s right hand,

Before whose glory angels veiled their eyes.

He spoke, “Each jot and tittle of the law

Must be fulfilled; the guilty sinner dies!

But wait—suppose his guilt were all transferred

To Me, and that I paid his penalty!

Behold My hands, My side, My feet! One day

I was made sin for him, and died that he

Might be presented faultless at Thy throne!”

And Satan fled away. Full well he knew

That he could not prevail against such love,

For every word my dear Lord spoke was true!