“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” (Matt. 5:11)

Faithfulness to Christ will bring enemies of the gospel who will “falsely say all kinds of evil against” us.

Whereas “insults” are abusive words said to our faces, these “evil” things are primarily abusive words behind our backs.

Jesus’ critics said of him, “Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matt. 11:19).

If the  world said that of the sinless Christ, what things can His followers expect to be called and accused of?

Slander behind our backs is harder to take, partly because it is harder to defend against than direct accusations. It has opportunity to spread and be believed before we have a chance to correct it.

Those who slander us can do much harm to our reputations before we’re even aware that we’ve been slandered. We can’t help regret being slandered, but we shouldn’t grieve about it.

Instead, we should count ourselves blessed, as our Lord assures us we will be, when the slander is “because of Me.” We have no surer evidence of the Lord’s blessing than to be cursed for His sake.

It should not seriously bother us when men’s curses fall on the head that Christ has eternally blessed. Are you prepared to accept the slander you might receive because you are a Christian?[1]

John MacArthur

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End notes:

[1] John MacArthur, Daily Readings From the Life of Christ [Chicago: Moody, 2008], March 20.

See also:

BEWARE OF THOSE WHO ONLY SAY THEY LOVE SCRIPTURE

SAY NO TO WOMEN PASTORS

RICK WARREN SAYS NO KING’S WAY DOCUMENT AND NO SADDLEBACK “STAFF” INVOLVED