Hiding Behind The Mask, Part 2

"98% purity is not enough."

Yesterday, we established that their is a new breed arising in today's churches that are devastating to the witness that the church has on the world.  Hypocrites within the church are blurring the lines that separate the church from the world.  In a faith that is required to be strictly black and white, these people are creating gray, yet still expecting to be classified with the rest of the church.

There's several issues that come to mind when I think about hypocrisy.  They are issues that have been birthed in the world, but have found their way into the churches and are generally accepted by the church.  Yet, even still, if we take a look at the Biblical ruler and what we should all be measuring ourselves against, these issues should not even have a hint within the church.  The Church, the very bride of Christ (John 3:29, Ephesians 5:22-23), is meant to be presented to Christ on judgment day as pure and spotless; unmarred and beautiful.  98% of the bride is not enough.

Gossip
Perhaps one of the most devastating of all sins is gossip.  Webster defines gossip as, "Casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true."  Gossip is addressed in the Bible multiple times (Proverbs 11:9; Psalm 101:5; James 4:11; 2 Corinthians 12:20), and it is unfortunately an issue that has seeped it's way through the cracks in the walls of our churches and become something that is looked over and passed by. 

"God desires unity within his church."


1 Corinthians 12 addresses the need for the church to be unified before the Lord.  On a sports team, if one player is against another and they refuse to work together, that part of the team will be weak until the difference is repaired.  Jesus addressed the issue directly in Matthew 12:25, "Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, 'Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.'" 

Without unity within the global church, the Great Commission is compromised.  Ministry is more than just going out and sharing Christ with the world.  Ministry also involves, serious prayer and financial support that can come directly from local churches.  When a church sends someone out in ministry, the church can't wipe it's hands and hope for the best, no, it continues support through serious prayer and intercession pleading for the work of God to be done in that person's ministry.  Without this support, ministry loses its potency.  If gossip runs rampant throughout a church, unity becomes endangered, and the power that the church has is lessened because of this sin that is accepted within the church and not dealt with. 

So where does that leave us?  Gossip is a serious issue and must be extricated from your spiritual and physical lives.  Don't take part in it, don't do it, and in the love of Christ call out others that are doing it.  Sometimes it can even be done unintentionally or subconsciously when people break confidence and spill secrets that have been entrusted to them to keep.  If someone tells you something in confidence, it doesn't matter who you want to tell, don't tell anyone.  Don't start rumors.  This is especially true if you are in church leadership.  Church leaders need to set a Biblical standard for the rest of the church to follow, and if they are knowingly involving themselves in spreading rumors and gossip, it will be so much harder for the church to bring themselves up out of the muck.  Simply put, don't do it.

On a more personal note, I know first hand how destructive gossip can be.  During high school I was deeply involved in a specific person's life and we were very, very close friends for several years.  Some interesting dynamics entered into the friendship when I began talking to someone else about my friend behind their back.  Through a series of events, my friend found out, heard the things we were saying, and cracks began forming in the foundation of our friendship.  In fact, for a period of time we thought that our friendship would not last and that the differences were too big to be overcome.  Fortunately, the friendship was repaired and we are still friends today, but the relationship will never be the same.


Gossip is dangerous, and it's effects can NOT be taken lightly.  Jesus says we shouldn't do it, and that is reason enough to refrain.  Cut and dry; black and white.  If you gossip you are living in sin unless you confess and repent--change.  Satan has been feasting on the souls that are effected by gossip that has been born in the church and enough is enough.