Slander is no small sin. It’s a violation of the ninth commandment, and it's included in several lists of serious sins (Exodus 20:16; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).(1)
On an individual level, slander is usually inspired by jealousy or hatred. It's also used for business and political purposes to mislead people.
As our culture declines morally, Christians will be dealing with more slander. We may even experience it in our churches from people who have a "form of godliness" (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
How should we respond if someone tells a lie to discredit us? We should continue to live our faith without anger or bitterness, speaking the truth in love, praying that those who slander us might repent (1 Peter 3:15-16; Ephesians 4:15).
Satan is the father of lies and he loves to ruin the reputation of Christians. Slander hurts us deeply, but it also gives us reason to rejoice:
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12
For more insights:
1 John Identifies 6 Types of Liars
Beware of Slandering Your Brother
5 Truths to Help us Deal with Slander
Sadly, studies show that people who slander us can actually believe their lies. This is one of many ways sin poisons a person's soul. And the longer we lie, the more quickly we believe our lies. See The Older We Get, the More Quickly We Believe Our Lies.
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