Spurgeon: Avoid Slander, Censure Sin

Spreading slander emits a threefold poison, for it injures the teller, the hearer, and the person about whom the slander is spread. whether the report is true or false, we are by this precept of God's Word forbidden to spread it. The reputations of the Lord's people should be very precious in our sight, and we should consider it shameful to help the devil to dishonor the church and the name of the Lord. Some tongues need a bridle rather than a spur. Many feel happy and satisfied in putting down others, as if, in doing so, they raised themselves up. Noah's wise sons cast a mantle over their father, and he who exposed him earned a fearful curse. One of these dark days, we, too, may require tolerance and silence from others, so let's give it cheerfully to those who require it now. Let this be our family rule, and our personal agreement -SLANDER NO ONE.

The Holy Spirit, however, permits us to censure sin, and prescribes the way in which we are to do it. It must be done by rebuking our brother to his face, not by railing behind his back. This course is manly, brotherly, Christlike, and under God's blessing will be useful. Does the flesh shrink from it? Then we must lay the greater stress upon our conscience, and keep ourselves to the work, lest by allowing sin in our friend we become ourselves participants in it. Hundreds have been saved from gross sins by the timely, wise, affectionate warnings of faithful ministers and friends. Our Lord Jesus has set us a gracious example of how to deal with erring friends in His warning given to Peter, the prayer with which He preceded it, and the gentle way in which He bore with Peter's boastful denial that he needed such a caution.