False Accusations (Satan's Dirty Tricks)

Years ago I sat with a friend over coffee. During our conversation he said something which surprised me. He shared with me what two of my university students told him about their theology. My friend was concern that I was teaching the students false doctrine.

When I heard what the students told my friend I was really upset. I could not believe they would make such an off the wall commit. Then I stopped and thought for a few seconds. We can all sin, or misunderstand. But it was hard for me to believe the students said such a thing.

I then looked into my friends eyes. I gently raised this important question to him. “Did they really say that to you?” He looked down at his coffee cup. I could tell he felt uncomfortable. He then said this to me. “No, I just made it up.”

I have been in ministry for around forty years. I never cease to be surprise by how much false witnessing occurs in churches. A pastor lost his position because someone falsely accused him of lying. A woman was falsely accused of faking her illness by church leaders. A Sunday school teacher was falsely accused of being a bad teacher.

These are just a few examples that I have personally encountered. Some of the situations I have observed seem funny. Like the teenage boy who was falsely accused of going to the wrong Sunday school class. But such situations stop being funny when you understand the destructive nature of a false witness.

Creating a false witness is one of Satan’s dirty tricks. A false witness can destroy trust between God’s people. A false witness can keep God’s people fighting one another rather than focusing on the ministry. A false witness can ruin a pastor’s ministry and career.

How then can we prevent a false witness from destroying a church?

First, commit yourself to truth

Our God is a God of truth. And since our God is a God of truth, a false witness is a sin. In the Ten Commandments God tells us, “You shall not give a false witness.” If a false witness is an offense to God, then we should be careful not to give a false witness.

Proverbs 6:19 makes it clear that God hates a false witness.  And Jesus made this statement in Matthew 15:19. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”

A Christian committed to the truth understands the destructive nature of a false witness. They therefore do not just pass on what they hear to others. They want to make sure they never become a false witness.

Second, don’t fight another person’s battle.

I often see this type of situation. Someone comes to me with a complaint against another person. They may even be in tears. They explain the situation to me. I then ask if they talked personally with the person who sinned against them. They usually say, “No.” Then I respond by saying, “I will not speak for you. You must go and talk to them.”

Granted someone may come to me because they simply do not know what to do. And that’s an opportunity to instruct them. But far too often people come to me for one reason. They want me to fight their battle with or for them.

It is one thing to be an honest witness for an injured party. But it is something else just to jump on the accusatory bandwagon without knowing the facts. By insisting people follow Matthew 18:15-20 I help others resolve their relational problems in a way that glorifies God.

Third, understand the different types of false witnessing

A false witness can take various forms. A false witness can be an outright lie. A false witness can be an exaggeration of the truth. A false witness can occur when we do not tell the whole story. In other words, we leave out important facts. A false witness can happen when I remain silent. I know what is said about a person is false, but I do not stand up for them.

It has been my experience most false witnessing is based upon a misunderstanding, or a wrong perception of the truth. We do not take the time to check out the information. We pass on what we hear. Without even knowing it, we become a false witness.

We need to raise the following questions to ourselves. Do I really understand the truth about this situation?  Is it right for me to be involved in this particular situation? If I pass on the information given to me, how will it affect others?

Conclusion

Years ago a church in the mid-west had a serious problem with gossip. When information was passed around the church, the facts often got confusing. Without knowing it, many church members became false witnesses. Sad to say, this type of situation occurred in this church year after year.

One young adult decided to do things differently. When someone brought “juicy” information about another person she simply put her hand up and said this to the person. “Stop, I don’t need to hear this. You go and talk to the person that offended you.”

Within time the problem with gossip diminished. It is amazing how one person can make a difference. We therefore need to practice the words found in Ephesians 5:25. “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another."