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God’s Text Message

10 Essentials for Love

Text Message #9

Exodus 20:16

“Do not testify falsely against your neighbor.”  Exodus 20:16

Text message: dnt lie re: bf

“Whatever is in your heart determines what you say.  A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart.” Matthew 12:34b-35

The tongue is the subject of this 9^th commandment.  The tongue reveals the true condition of the heart.

I.                  Rumor

You can only bear witness to what you have seen or experienced.

This commandment tells us to be communicators of the truth, and not communicators of rumor.

1. A rumor always multiplies and spreads with incredible speed.

2. A rumor is amazingly deceptive, even to the one who spreads it.

II. Reputation.

“Put away all falsehood and ‘tell your neighbor the truth’ because we belong to each other’.”

Ephesians 4:25

When we participate in gossip, we actually hurt ourselves as much as the person that we are gossiping about.

It is a sure sign of an inferiority complex when a person constantly talks about the faults of others.

A person who will gossip to you will gossip about you.

We are not only responsible for what we say, we are responsible for what we agree to hear.

Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged.” Matthew 7:2

III.    Restoration

All rumors should be examined in light of three criteria:

Is it true?

Is it necessary?

Is it kind?

“Dear brothers and sisters, if another Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path.” Galatians 6:1a

“And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.   Share each other’s troubles and problem, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”

Galatians 6:1b-2