The Blasphemy of God and Others

# 467 - Today's Living Word comes from: Mr 7:21,22 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, "thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.

Next on the list of “evil things,” is blasphemy. Here's another word we just don't use very much anymore. When it is used, we take it to mean any kind of trash talking toward God, but if we limit this sin to mere words, we have failed to grasp the true meaning of the word.

To blaspheme someone is to “say something or ACT in a way that causes them to be viewed as having less importance or having less value. Be careful of how you speak about God. Be careful of how you act or behave. Seek to speak and act in ways that are in accordance with His Word and thereby bring glory to His name.

But this “evil thing,” of blasphemy is not restricted to trash talking God! It is words or actions that defame the character of any and all people made in the image of God! To speak evil of another or to act evil toward another is is to speak evil and act evilly toward God Creator.

In Luther's explanation of the eight commandment, “thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor,” he said, “We should fear and love God so that we do not deceitfully lie about, betray, backbite, nor slander our neighbor but defend him, speak well of him, and put the most charitable construction on all that he does.”

This saying from Luther ought to be on a plaque above every water cooler, in every break room, and on every electronic device that we use to enter today's social media venues. Because if we would seek to do these things we would avoid the sin of blasphemy against others, (which is really blasphemy against their Creator)

And let it be your motto the next time the conversation turns to the shortcomings of others.

By the way, this is not an unforgivable sin. The only unforgivable sin is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and if you are concerned that you have committed it....you haven't. For more on the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit read my blog at todayslivingword.blogspot.com for January 21, 2011

I'm Duane Matz and that's Today's Living Word.