Commandment 9

The Bible issues a tall order for us in 1st Corinthians 13, as it lays out for us what it looks like to live of life of love, God's love - unconditional, predicated on the unlimited resources of heaven. We can read:
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails.

In the Amplified Bible, verse 7 is translated like this:

Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening].

But, in our flesh, when we operate from our own humanity, we are prone not to look "for the best" in another person.  We have a penchant for rejoicing in iniquity, rather than the truth. If we are more enthusiastic about seeing another person stumble than rejoicing in their well-being, we have gotten off track. We have to make sure that we put others first, and even in our online interactions, that we are not labeling or calling people names, questioning their motives or relaying information that may be not be accurate.  Love pursues the truth. 

+++++

The Bible teaches us what we are to focus our attention on in Philippians chapter 4. We read these words - about the words, images, and concepts we embrace:
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.
9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

There is an incredible amount of tension surrounding social media these days, and while people of faith, in some instances, are finding their views suppressed, others who profess a religious faith are using social media as a tool against fellow believers.  Social media can certainly inform and inspire, but it can be used to demean, mischaracterize, and falsely accuse. And, in viewing some of the harsh rhetoric on social media, especially after the election, I thought it would be good to relate some "ground rules" for our use of social platforms.

Tim Challies, who is a church and media observer, can help.  His wise words can help us to think in line with that passage in Philippians 4 and prevent us from violating the Ninth Commandment, which warns against "bearing false witness" against our neighbor.  When you consider Jesus said the Greatest Commandment was to love God with our entire heart, soul, mind, and strength, and the second was to love our neighbor as ourselves, we have to evaluate our own public behavior and make sure that what we post is posted in love.  And, remember, once you post it, that means that more than likely someone has seen it, and even if you remove it, the content can still live on the consciousness of other people.

Challies writes:

So here’s the challenge: Think of the people you follow on Twitter, the blogs you read, the news sites you browse, the videos you watch on YouTube, the friends you engage with on Facebook. Think of the topics you discuss with your family in the home and friends in the church. Think not only of what you say, but also what you read or listen to; the ninth commandment is not just meant to govern your mouth, but also your eyes, your ears, your heart, and your mind. And then consider the wisdom of the ages...

Here are some highlights of one of two pieces that he wrote; the first is centered on the duties of the Ninth Commandment, based on the Westminster Larger Catechism, including: the preserving and promoting of truth between man and man, and the good name of our neighbour, as well as our own...

So, he poses these questions:

• In what you say and what you read online, are you committed to promoting truth and to preserving and enhancing the reputation of others? Or are you willing to read rumors and innuendo, or to spend time reading, writing, or sharing things that tarnish reputations, especially of other believers?

He also highlights the 1st Corinthians 13 admonition to believe the best in others, saying that another requirement is: a ready receiving of a good report, and unwillingness to admit of an evil report, concerning them...  Challies goes on to say:

Do you love to receive a good report about another believer, even one with whom you have substantial disagreements? Do you refuse to receive an evil report on another believer, especially when that information is unsubstantiated or no business of yours? Do you shut down gossip when someone attempts to communicate it to you? Do you idly chat with friends or family members about others in such a way that you actually spread evil reports about them?

In the second article of the series, he points out the sinful behavior that is forbidden by the Ninth Commandment.  The first: all prejudicing the truth, and the good name of our neighbors, as well as our own, especially in public judicature... 

In relation to that topic area, he poses these questions:

• Do you routinely seek out and read information that causes you to look at other people with suspicion? Do you spread information (online or offline) about brothers or sisters in Christ that might cause others to look at them suspiciously? Do you spread the kind of information that prejudices people against others?

And, Challies addresses what I would rate as one of the leading abuses of social media: demonstrating how holy or knowledgeable a person is, and engaging in "virtue signaling," to show how superior and correct a person's perspective actually is, at the expense of others. He writes against what is called "flattering, vainglorious boasting...," posing these questions: "Do you flatter others or brag about yourself through social media? Do you see social media success as so meaningful you are tempted to sin to achieve it?" And, next, he warns against, "thinking or speaking too highly or too meanly of ourselves or others..." He asks:

• Do you use social media to speak too highly of yourself or too highly of others? Do you use it to speak too poorly of yourself or too poorly of others? Do you visit sites or read feeds that commit such transgressions?

Social media can become a cesspool of what have been called "Ninth Commandment violations." Now, as Challies points out: "God calls us to examine this commandment carefully and apply it deliberately," even though it is by no means the only commandment of Scripture and should not be obeyed "at the expense of" the other nine of the 10 Commandments. 

So, what's it going to be?  While there are valid concerns about social media censorship, especially of Christian views, perhaps due to a mischaracterization of Christian thought, we also have to be responsible that the words that we use honor Christ and do not contain or lead to slander and false accusations. Pejorative labeling of fellow believers certainly does not honor God and can even contribute to the damaging of a reputation. So, be cautious - you have a gift, an ability to communicate, but it should be used responsibly.