I believe that whenever we hear accusations against others it should be understood that accusations alone are not always truth regardless of who states them. They certainly can be a result of truth but they can also be a result of our sinful desires. A desire for instance to protect ourselves or even the desire to protect those that we love, accusations cannot do that only truth can. Seems like such a noble desire to us, doesn’t it? Accusations can also be a means to justify our own actions or to take the focus off of ourselves and suddenly then the accusations become the truth and we are no longer even willing to examine ourselves.
Assumptions are the same way. Why are assumptions stated about people as if they are the truth? Have you noticed too that the assumptions are most generally negative and can be such a gross misrepresentation of a person? Now that should be our first clue shouldn’t it? I guess it simply must make us feel better about ourselves, but how does that fulfill Philippians 1:3:“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” How does if fulfill Romans 12 (a good time to read this chapter).
We think we can peer into another’s heart/mind but we are cautioned against doing that. We are to peer only into our own and even that look itself is filled with deceit (Jeremiah 17:9) so how in the world do we think we can know the heart of a man and why would we want to?
1 Corinthians 2:11 tells us that “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?” John Gill says the following about this verse:
1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man,.... The thoughts of a man's heart, the conceptions of his mind, the schemes he is drawing there, his designs, purposes, and intentions; these can never be known by another man, no, nor by angels or devils; not by any creature; by none
save the spirit of a man which is in him? which is only conscious to, and can only make known the things that are in him:
even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God; and which, as it proves how secret, hidden, unknown, the mysteries of grace are, until revealed by the Spirit; so it gives full evidence to the deity of the Holy Ghost, and clearly shows he must be God, who is in him, knows the thoughts of his heart, the counsels of his mind, his purposes and decrees, and what is contained in them.
Only the Lord can see into a man’s heart and so I think we tread where we shouldn’t when we go about assuming the motives behind what people do. As believers we have the mind of Christ; we are a spiritual man and we are to have spiritual thoughts in common, thoughts of Christ and His Gospel. John Gill says this about our thinking on man’s judgments (accusations and assumptions) against us:
“it is a small thing with him to be judged of man's judgment; he cares not what judgment the natural man passes upon him; nor does his faith in things spiritual, stand upon the authority and judgment of men; nor will he submit to it; nor can he be reproved, convinced, and refuted by such a person: for though a thousand sophistic arguments may be used with him which he cannot answer, he has a witness within himself to the truths of the Gospel”
I don’t have a mind to address the assumptions that have been made about me because the comfort of Christ and His Gospel transcends any doings of man. With that thought hopefully once again I can be pressing on to places and grounds where I will find grace and mercy. That is what Christ has given in abundance!
Grace and Peace!
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