There are all kinds of magazines that treat gossip as entertainment.

The Bible teaches us that gossip is a sin when we slander or pass judgment on someone

we're actually putting ourselves in God's place.

Today on Truth For Life, Alistair Begg examines the sin of gossip and explains why taking

a closer look at your own heart can help you stop judging others.

I want to begin by pointing out two things.

First of all, to point out how seriously the New Testament takes the sin of slander.

When Paul writes a very straightforward epistle to the Corinthians, especially concerning

their misdemeanors and their faults and so on, he writes as follows in 1 Corinthians

5, I've written to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people.

And then he quickly says, not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral or

the greedy and swindlers or idolaters.

In that case, you would have to leave this world.

But now I'm writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself

a brother or a sister, but who is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolator or a slanderer,

a drunkard or a swindler, with such a man, do not even eat.

And right in the heart of it, a slanderer.

The Bible says very seriously, that's the first thing to notice.

Secondly, James in what he now goes on to say is not calling for us to set aside our

critical faculties, nor is he forbidding his readers from forming opinions about certain

actions or ideas or people.

This is very, very important because it's not uncommon to hear people use Jesus warning

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