Pastor's Blog

HOW TO GUARD AGAINST THE DEFILEMENT OF AN EVIL REPORT - PART ONE
Pastor Dennis Shearer

THE PROBLEM

1. What causes conflicts in families, churches, or organizations to flare out of control and split the entire group?
2. What causes close friendships to be broken when neither offended the other?
3. Why are attempts to restore a fallen Christian brother or sister often met with defeat?

WHAT IS AN EVIL REPORT?

An evil report involves distortion of facts, incomplete facts or false information. It is given with wrong motivations and causes the hearer to come to inaccurate conclusions and to respond with unscriptural “solutions”. Evil reports are so destructive that the can even destroy long-lasting, close friendships: Proverbs 16:28 – “A whisperer separateth chief friends.”

Note: Wrong doing should never be covered over. It must be brought to the attention of the those who are responsible and dealt with in a scriptural manner. This necessary process will be damaged by the defilement of an evil report.

In the medical world, there are stages of the development of a disease. In the same way, there are stages of destruction to a spiritually healthy person.

I. STAGES OF PHYSICAL DEFILEMENT

A. IGNORANCE – of “preventative” measures to avoid contamination.
B. EXPOSURE – to one of who is already “infected.”
C. CONTAMINATION (defilement) – by allowing the “germs” to enter our system.
D. INFECTION – as the “germs” overcome our normal defenses.
E. DISEASE – when the infection destroys the vital life-support functions.