Here we have two significant contrasts: the one is of the evil, the other one is of the good. We shall not do the one, but we shall do the other, for it is both good and necessary. The one is in darkness, behind the other person’s back, while the other is face to face; it is the fruit of light. When a person slanders another person, he spreads evil rumors and corruption, besides being a bad example to others. When a person rebukes his neighbor, he thereby proves his upright love, contributes to his salvation, and keeps himself pure in this respect. “Whoever spreads slander is a fool.” Prov. 10:18. We can praise what is good, and we can speak about it to others. However, we shall not relate the bad things to others that someone else has said or done; we shall only say it to him personally. The usual justification for slander is this: “But every word I am saying is true.” Nevertheless, this is not the least justification for slander. The truth concerning the sin others have committed shall be said to them personally and not behind their backs to others. When you say it to the person concerned, it is a help; when you say it to others, it leads to unpredictable damage. In Psalm 15 we see that slander is so unacceptable, that the one who backbites [slanders] with his tongue is not permitted to abide in God’s tabernacle or dwell on His holy hill. This is in complete agreement with the words of the new covenant in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 5. Slanderers [revilers] are put in the same class as fornicators, drunkards, and extortioners. We shall not even eat together with them if they want to be reckoned as brothers. On the contrary, they are to be put outside the church. In other words: nothing is worse than slander! Unfortunately, this is not how the matter is usually viewed by people! It is almost viewed as something imperfect from which we should rather cleanse ourselves, but which does not condemn us. This deadly weed has seeded itself so that it abounds everywhere precisely because this is not taken seriously. We can compare slandering to dandelions. On this point the preaching, the understanding, and life, is disgusting. May there be a change across the entire board! Verses 20 and 21 in Psalm 50 are evidence that this evil does not go unpunished. “You sit and speak against your brother . . . But I will reprove you, and set them in order before your eyes.” I wonder if this isn’t an explanation for the various things that happen as punishment in a person’s life. There are so many people who are wondering, and over the years have wondered, why this or that has happened. For example, if we sit at home and talk about others in the church in a negative way—about another family—we risk incurring this terrible punishment of our own children hardening themselves against the church instead of being won for the church. Or we risk animosity arising between two homes, which is almost impossible to eliminate. Therefore, may all such goings on cease immediately everywhere and be completely eradicated. We know the word, “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer . . . .” 1 John 3:15. A lesser known word is in Ezekiel 22:9: “In you are men who slander to cause bloodshed . . . .” Whoever slanders his brother is also a murderer. Let us consider James 4:8-12: “Do not speak evil of [slander] one another, brethren.” James says further that he who speaks evil of a brother speaks evil of the law. What an amazing statement that is not easily understood; however, we ought to believe it and submit to it. By speaking evil of a brother, I am not a doer of the law, but its judge! Imagine! Slandering and judging God’s law, God’s will, God’s nature, God Himself!!! Alas! Alas! What a deed! Let us be finished with doing that!Elias Aslaksen

“Let no one defraud you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase which is from God.” Col. 2:18-19. We are many members, but we are one body, and Christ is the Head. We are to serve each other as members of the same body, but only according to the leading of the Head. All the members must have contact with the Head. In the above-mentioned scripture, we read about those who do not hold fast to the Head but are engaged in angel worship. Our natural desire is that others serve us as we want. Some people are weak in this area and they give in, and so they gain our approval, but then they come out of the leading of the Spirit and lose their reward. Jesus says that if anyone desires to come after Him, he has to take up his cross and deny himself. Some people want to be guides, and they give instructions how the others should deny themselves. However, it is not so sure that they understand it correctly, because not all denying is self-denial. This is where we need to be led by the Spirit, for there is much self-imposed religion that has the appearance of wisdom by false humility and neglect of the body, but it is only for the indulgence of the flesh. Col. 2:23. These people become “great” because of their “self-denial.” Many people are in bondage to others. They worship man. They have a reputation for being humble by immediately obeying these instructions in self-denial, but the truth is that they seek the honor of man. They themselves sense that they are coming out of the leading of the Spirit—rest in God—but because so and so has said it, they do it right away. They lose their reward because they are not denying themselves; their actions result only in nourishment for their self-life. This is how many people observe fasts, certain seasons, times for prayer, certain charity works, etc., to have something with which to soothe their consciences. They compare themselves with the others, and they are vainly puffed up by their fleshly minds. God’s commands and laws are clear. They say that we shall pray, give alms, visit the sick and fatherless, deny ourselves, etc. We do not need any special orders concerning these things, but we need the leading of the Spirit in doing them, because my “I” also wants to lead in these matters. Thus we find these high places which were so difficult to abolish in Israel and which are no less difficult to abolish among God’s people in our days. There was no lack of bringing sacrifices, but they did not sacrifice according to God’s will. “Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see . . . .” Deut. 12:13. “You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.” V. 2. Unconverted and religious people also want to bring sacrifices if only they can do it on a high mountain or on a hill so that people can see it. They want to have a reputation that they are worshiping God. Because of his works the angel of the church in Sardis had the reputation that he was alive, but he was dead. God had to refine the sons of Levi and purge them as gold so that they might offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. Mal. 3:3. Many people are busy everywhere. They give their time, money, and strength, but they do not want to offer themselves in places that God points out—where no one can see them—where their self-life can be crushed. There can be situations at home or at a place of employment where they are required to prove that they are actually denying themselves. There were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s days, but Elijah was not sent to any of them except to the widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. And there were many lepers in Israel in Elisha’s days, yet none of them were cleansed except Naaman the Syrian. Luke 4:24-27. Let us consider one another so we encourage each other to love and good works, and let us hold fast to the Head so that we are in the leading of the Spirit and experience the rest of faith in these works.Sigurd Bratlie