How should I respond if I am falsely accused of being a stumbling block?
Matthew 7:1“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.”
Romans 14:10So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
Although the Bible speaks clearly about not judging and condemning each other, sometimes this still happens, even in a local church. Someone might even accuse us of causing them to stumble because of our actions. Ironically, the one making the accusation is often a person who is considered by others to be mature and strong. Thus, under the guise of caring for weaker Christians, they are, in reality, imposing their legalistic standards on us. This happened to Jesus when the Pharisees accused him of associating with the wrong people (Matthew 9:10—11), working on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1–14), and being a “glutton and a drunkard” (Luke 7:34).
Our first response to accusations like this should be to consider the source. Is this a mature Christian brother or sister whose biblical knowledge and wisdom we respect? Or is the person a modern “Pharisee,” trying to impose his or her legalistic rules on others. If the latter, we should firmly and respectfully explain to them, why they are wrong. But we should be careful to not get into a long discussion. Usually people like this are set in their ways and won’t be convinced by arguments, no matter how biblically based and otherwise persuasive. We also should pray for those Pharisees among us, asking the Holy Spirit to soften their hearts and to turn them toward Christ and not their religious standards.
Matthew 5:44“But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!”
1 John 4:7, 11Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. . . .Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.
All of our interactions, even with those who falsely accuse us, should be done in love.
