“You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, nor shall you stand by while the life of your neighbor of your neighbor is in danger: I am the Lord,” (Lev. 19:16).
Slander and gossip are perhaps some of the very worst of things we could do to one another, yet it is running rampant through the church. In a powerful message, John Ramirez warned believers about the dangers of engaging in slander and judgment rather than focusing on prayer and restoration.
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“God will test you,” Ramirez says. “Pass the test. Don’t look to the right, don’t look to the left. Don’t live by the opinions of people. Live by the truth of God.”
He emphasized that many so-called ministries today thrive on exposing others’ failures rather than restoring them in love, a direct contradiction to biblical teaching. Multiplying social media platforms are largely being built off of “gossip ministries” that claim to be exposing evil but instead breed division.
“We’re in times now the people are…more attracted to people’s gossip ministry than true gospel,” he says.
Ramirez further warned that we, unfortunately, continue to see even more of this type of gossip and slander prevail in the church body where more people want to hear about exposure. He believes this will only continue to get worse as we move along in the end times.
Rather than participating in slander, Ramirez urges believers to embrace the calling of intercession. When someone tells you private information, it is your job to go to the Lord and pray about it, not to talk to other people about that person’s struggles.
Ramirez’s message is a wake-up call for the church to reject a culture of gossip and embrace a culture of prayer, love and restoration. Now is the moment to cultivate Christlike character, spiritual discernment and holiness, while resisting the temptations of division and commit to walking in the truth of God’s Word.
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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
