Listen:  113.1

In almost every situation we face, we can look to the Lord Jesus as the perfect example of how we should behave.  We read prophetically of the Lord Jesus in Isaiah 53:7, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”  When the Lord was attacked and accused, he did not try to defend Himself.  At His trial, the Lord’s testimony was so pure that they could find nothing to accuse Him with.  Let’s read Matthew 26:59-60, “Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses.”  Our testimony should be so pure that others find it hard to accuse of any wrongdoing.

When the high priest asked the Lord about the things He taught, He calmly told them to ask the people who had heard him speak.  Let’s read John 18:19-21, “The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.”  Whenever we try to defend ourselves, it rarely does any good.  One good way to show your innocence is to invite your accusers to ask others who know you well.  The strength of your testimony, or reputation, should be good enough to show the falseness in the accusations against you.  While it is impossible to defend yourself in a he said/she said type of situation, your testimony should speak for itself.

No matter how hard your accusers attack you, there is one principle of scripture that should be used.  Matthew 5:44 says, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”  Does that seem hard to do?  I say it is impossible to do…unless you are led and strengthened of the Lord to do His will, then you can say as the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”  Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States had this to say about our enemies, “Do not I destroy my enemies, when I make them my friends?”  When we treat our enemies with love; when we do good things for them; when we consistently pray for them, we are sometimes able to make them into our friends, or at the least, the false accusations may stop.  (113.1)