Pulpit Magazine

(By Nathan Busenitz)

This is continued from yesterday’s post, responding to the question, “What principles should guide Christians who interact on blogs?” For those wondering about the title of this series, see Luke 6:41–42. My concern is that, when blogging, we must be careful not to point out the sins of others in such a way that we ourselves are guilty of sin.

Having addressed three of these principles yesterday, we will continue today with numbers 4 through 6.

4. Check Your Motives

Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” Even as believers, those who have been regenerated (Titus 3:5–8), we still battle the lusts of our sinful flesh (cf. Rom. 7:13–25; 13:14; Eph. 5:11–12; 6:10–18; James 1:14–15; 1 John 2:16–17). Because we can be driven (even subtly) by wrong motives and desires, we need to constantly examine our hearts.

Getting more specific, it is helpful to realize that of all the sinful motives we might have, the one God hates most is pride.

Pride (“haughty eyes”) heads the list of things that God hates in Proverbs 6:17 (see also 8:13). Solomon later says that, “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished” (Prov. 16:5; cf. 11:2; 15:25; 16:18-19: 29:23). Though in a salvation context, Jesus repeatedly made the point that “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled” (Matt. 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14). After all, “God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5). “To this one I will look” says the Lord in Isaiah 66:2, “To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My Word.”

Pride, then, is definitely something we want to avoid.

Even in blogging, pride (“thinking more highly of yourself than you ought” – Rom. 12:3) can manifest itself in many different ways. For instance, pride is seen:

when the reason we blog is simply to gain name-recognition or be lauded for our efforts

 when we envy other bloggers more popular than us

 when we become emotionally defensive (of ourselves) in our online interaction

 when we delight in making others look foolish

 when we refuse to admit (and apologize for) times when we are wrong

 or when we “take on” well-respected Christian leaders in a condescending or demeaning way (as if they would certainly see their “obvious” errors if only we could “educate” them)

Of course, the list could go on and on. The boastful pride of life (1 John 2:16) is a sin we must all continually combat.

A friend of mine once told me that he views “BLOG” as an acronym for “Boys Lusting Over Glory.” That is quite an indictment, and too often true. Thus, as believers, we must guard our motives diligently, and keep our pride in check. As Paul wrote to the Philippians, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than youselves. . . . Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:3, 5). Remember that even when we look good on the outside, “the Lord weighs the spirit” (Prov. 16:2).

On a practical note, the best way to kill pride is to think accurately about God – regularly meditating on His character and attributes. When we see God for who He truly is (in His sovereign, awesome, holy perfection), we will also see ourselves for who we really are (in our finite, frail, sinful weakness). And when we see ourselves from God’s perspective, we are humbled. We bow low like Moses (Exod. 34:8), keep silent like Job (Job 40:4-5), fall on our face like Ezekiel (Ezek. 1:28), and cry out like David: “What is man that you take thought of him? Or the son of man that you care for him” (Psalm 8:4).

All of this brings us back to the first principle we listed in this series, for we must go to God’s Word to gain an accurate understanding of who He is.

5. Check Your Facts

Not only should you check your heart before you post or comment, but you should also check your facts.

The Book of Proverbs has much to say about bearing false witness (Prov. 6:19; 12:17; 13:5; 19:5; 21:28; 24:28; 25:18; 29:12) and also advises us to understand both sides before passing judgment (18:17). As those who dispense information we need to be careful not to jump to wrong conclusions (even unintentionally), especially when spreading “juicy” tidbits of information around the blogosphere.

We also need to be careful, when reading other blogs, not to believe everything we hear. Discernment should be something we apply, not only to doctrinal issues, but also to the breaking news of the blogosphere. The biblical principles of testing and double-checking (see passages like Acts 17:11 and 1 Thess. 5:19–21) are absolutely essential on the Internet (even if the rapid exchange of information sometimes makes verification difficult).

Even when the information comes from trusted sources, the temptation can be to not read articles carefully or even completely before rushing in to comment. But such rashness almost always leads to disaster (cf. Prov. 12:18; 19:2).

It was Carl F. Henry who said that, “Truth is Christianity’s most enduring asset.” Though his words primarily apply to apologetics, I think the principle extends to all of the Christian life. Believers are those who are marked by truth – both the truth of Scripture (cf. John 17:17), and truthfulness (integrity) in how we speak and live (cf. Psalm 15). If we are to appropriately represent Jesus Christ (the Truth incarnate — John 14:6) on the web, we need to have our facts straight before we post (cf. Prov. 13:16).

6. Make It Personal (Because It Is)

One of the most deceptive aspects of blogging is that it seems impersonal. Yet, nothing could be further from the truth. Blogging, by its very nature, is very personal. 

People write blogs, people read blogs, people comment on blogs. In blogging, a person expresses his or her personal take on the actions, beliefs, or character of other persons (often particular persons) and invites third-party persons to give their personal comments in response. It’s all personal. Granted, it’s not face-to-face. It is removed from direct conversation by cables, modems, and computer screens. But insofar as it affects real people in a rational, emotional, and spiritual way – blogging is personal.

Of course, this is easy to forget when it’s late at night and only our computer screen is staring back at us. But it’s especially at those times (when we’re tired and alone) that we need to be careful with what we say and how we say it. On the other end of our barbed wit is a living, breathing human being — a person.

We may not know this person’s real name, gender, age, or physical address. But he or she is still a living soul, made in the image of God. Listen to the words of James, regarding how we speak to other people:

No one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be. (James 3:8-10)

Along these lines, here are a few practical tips. First, as we noted earlier: Don’t say something online that you wouldn’t be willing to say face-to-face. If you cannot honestly imagine yourself sitting across the desk from this person and saying it to him or her directly, then don’t say it.

Second, put your name with what you say. If you are unwilling to have your real name and your real-life reputation associated with your comment, then it’s probably better left unsaid.

Third, and most importantly, remember that there is another Person who is also watching (Prov. 15:3). That fact alone makes blogging infinitely personal. As we noted under principle number 2, if God would not approve of what you are about to say, then don’t publish it for the world to read.

One final note, as a balance to all of this, let me emphasize that – while we need to “make blogging personal” in respect to what we say to and about others — we should never “take it personally” when we ourselves are the object of criticism or ridicule.

When Jesus was scorned and mocked, He remained silent before His accusers (cf. 1 Pet. 2:21-23). He commanded His followers, when wronged, to likewise turn the other cheek (Matt. 5:39). When we feel insulted or personally offended by a post or a comment, we are never right to respond in kind (Rom. 12:18-21; cf. Prov. 15:1). Usually, all that’s been hurt is our pride; and at that point, it’s better to walk away than stay and defend ourselves. As Solomon wrote, “The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult” (Prov. 12:16).

To Be Concluded Tomorrow

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