Key Verse: Verse 5 – “For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:"
Key Words: For we have found this man a pestilent fellow
Let's play label. It seems to be one of the most popular games people play. The rules are easy to remember. Any number of people can play. But the game is especially appealing to those who are scorners, fault-finders, and those who tend to love to criticize.
Now labels may vary. There are “temperament” labels. For example, “She’s choleric,” “He’s moody and hot-tempered,” etc. There are “emotional” labels: “He’s neurotic,” “She’s a nervous person,” “He’s a perfectionist.”
But my favorites are the “Spiritual” labels: “He’s a dictator,” “She’s a Pharisee,” “He has no standards,” “He’s too strict.” You know those spiritual labels.
Now to be completely honest about it, it is occasionally helpful to lick a label and stick it on. It saves a bundle of time and it can communicate a fairly clear picture. However, it is important that we guard against using a wrong label that could be dangerous and damaging. If you label Exlax as chocolate candy, that is bad; so get those labels right when you label people.
Now the danger in playing label is that you set yourself up as judge and jury declaring that your third-hand information is correct. Now when that happens, the game of label is over and now you begin to play the game of slander. Pasting labels on people, churches, and schools with only partial facts, feelings and opinions is not only unfair in the game of label, it is also unchristian.
Those who really enjoy the game of label are either immature spiritually or they are unsaved. As a matter of fact, they are the only ones who play the game. Oh well, I really don’t like the game of label anyway, so I don’t think I’ll play. How about you?
What to do:
✞ Don’t play label!
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