Article August 7, 1989 Issue

God is our only Judge!

When we are falsely accused of wrongdoing, we are not helpless. The final Judge is always as close as our prayers.

Deborah Skillin Dibble

I Was accused of shoplifting. I had taken my two little girls to a department store, wearing a rain jacket I had bought there the previous month, and I had forgotten to remove a sales tag. I became aware of a man following us around while we were in the store. The man followed me out when we left and grabbed my jacket. He was the store security guard, and the tag was proof to him that I had stolen the jacket. I experienced the utter helplessness of trying to defend myself before someone who was absolutely convinced I was lying.

Anyone who has ever been falsely accused of anything knows how terrible the experience is. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever thought: "This isn't fair!" "What a great injustice I'm suffering." Or "I'm a nice person. I don't deserve this!" Even when we are basically honest, people may misjudge us, misquote us, and misunderstand us. It seems to be part of human life.

If anyone had a justification for feeling he was unjustly persecuted, it was Christ Jesus. The prejudice and false accusations he bore are staggering to contemplate. And yet, the Bible indicates, he did not react or attack his accusers. Even at his trial he did not speak in his own defense. Why didn't he fight back, get angry, try to set the record straight? Because he knew that God's infinite control, His perfect law of justice, and His great love would silence all those lies—not with words but with proof that he was who he said, the Son of God.

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