There is something about accusations that I had noticed as a pastor for many years watching myself and others be accused, but I had never seen it in Scripture until recently. I call it the principle of inverse accusation, and it states that accusers nearly always accuse people of being the exact opposite of what they really are.
I have a pastor friend who I consider to be one of the most humble men I have ever met. I have never seen him driven by the spotlight and I have seen him over and over give all the glory to God for his ministry and fruitfulness. He is older than I am, and I have learned a lot from his graciousness, patience – and humility. Yet, I have heard several people accuse him of being arrogant, even once someone in the Tree! The accusation is the exact opposite of who he is. Accusations are generally not even close! People are accused of embezzling money who are as honest as you can imagine. People who are deeply faithful to their spouses are accused of cheating.
This is the inverse principle of accusations. Nearly always accusations are the exact opposite of what is real. It amazes me. I have been accused of saying or doing things, and I have thought – I did almost the exact opposite of that. I was accused by one pastor of not caring about them, when I was taking care of them more than they were taking care of themselves, and all I was trying to do was help them take care of themselves as well. And some people even listened to that accusation, when it was obvious.
More than once I have been accused of being racist, but I have a church of over forty nationalities. The people who have accused me of being racist are now in churches in London with only one nationality in that church! Makes you think! I have been accused of hating a certain Bible College, but is there any pastor in the UK who is employing and paying more graduates from that college than me? I don’t think there is. I have given tens of thousands of pounds towards the college! The accusation is the opposite, the inverse, of reality. They normally are!
You would think that this is not a thing, as you might think that accusing someone of something that they never were or are would not have much effect on them and others would instantly disbelieve it, but it never seems to work out like that!
It nearly always seems to be a very remote accusation – to the point where you could almost workout someone’s character by just assuming they are the absolute opposite of what the accusers say, but at the same time there are always those who love these accusations and start to embrace them.
Think about Moses! Moses killed an Egyptian because the only thing in his heart was to rescue the Israelites. He had no plans of ever hurting a Jew. God had called him, designed him and sent him to rescue and deliver the Israelites from slavery and bring them to the promised land. But before he did, the Israelites accused him of planning to murder one of them, then when the people finally got free and ended up in the wilderness they accused Moses of trying to kill all of them in the desert – more than once! (Exodus 14.12, Exodus 16.3, Exodus 17.3).
Then they accused Moses of being proud. We know the Bible, we know that Moses was the most humble man who ever lived (Numbers 12.3), but his accusers accused him of exalting himself above everyone else (Numbers 16.3). Ironically, it was his accusers who were arrogant and thought they knew how the people should be organized better than God did (with them at the top leading of course, obviously without them spending time with God or developing the character of Moses! I’ve met those accusers before!)
Do you remember what they accused Jesus of? Trying to destroy God’s house! That should have been obvious to everyone that Jesus cared so much for His Father’s house! John 2.17 tells us zeal for that house consumed Him! But that accusation was listened to, received by the Pharisees and the Romans, and that was the charge that led to His arrest and eventual crucifixion! Opposite accusations work!
In Luke 23.1-2 they accused him of tax evasion, but any student of the gospels knows Jesus always paid His taxes, at least once supernaturally!
I have heard the kindest people I know accused of being unkind, the most forgiving people I know accused of bitterness and the most humble people I know accused of arrogance. It’s a strange principle when it comes to accusation, but the next time you hear an accusation, think carefully about where it comes from and does it fit what you know!
SELAH!