Falsely Accused? How does the gospel respond?
This week I was falsely accused of being false and hypocritical: how does the gospel respond to these accusations?
Earlier this week, I fell for a “phishing scam”. Someone sent me a Twitter message with a link to view a so-called old photo he found of me. Being friends, I clicked on it to view the picture and in doing so, I gave access to a scammer, to my twitter account. They then sent a similar message from my account to all my followers, saying that I had a hilarious old photo of them that I wanted to share with them and the world – which of course wasn’t the case.
A number of people picked up straight away that it was a scam and informed me. One lady however, whom I hardly know, wrote me an email with the following:
Hi Kevin
You have sent me a twitter response from a photo you have found of me, I take great offence of what you have said on your twitter post to me.
You profess yourself to be the greatest follow of god, I don't think so, after what you have posted on the twitter wall, you are a false person....
How do you handle this? Humbly apologise? Scoff at her embarrassment for misunderstanding you? Put your foot down and respond with equally hostility?
I first responded with an apology that she was sent a message which caused offense from my account. I then explained the situation, the phishing scam, and I ended that section with “please accept my apology”.
But I didn’t end there:
One other thing I feel like I need to clear up.
You mentioned that I'm false person because you perceived that what I had done was unkind and wrong, and that I claim to follow Christ.
The truth is that I'm far worse than you imagine me to be: Fortunately or unfortunately, you don't know me very well, but if you did, you would find out that I'm arrogant and unkind, I'm selfish and opinionated, I generally look after myself, I'm insecure and I have lots of issues and I'm not the nicest person in Cape Town; but that is exactly why I follow Christ - because I am one of the greatest 'sinners' there is and I am in need of a great Savior.
That is exactly why I love the gospel - because God isn't for those who have got it all together and are perfect; God is for those, like me, who are broken, sinful, messed up, and have issues and insecurities. That’s exactly why I believe Christ offered up his life - for broken, messed up people like me.
So I'm sorry if I've created the wrong impression - where you think that because I'm a Christian I must have it all together. That unfortunately is very far from the truth. But my hope is that one day, maybe many years from now, I will be one or two degrees 'nicer' and more 'true' than I am today.
So from one broken sinner... I once again apologize.
Kevin Murphy
My response came out of a conviction that I have around my own sinfulness. I wasn’t trying to play clever or use reverse psychology. This is honestly what I believe. Jesus said it like this: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2v17)
And that’s me. Unwell! Spiritually, emotionally, relationally. I’m sick and I need Christ’s grace all over my life.
