Reputation vs Reality “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets.” (Luke 6:26) There is a difference between reputation and character. John Wooden pointed out this distinction and combined it with an important lesson of life when he said, “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” Never be more concerned with what people think about you than with doing the right thing (Matt 10:28). The Scriptures teach us to be blameless in character regardless of what our reputation is in the eyes of others. Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Lk 6:26). Courting the favor of men at the expense of truth fits us for destruction.

Philippians 2:14-16 “Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Each Christian is to live blamelessly “in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation” One who is blameless is “deserving no censure, free from fault or defect” (Thayer). Charges of wrongdoing may be leveled against him, but those charged are unproven and cannot be made to stick to the blameless person (1 Peter 2:11-12), “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.” Elders must be “blameless” (1 Tim 3:2). Blamelessness does not mean you will always have a good reputation. It means your character and conduct is of such a nature that no evil accusation made against you is accurate. It cannot be substantiated; it is false.

Good Character / Bad Reputation Jesus (Glutton/winebibber; companion of sinners) Matthew 11:19; Luke 15:1-2 Are we wise enough to know that reputation may or may not constitute reality? If we think reputation always equals reality then we might very well have unrighteously judged the following people: Jesus had the reputation of being a “glutton and a winebibber” and a companion of sinners (Matthew 11:19), “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” The self-righteous Pharisees and scribes complained against Him (Luke 15:1-2), “Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them." The wise person considers who and why a reputation exists. He looks at the evidence. To do less will lead us to blame the blameless.

Good Character / Bad Reputation Jesus (Glutton/winebibber; companion of sinners) Matthew 11:19; Luke 15:1-2 John the Baptist (Having a demon) Matthew 11:11; 11:18 John the baptist had a reputation of having a demon (Matthew 11:18), “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon. ' John was hated by Herodius, because his preaching of righteousness had condemned her sin. Her daughter to King Herod, (Mark 6:25), “Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." In reality: John was blameless Jesus’ words (Matthew 11:11), “" Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Good Character / Bad Reputation Jesus (Glutton/winebibber; companion of sinners) Matthew 11:19; Luke 15:1-2 John the Baptist (Having a demon) Matthew 11:11; 11:18 Paul (Indecisive and Erratic; Hard and demanding) 2 Corinthians 1:15 – 2:1; 2 Corinthians 10:10-11 Some had charged him with duplicity in his travel plans to Corinth… (2 Corinthians 1:15 – 2:1), (15), “And in this confidence I intended to come to you…” (17), “Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly?” (His answer was NO). (23), “Moreover I call God as witness against my soul, that to spare you I came no more to Corinth.” (What he did, he did for them!) (2:1), “But I determined this within myself, that I would not come again to you in sorrow.” Others said Paul had a reputation of being hard and demanding in his letters but weak in person (2 Corinthians 10:10-11), “"For his letters," they say, " are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible." 11 Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present.” Paul’s accusers were driven by evil motives. In reality, Paul was blameless.

Good Character / Bad Reputation Jesus (Glutton/winebibber; companion of sinners) Matthew 11:19; Luke 15:1-2 John the Baptist (Having a demon) Matthew 11:11; 11:18 Paul (Indecisive and Erratic; Hard and demanding) 2 Corinthians 1:15 – 2:1; 2 Corinthians 10:10-11 Christians (In the eyes of the world) 1 Corinthians 4:3-4 Christians have a bad reputation in the eyes of the world (Matthew 5:11-12), “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” You may have the reputation of being “judgmental” because you teach God’s word to a sinner about his or her sin. You may refuse to have fellowship with false doctrine and be charged with a divisive reputation. You may be blamed as evil because you will not “run with them into the same excess of riot” (1 Pet 4:4, ASV). But, in God’s eyes you are blameless. (1 Corinthians 4:3-4), “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.” 

Conclusion The crucial thing is to be blameless in God’s sight. (1 Peter 2:11-12) (1 Peter 2:11-12), “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.”