Intro

It has been nearly a year since Our Eyes on Him went online.  In that first post- The Anger Trap- we discussed how media outlets profit from creating negative emotions, such as anger or fear, to improve returns on advertising.  This practice continues, and a year later I see more anger in our society than ever before.  As Christians, we have to guard our hearts carefully, lest the evil in this world choke out or embitter our fruits!  This week we are going to explore what the Bible has to say about one of our most evident expressions of our hearts- the words we speak.

Scripture and Commentary

Luke 6:45

45 A good man says good things. These come from the good that is stored up in his heart. An evil man says evil things. These come from the evil that is stored up in his heart. A person’s mouth says everything that is in their heart.

Matthew 12:33-37

30 “Anyone who is not with me is against me. Anyone who does not gather sheep with me scatters them. 31 So here is what I tell you. Every kind of sin and every evil word spoken against God will be forgiven. But speaking evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. A person like that won’t be forgiven either now or in days to come.  33 “If you make a tree good, its fruit will be good. If you make a tree bad, its fruit will be bad. You can tell a tree by its fruit. 34 You nest of poisonous snakes! How can you who are evil say anything good? Your mouths say everything that is in your hearts. 35 A good man says good things. These come from the good that is stored up inside him. An evil man says evil things. These come from the evil that is stored up inside him. 36 But here is what I tell you. On judgment day, everyone will have to account for every empty word they have spoken. 37 By your words you will be found guilty or not guilty.”

In these two passages, our Lord makes several important points.  First, He clarifies that what is in a person’s heart will come out in their speech.  If we are struggling not to criticize, attack, or imagine evil against those we disagree with, it might be time for some spiritual “heart surgery”.  I find the best way to work on this is to limit exposure to negativity (turn off the media), and to follow the advice of Philippians 4:

Philippians 4:4-8

4 Always be joyful because you belong to the Lord. I will say it again. Be joyful! 5 Let everyone know how gentle you are. The Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything. No matter what happens, tell God about everything. Ask and pray, and give thanks to him. 7 Then God’s peace will watch over your hearts and your minds. He will do this because you belong to Christ Jesus. God’s peace can never be completely understood.8 Finally, my brothers and sisters, always think about what is true. Think about what is noble, right and pure. Think about what is lovely and worthy of respect. If anything is excellent or worthy of praise, think about those kinds of things.

Second, He notes that anyone that is not gathering sheep is scattering them!  So, if our words create division or repulsion rather than reconciliation, we are actually working against the Lord’s kingdom.  Recall that Christ is our perfect example, and that He was not sent to condemn the world.  Our witness for Him should be of love and healing, and indicated by Proverbs 12:

Proverbs 12:8

18 The words of thoughtless people cut like swords. But the tongue of wise people brings healing.

Third, He warns against speaking against the Holy Spirit, even more so than speaking against God the Father or Christ the Son.  The Holy Spirit dwells within those that are born again, and calls those that are not yet reconciled to God.  While speaking evil of others may not be blasphemy in the strictest sense, the warning is still relevant as suggested by James chapter 3:

James 3:9-10

9 With our tongues we praise our Lord and Father. With our tongues we curse people. We do it even though people have been created to be like God. 10 Praise and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, it shouldn’t be this way.

Finally, our Lord warns us that every idle word we speak will require an accounting.  Our words are powerful!  With our words we indicate the contents of our hearts, we praise God, we command demons to flee and mountains to move, we intercede for others.  Once we are born again, our words are not meant to be our own, but the Spirit working through us.  We have died to earthly things, and are operating in the supernatural.  Proverbs 18 tells us that our words even contain the power of life and death!  Let’s endeavor to separate ourselves from the negativity and evil in our world, and instead show evidence of good spiritual fruits through our words.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, please share.

Be blessed.

K